During times of crisis, we come to rely on each other more than ever. When systems fail and structures falter, we turn to each other for support. We lean on our friends and our families for understanding and encouragement. And we count on our colleagues and our companies for leadership, resources and concrete action.
At SK hynix, we recognize that the strength of our company and the prowess of our products are only as good as our people. That’s why our people, the communities they’re part of, and the communities we serve have always been our highest priority. When crises hit, corporate culture and social good initiatives are elevated to even higher importance.
So, at the onset of this global health crisis, our corporate social responsibility teams got to work activating local support plans across our global network.
United States
In the United States, SK hynix America and SK hynix memory solutions (SKHMS) America in San Jose, California, donated 50,000 surgical masks and $500,000 to communities in need in Silicon Valley.
Figure 1-1. Sam Lee, Head of SK hynix America Inc. (second from left),
Tony Yoon, Head of SKHMS America (second from right)
Figure 1-2. Sam Lee, Head of SK hynix America Inc. (center),
Tony Yoon, Head of SKHMS America (right)
At the beginning of May, members of our local teams visited Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (VMC) in San Jose to deliver the masks, which will be sent to healthcare workers who are battling against COVID-19. The monetary donation will go towards organizations that help local communities affected by COVID-19, including the Silicon Valley Strong Fund, which supports low-income families in Silicon Valley, and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a longtime partner of SK hynix and one of the largest food banks in the state.
Figure 2. Acknowledge letter from Second Harvest
Figure 3. Second Harvest website thanking SK hynix for its support
On the company’s contribution, Michael Elliott, COO of VMC foundation said, “Tremendous thank you to SK hynix. Face masks are needed in high numbers because we are using so many in every hospital on a daily basis to protect healthcare workers and that is really critical right now.”
Belarus
In Belarus, where we have our Minsk R&D subsidiary, the hospitals continue to lack proper protective equipment for doctors and a great burden lies on medical workers. At the onset of the crisis, SKHMS Eastern Europe (SKHMS E) acted decisively and generously to aid the government’s healthcare efforts.
On March 27, SKHMS E donated $10K to the Ministry of Health to help combat the country’s growing crisis. As the pandemic continues to spread, and the number of cases continues to increase in Belarus, SKHMS E will extend its charitable efforts even further.
China
In China, our Chongqing office has executed several community-based activities to support frontline workers and vulnerable groups. Throughout April, the company donated over 4,500 KF94 medical masks, over 8,800 masks for children and over 450 bottles of hand sanitizer to the 3rd Social Welfare Institution of Chongqing and primary schools in Chongqing.
Figure 4. An SK hynix employee gifting consolation goods to
hospital workers on Nurse’s day
To celebrate the 109th International Nurses’ Day in May and to pay tribute to the medical staff dedicated to combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the company organized a “Salute, Dedication, and Thanksgiving” event for local healthcare workers. In addition to offering flowers to medical staff, volunteers also prepared gratitude packages, small flower baskets, and multi-layer cakes for over 345 nurses.
Figure 5. Wuxi SK hynix Happiness Foundation donated quarantine
supplies to its community
Additionally, our office in Wuxi alongside its subsidiary, Wuxi SK hynix Happiness Foundation, donated quarantine supplies to “Wuxi Xinwu District Charity Federation” on February 18. Wuxi SK hynix Happiness Foundation was established in 2016 to take the lead in social responsibility by providing substantial support to vulnerable groups and is responsible for all of the office’s CSR activities including Happy Umbrella.
Giving Back for Good
All of these efforts across are our way of saying “thank you” to the people who keep our company – and our communities – running, especially during times of crisis. Right now, with normal life upended and uncertainty on the horizon, we must learn to rely on each other for support. And for SK hynix, that means doing what we can, where we can, to make an impact on the communities that surround us.
