The Manhee Koju Foundation (Chairman Hyungman Park) held the “2024 Life Grants Award Ceremony,” and donated a total of $50,000 to the local community.
On June 18, the Manhee Koju Foundation distributed $1,000 each to 50 individuals, including seniors living alone, people with disabilities, children heading households, single mothers, and low-income families, at the LA Koreatown Senior and Community Center.
This year, 40 recipients from different ethnic backgrounds were included, recommended by the LA Mayor’s Office, the University of Southern California, the offices of LA City Council Districts 10 and 12, the Watts Labor Community Action Committee, and the LAPD.
“For the past 30 years, we have supported marginalized and vulnerable groups, including those in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province in South Korea, and various ethnic communities in LA,” Chairman Hyungman Park said. “We plan to expand our support in the future to broaden the scope of the living support fund.”
Chairman Park, who founded the Manhee Koju Foundation, was born in 1937 as the youngest of ten siblings in Gongju. He faced a challenging childhood and, despite his efforts to attend university, had to drop out due to financial difficulties. Later, he worked as a miner in West Germany.
In 1967, he immigrated to the United States and started with manual labor at a cleaning company, eventually becoming a self-made businessman with ventures in gas stations and auto repair. In 1997, he established the Manhee Koju Foundation, named after himself and his wife, Sookhee Lee, to assist those in financial need in his hometown of Gongju.
Since 2015, the foundation has provided living support funds to over 300 residents and students in need in the LA community.
Last year, the foundation donated $5,000 to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, aiding in the treatment of children with cleft lip in Chungcheong Province. The foundation plans to continue this support next year.
According to the foundation, community contributions in Gongju and LA amount to approximately $1.2 to $1.3 million.
In 2020, the foundation built a five-story, 70-unit residential-commercial complex, “Manhee Manor,” at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Catalina Street in LA’s Koreatown. The profits from this complex are transferred to the foundation and reinvested into the community.
Chairman Park has also contributed to the Korean-American community through organizations such as the Koreatown Prosper Association, the Korean Institute of Southern California, the Korean American Foundation of Southern California, the Korean American United Foundation, the Korean American Cultural Heritage Foundation, and the Koreatown Senior and Community Center.
BY EUNYOUNG LEE, YOUNGNAM KIM [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]
