Woori Bank is forging closer partnerships with local community centers to more actively engage in corporate social responsibility activities, the bank said Thursday.

The company said that through these partnerships it was stepping up its social responsibility campaigns to share its benefits with more regional communities under the mission of pursuing humanity, happiness and hopefulness.

“We have been conducting diverse activities to serve our local communities by partnering with 196 neighboring community centers,” said Lee Jong-soo, a Woori Bank representative.

Under the partnership, Woori Bank employees have volunteered in activities such as providing food for people in need, donating blood, delivering coal briquettes to low-income families, and helping senior citizens who live alone.

In particular, the bank has taken the lead in a blood donation campaign. Since 2006, employees from the bank’s 1,000 branches and the headquarters joined the campaign during a two-month period each year.

“We are proud that our employees voluntarily joined this campaign every year. Apart from the blood donation campaign, the company will continue to contribute to regional society,” Lee Soon-woo, Woori Bank’s chief, said after he participated in the campaign in August.

Woori Bank has also partnered with 90 regional child centers to support students from low-income families. Apart from providing financial support and scholarships, they have also held cultural programs such as summer camps and skating competitions for the children.

Further, since 2010, Woori Bank has run its Woori e-Sharing program, which allows customers to send money-transfer donations via mobile and Internet banking. A total of 2 billion won ($1.8 million) was donated between 2010 and last month, the company said.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)