SK Innovation Ulsan Complex (Ulsan CLX) said on the 8th that it will provide 100 million won in fuel costs for social welfare facilities to help local social welfare sites struggling amid Korea's high oil prices due to the prolonged Middle East situation.
The funds will be provided as fuel gift cards to a total of 103 welfare facilities, including 42 under the Ulsan Association of Day Service Centers for Persons with Disabilities, 18 under the Ulsan In-Home Senior Welfare Association, and 43 under the Community Child Center Federation.
This reflects the need for vehicles used by social welfare facilities to operate at all times. Vehicles for day use facilities for persons with disabilities, which run daily between homes and welfare facilities to transport those with mobility difficulties, visit more than 10 places a day and travel about 100 km. In-home senior welfare facilities that provide home-visit care and bathing services to at-risk seniors living alone, and community child centers that safely provide pick-up and drop-off for children needing after-school care, also travel an average of more than 30 km daily to deliver essential welfare services.
However, as Korea's high oil price crisis persists due to recent global instability, local social welfare sites have also been put on alert. Given that home visits and pick-up and drop-off are essential to these institutions, fuel costs account for a large share of operating expenses, and the surge in fuel prices has become increasingly hard to bear. A shortfall in fuel costs leads directly to reduced activity by social workers, potentially disrupting the provision of welfare services for marginalized groups in the community.
Ulsan CLX and the Community Chest of Korea said they expect the support to substantially ease the fuel cost burden faced by local social welfare facilities and help ensure continuity of welfare services.
Park Jeong-won, head of CLX Management Support at SK Energy, said, "The whole world is suffering from high oil prices, but those who suffer the most are our hard-pressed neighbors left in the blind spots," adding, "SK will continue to closely look after difficulties across the local community and take the lead in practicing shared growth to eliminate the welfare blind spots."
At the handover ceremony held that day at Ulsan CLX, attendees included Park Jeong-won, head of CLX Management Support at SK Energy, Secretary-General Yang Ho-yeong of the Ulsan Community Chest of Korea, as well as officials from the Ulsan Association of Day Service Centers for Persons with Disabilities, the Ulsan In-Home Senior Welfare Association, and the Community Child Center Federation.