'Skills, not bread': Sangmidang Holdings' 15-year commitment to meaningful giving

At a cafe in Seoul, a barista with a developmental disability pulls an espresso shot with practiced ease. As he hands the drink to a customer, his face radiates confidence. Just a few years ago, steady employment felt like a distant dream. Sangmidang Holdings has been part of making that dream real.

The company's approach to corporate social responsibility is a little different. "Sharing bread feeds a meal; sharing the skill to make it feeds a dream." That single sentence, encapsulating the Sangmidang spirit, has guided the company's social contribution work for 15 years — ever since Chairman Heo Young-in personally led the establishment of Happy Foundation, a social welfare corporation, in 2011. Heo instilled the philosophy that sharing skills is the truest form of giving.

The idea — teach people to fish rather than hand them a fish — has taken shape through two concrete programs: Happy Bakery & Cafe, which provides cafe and bakery jobs for people with developmental disabilities, and Happy Bakery Class, which teaches baking and confectionery skills through the Soul Bakery vocational rehabilitation facility.

The results show up in the numbers. From 2012 through the end of 2024, Happy Bakery Class graduated 389 participants, 65 of whom went on to find employment. The 900 million won ($662,000) in funding channeled into the program has gone toward building training spaces, supplying equipment and delivering skills instruction. The Happy Bakery & Cafe initiative has received a cumulative 3 billion won. The model — a collaboration among corporations, local governments and nonprofit organizations — goes well beyond simple job placement, encompassing international barista certification courses, competitions for baristas with disabilities, and programs to strengthen service and hygiene standards. Heo has consistently called for expanding educational programs "so that people with disabilities can grow into professionals with specialized skills."

On-the-ground support has continued this year. In April, on the occasion of Disability Awareness Day, 20 workers with developmental disabilities took part in an advanced baking skills training session. In May, baristas with disabilities received hands-on coffee instruction covering everything from espresso extraction to milk-steaming technique. The support has evolved from a one-off event into a sustained, structured training system.

At a time when many large companies treat social contribution as a one-time publicity exercise, Sangmidang Holdings' approach stands out. Fifteen years and more than 3.7 billion won in cumulative support would be difficult to sustain without a consistent guiding philosophy. The weight of that commitment is all the more significant given that Heo has held to the same course for so long.

"Support for people with disabilities must be sustainable social contribution that fosters independence and growth — not simple charity," a Sangmidang Holdings official said. "We will continue to offer a wide range of support through education and employment assistance so that people with disabilities can grow into full and confident members of society."