Despite the COVID Cold Wave, Sharing Continues... Seongdong One Plus One Eliminates 'Welfare Blind Spots'

Our Neighborhood Neighbors: 1,409 People Donated 13 Million Won, Shared with 940 Recipients... Donors, Participating Businesses, and Users All Warm Up in Difficult Times...

The amount donated to 'Seongdong One Plus One' was posted as coupons so that users could freely use them.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The culture of sharing among Seongdong-gu residents, who help each other through the small daily donation project 'Seongdong One Plus One,' now in its third year under the management of Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh), is ongoing.

'Seongdong One Plus One' is a sharing project where, when purchasing an item, customers pay for one additional item, which is then provided to those in difficult circumstances. It was established to support individuals in crisis and vulnerable welfare groups outside the formal system who are in urgent need of assistance.

To promote the project, a first-phase pilot operation was conducted in March 2019 targeting restaurants and convenience stores. After reviewing the results and operational status, the project expanded in November to 33 locations across seven districts, diversifying participating businesses to include bakeries, laundromats, and more.

So far, the 'Seongdong One Plus One' project has achieved results by providing benefits to over 940 people through donations of approximately 13 million KRW from 1,409 donors. It also earned the prestigious Prime Minister's Award at the 2019 Ministry of the Interior and Safety Public Service Excellence Competition.

Despite the challenges posed by strengthened social distancing measures due to COVID-19 last year, 1,022 donors contributed about 8.6 million KRW, benefiting around 540 people.

Mr. Park ?? (74), a resident of Songjeong-dong, said, "Two years ago, my spouse and eldest son passed away. Although I have a second son, I do not receive care from him, so I often could not have a proper meal. Thanks to One Plus One, I was able to have meals, and I am very grateful."

Additionally, a representative of a participating business stated, "Paying for 1+1 helped increase store sales, and seeing people trust and donate to participating businesses as members of the local community made me feel the warmth of our neighborhood, which is rewarding."

This year, the district plans to strengthen collaboration through regular non-face-to-face meetings between resident autonomy committees and participating businesses, and to continuously encourage resident use by producing promotional videos for One Plus One participating businesses.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "Sharing a bowl of budaejjigae costing just a few thousand won may not change the world, but I hope that One Plus One becomes a driving force for neighbors facing sudden hardships or those in welfare blind spots to overcome difficult moments, and that it becomes an opportunity for everyone to feel warmth during tough times."