December, the end of 2014, is just around the corner already. To end the year on a meaningful note, HansemEUG decided to make the Winter warmer for the senior who need care in our neighborhood. There are many ways to help them but, we tried to give them what they need the most.

We decided to deliver charcoal briquettes to people in need using money we had donated throughout the year in a piggy bank placed in the lobby of the HansemEUG building.

It might be not a familiar word “Charcoal Briquette” if you never lived in Korea. It also called “Yeontan.” It made of coal dust and a gluing agent which were a welcome alternative to firewood and natural coal partly because they came in a consistent, stackable size and shape. It’s a large coal briquette used in South Korea for cooking and home heating. The same fire used for cooking also served to heat the house, through a Korean radiant underfloor heating system called ondol.

Nevertheless it was very popular after Korean War, after Korean houses switched to oil and gas boilers, it decreased just 2% of households. In fact, 2% of households are mostly the elders. A Yeontan is about 3 kg which is heavy especially to the elders. Besides, one Yeontan is only good for one day so that they have to purchase Yeontan every day which is a hard routine for elders.

Therefore, we decided to purchase 300 Yeontans for each elders in our neighborhood. Not only we purchased but also we deliver to inside of their house that they don’t need to walk with heavy Yeontan every day. It was our pleasure to share our heart with the elders.

This area of Ingyedong is similar to Jeju’s “Olle Trail.” They say that residents and volunteers beautify the area to keep the neighborhood looking nice and to build community spirit. We walked to our next stop and talked about the artwork. It reminded us of our childhood!

The event was a success thanks to our staff’s hard work. We hope to continue our efforts and make this a yearly event.