South Chungcheong Province's first Goodwill Store opens in Cheonan; hires 7 people with developmental disabilities

[Financial News] Miral Welfare Foundation has opened South Chungcheong Province's first Goodwill Store in Cheonan and hired 7 people with developmental disabilities. It has also set up a pop-up store and a permanent donation box at a women's professional basketball arena in Asan, allowing spectators to donate items.
According to Miral Welfare Foundation on the 9th, Goodwill Store Miral Cheonan Sinbu Branch began operating on the 5th in Sinbu-dong, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan. The store, established with support from Woori Financial Future Foundation, covers about 992 square meters (300 pyeong), with about 331 square meters of sales space and about 661 square meters of storage and work areas.
Goodwill Store sells items donated by individuals and businesses and uses the proceeds to pay the wages of employees with disabilities. Before opening, the Cheonan Sinbu branch's job posting for employees with disabilities listed transporting donated goods, preparing items for sale, displaying them and assisting customers among the main duties. The stated employment terms were five days a week, six hours a day, at minimum wage.
Miral Welfare Foundation opened its first Goodwill Store in Songpa-gu, Seoul, in 2011. According to business performance data released in March, 11 stores were added last year, bringing the nationwide total to 46. At the time, employees with disabilities numbered 481, accounting for 59% of the total workforce.
Woori Financial Future Foundation signed a business agreement with Miral Welfare Foundation in 2023 and has supported the establishment of stores in Ulsan, Daegu and Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, among other places. Woori Financial set a goal of investing a total of 30 billion won in the project to expand Goodwill Store to 100 locations nationwide and provide jobs for 1,500 people with developmental disabilities.
In Asan, Miral Welfare Foundation worked with Asan Woori Bank Woori Won Women's Basketball Team to set up a Goodwill Store pop-up at Yi Sun-sin Gymnasium. It made its debut on the 7th, timed to coincide with Woori Bank's home opener. Spectators can place items in the permanent donation box at the arena.
Jung Hyung-seok, standing representative of Miral Welfare Foundation, and others attended the pop-up store's opening event, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and commemorative photos. Employees with and without disabilities from the Miral Cheonan Sinbu branch were invited to that day's home opener and watched the game against Samsung Life Insurance together from designated social contribution seats behind the team's bench.
The pop-up store will operate on days when home games are held during the 2026–2027 regular season. Asan Woori Bank Woori Won will play its next home game against Busan BNK Sum Women's Basketball Club at 7 p.m. on the 13th. The foundation plans to promote the store this season by placing the Goodwill Store logo on the lower part of the arena's baskets as well.
Goodwill Store accepts donations of reusable clothing, shoes, bags and household goods. Donors can take items directly to a donation center or request a pickup through the Goodwill Store website. In South Chungcheong Province, courier pickup is available for donations of as little as one box.
Standing Representative Jung said, "We will instill sustainable values of mutual prosperity throughout South Chungcheong Province, centering on Cheonan and Asan." The foundation plans to run donation campaigns with the team and organize programs to encourage spectator participation.
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter