Guro-gu Conducts Non-Face-to-Face Volunteer Activities for Seniors in Celebration of Chuseok

Cooperating with Organizations to Care for Marginalized Residents... Providing Companion Services, Welfare Checks, Holiday Food, and Delivering 'Hope Packages' to 130 Elderly Living Alone

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Seong) is conducting volunteer activities for the elderly in a non-face-to-face manner to celebrate Chuseok.

Guro-gu stated on the 23rd, "This year’s Chuseok is expected to have many elderly people who cannot be with their families due to COVID-19," and added, "We are working together with local institutions and organizations to carry out volunteer activities to ensure no residents are left isolated."

First, a companionship service is being provided to about 150 low-income elderly living alone. Counselors from each neighborhood volunteer camp check on the health status of the elderly by phone and talk with them to help alleviate their loneliness. For 1,017 users of the customized elderly care service, their well-being is checked at least once during the holiday period.

Special holiday meals are also provided for elderly people spending the Chuseok holiday alone. Together with welfare centers and elderly care centers, rice cakes, traditional Korean sweets (hangwa), and side dishes are prepared and delivered in a non-face-to-face manner to 1,200 low-income elderly households in the district.

Relay volunteer activities by each neighborhood are also ongoing. Starting with Garibong-dong on the 9th, volunteer cooperation groups from Guro 4-dong, Gocheok 1-dong, Oryu 1-dong, Gaebong 3-dong, and Gaebong 2-dong supported low-income elderly households with holiday foods and rice.

Meanwhile, Guro-gu, in cooperation with the Guro Social Economy Integrated Support Center and the Guro Social Enterprise and Village Enterprise Council, delivered ‘Hope Packages’ to 130 elderly living alone. The ‘Hope Packages’ consist of eight products from local social economy enterprises, including kimchi, cookie sets, masks, and eggs.

A Guro-gu official said, “We will do our best to ensure all residents have a joyful Chuseok holiday,” and added, “Although it is difficult to meet in person due to social distancing, we hope this will be a warm holiday with neighbors in heart.”