Samsung SDI employee builds up expertise while volunteering

By Yoon Ja-young

Recreation instructor, laughter therapist, social worker, and nursery teacher, these are some of the 13 certificates that Kim Bang-hyoung has obtained over the past 10 years. The reason he earned them was so he could be more professional in his volunteering.

Kim, who works at a small battery business division of Samsung SDI, plans to visit underprivileged senior citizens who live alone during the Chuseok holidays next month.

He has been visiting 13 elderly neighbors about five times each year, being their companion during holidays and birthdays or inviting them on short trips. He has been doing his volunteering work for the past 30 years so that they don’t feel lonely.

Kim is like a professional in volunteering. Since 1984 when he started working at Samsung, he won Samsung Group’s grand prize for volunteers five times. He also won a special award by Samsung Group Chairman and the SDI best volunteer award.

“My mother passed away when I was 10 years old and I grew up in less fortunate surroundings. The elderly neighbors treated me with their warm hearts as if they were my mothers. I was thankful, and it naturally led to my determination that I should volunteer for the underprivileged when I grow up,” Kim said.

It was not easy to dedicate time for volunteering while working, but he has continued volunteering for lonely elderly citizens or young people without families.

After a few years, Kim decided that he would upgrade his volunteering. “Helping with meals or providing care are also meaningful, but I wanted to add something really helpful of enhanced value,” Kim said. He recollected why he started obtaining certificates related with social contribution.

Starting with the recreation instructor certificate he obtained in 2007, he continued earning certificates in fields where he thought professional knowledge would help him with his work.

Among his portfolio of certificates are laughter therapist, well-dying instructor, psychology counselor, and senior citizen sports instructor. He also won a social worker certificate which requires a college diploma in social welfare. He said that it was the most difficult certificate to obtain.

“It was tough, but I continued on the determination that expert knowledge would make my volunteering more meaningful.”

He obtained a diploma in social welfare through an online university in 2012, and earned the social worker license as well.

He also cherishes his funeral director certificate which he earned in 2016. A funeral director has to know all the processes of a funeral. It requires 250 hours of education and 50 hours of practice in the field. Kim used his vacations to fulfill the requirement.

“I want to take care of the elderly citizens until their last moments in this world,” he said. One of the elderly ladies he had taken care of died, but she had no family. Kim was in charge of her funeral.

Kim is currently working as a career consultant for Samsung SDI employees.

“I want to help them prepare for their careers after retirement, based on my knowledge and experiences with the diverse certificates I have obtained. I hope to build up more expertise in counseling,” he added.