The Story of a Solitary Man in His 50s Starting His "Second Act of Life" Just Before Death

Extensive Housing Environment Improvement Activities Conducted at the Home of a 50s Single Man Rescued on August 17 in Sinjeong 3-dong... 12 People Including Yangcheon-gu Sinjeong 3-dong Community Center, Care SOS Center Cleaning Company, and Sinwol Comprehensive Social Welfare Center Collected and Cleaned Trash Accumulated Throughout the House for 7 Hours

After Improving the Residential Environment

Before Residential Environment Improvement

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] "About 50 large sacks of garbage, 500kg"

On August 17th, this was the amount of trash collected from the home of Mr. A, a man in his 50s living alone, who was rescued from the brink of death by employees of the Yangcheon-gu Sinjeong 3-dong Community Service Center after a simple plea of "Some juice, please..."

To thoroughly clean Mr. A’s home, which was filled with piles of trash stacked like a mountain and reeking with a pungent odor, on the 2nd, staff from the Yangcheon-gu Sinjeong 3-dong Community Service Center, the Care SOS Center cleaning company, and employees from the Sinwol Comprehensive Social Welfare Center rolled up their sleeves and took action.

A total of 12 people, including public officials and volunteers, participated in the operation, which lasted seven hours with hard work and sweat. First, they sorted through the old food waste and the heaps of garbage filling the house, separating what could be recycled from what needed to be discarded. Then, they repeatedly swept and wiped down the partially cleared house, including the bathroom, kitchen, and veranda, which were covered in excrement and mold, until everything was thoroughly cleaned.

During the cleaning process, the staff and volunteers shared a united hope and earnest wish that Mr. A would regain his will to live and stand up again, planting this hope throughout the house. The housing environment improvement work, which started early in the morning, ended late in the afternoon, transforming Mr. A’s home, which had resembled a garbage dump, into a sparkling clean and new sanctuary.

Moreover, alongside the housing environment improvement activities, the Sinjeong 3-dong Community Service Center persuaded Mr. A’s family, who had been estranged for a long time due to his alcohol addiction, to open the door to communication and restore their broken relationship. Mr. A’s older brother, who came from out of town to help clean the house, expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thanks to the prompt response of the community center, we were able to save my brother’s life."

Currently, Mr. A has been transferred to a nursing hospital to focus on recovery and is expected to return to his cleaned home once treatment is completed. The Sinjeong 3-dong Community Service Center plans to continue monitoring and showing interest in Mr. A in cooperation with the district office to ensure he does not return to his previous lifestyle.

Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, stated, "Yangcheon-gu will be a reliable support that residents can trust and rely on first in moments of crisis that come without warning," and added, "We will continue to build a warm community safety net where everyone cares for each other through meticulous ‘connections’ that leave no corner unattended."