Shinhan Savings Bank Employees’ Virtual Volunteer Activity

“Creating DIY Kits to Protect Children’s Daily Safety and Rights”

390 safety kits made by 195 people—780 hours of protection for children’s daily lives

"Thank you so much for the letter. I’ll definitely write such a touching letter myself."

This is what a child said after discovering the warm sentiment inside a gift.

The child had received a gift box. When they opened it, they found a small card tucked among the items.

The card read:

"From peaceful sleep to confident strides, I’m cheering for your shining everyday life."

After reading the card, the child went to get some paper and a pencil.

One of the cards had been prepared even before summer began.

From June 15 to July 7, 195 employees of Shinhan Savings Bank assembled kits for children from their respective workstations.

This was a remote volunteer effort carried out with everyone working separately rather than gathering in one place.

Those scattered efforts came together to total 780 hours of volunteer work, resulting in 390 heartwarming kits designed to keep children safe.

Four types of kits were prepared. However, what the employees actually packed were not just items.

The 98 “Snoring Shizuku Pillows” were filled with the hope that babies would sleep soundly through the night.

The 97 “Munch Munch Healthy Bibs” were filled with the hope of cheering on the clumsy hands of a child eating for the first time.

The 97 “Pat-Pat First Aid Kits” were filled with the hope that, even if we couldn’t be right there when a child falls, at least a band-aid would be waiting for them.

The 98 “Lost Child Prevention Safety Keychains” were filled with the hope that children would return home safely.

The four kits created in this way were distributed one by one to children and parents

at child welfare facilities and single-parent family welfare facilities operated by the Korean Association of Social Welfare from July 8 to 17.

As soon as the boxes were opened, the atmosphere in the facilities changed.

A child who had previously claimed that things like keychains were “too childish” and showed no interest stepped forward upon seeing the light-up keycaps and chose a character they liked,

while other children, delighted with the first-aid kit cases, decorated their own cases with stickers they had collected and were busy showing them off to each other.

A few days later, letters written by the children at the facility arrived.

"The letter on the keycap says, 'I'm rooting for your future,' so it feels like I'm being cheered on every day."

"I sweat a lot on hot summer days when I'm going back and forth between school and tutoring, but thanks to the cooling pad, I think I'll be able to cool off, even if just for a little while."

“I fell and hurt myself, but after putting on a band-aid, the injury healed right away.”

A letter also arrived at a welfare facility for single-parent families. It described how a child opened the box and exclaimed, 

“Wow, is this for me?” with sparkling eyes, and how the adult standing nearby was also moved to tears.

One mother wrote in the last line of her letter to express her gratitude for the kind gesture of reaching out first in this harsh world.

In this way, the 390 kits ensured a safe day for the children and gave their parents the reassurance that they are not alone.

We sincerely thank the 195 employees of Shinhan Savings Bank who took the initiative to reach out to the children in their daily lives.

The KWS will continue to stand by the children so that they can pass on the kindness they have received.