Global cosmetics-maker L’Oreal on Friday celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Group Home support project, connecting company staff and department store sales clerks with those in need in Gyeonggi Province.

At the “Citizen Day” event held at the company’s headquarters and the Jamsil Auxiliary Stadium in Seoul, 355 “Angel” gift boxes containing stationery and children’s apparel were handed over to 75 Group Home welfare facilities. L’Oreal also donated 30.4 million won ($25,700) to the welfare facilities.  

“They say ‘Never let your right hand know what your left hand is doing,’ but I think the more you get to know about good deeds, the more you get to participate,” said Jeong Jae-won, quality and project manager at the company’s distribution center, told The Korea Herald. Jeong has been organizing the event for 10 years since he and his colleagues supported Group Home, Nuri’s House, nearby.

The charity activity gained momentum in 2010 when it was selected as the official program of L’Oreal’s global corporate social responsibility event, “Citizen Day.”

Since then, Jeong was able to raise funds to refurbish the facility and finance college tuition for the children. He and the colleagues annually sell pears from Nuri’s House to L’Oreal Korea staff in order to pay for heating at the facility.

“There was a 9-year-old kid from a Group Home who went on a picnic with us in 2006, and he became a university student last year. It just felt like sending my own nephew to school. Such feelings are worth so much and inspire all of us to carry on,” Jeong said.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)