Korean Salvation Army conducts non-face-to-face fundraising for first time amid COVID-19 outbreak
- 3 years ago
울려 퍼진 '사랑의 종소리'...'스마트 자선냄비' 도입
It's that time of the year in South Korea when the Salvation Army take to the streets to raise money for those in need.
However, in light of the pandemic, this year's collection methods will be quite different from the years gone by.
Park Se-young explains
"Many neighbors are having a hard time because of COVID-19."
With less than one month left of the year, ....the iconic red donation pots have appeared on the streets.
Amid the outbreak, ...it's difficult to see people responding to the ringing of the Salvation Army's bells.
The pots at subway entrances tend to collect the most donations, ...but it's a long wait until someone opens their wallet.
"I always try to help those in need, and I just happened to have too many coins in my wallet today."
The Salvation Army's donations fell by 20 percent from eleven-point-eight million U.S. dollars in 2018 to nine-point-four million dollars in 2019.
The number of donation pots scattered across the country also dropped from some 440 in 2018 to around 330 this year.
"The coronavirus situation's risk factors make it difficult for people to volunteer, and participants have indeed decreased."
The charity held this year's bell ringing ceremony online and created a special website for online donations.
Last year, to adapt to changing lifestyles, the charity introduced the smart pot, ... where people can donate by scanning their transportation card or using a QR code.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.
It's that time of the year in South Korea when the Salvation Army take to the streets to raise money for those in need.
However, in light of the pandemic, this year's collection methods will be quite different from the years gone by.
Park Se-young explains
"Many neighbors are having a hard time because of COVID-19."
With less than one month left of the year, ....the iconic red donation pots have appeared on the streets.
Amid the outbreak, ...it's difficult to see people responding to the ringing of the Salvation Army's bells.
The pots at subway entrances tend to collect the most donations, ...but it's a long wait until someone opens their wallet.
"I always try to help those in need, and I just happened to have too many coins in my wallet today."
The Salvation Army's donations fell by 20 percent from eleven-point-eight million U.S. dollars in 2018 to nine-point-four million dollars in 2019.
The number of donation pots scattered across the country also dropped from some 440 in 2018 to around 330 this year.
"The coronavirus situation's risk factors make it difficult for people to volunteer, and participants have indeed decreased."
The charity held this year's bell ringing ceremony online and created a special website for online donations.
Last year, to adapt to changing lifestyles, the charity introduced the smart pot, ... where people can donate by scanning their transportation card or using a QR code.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.