[Seoul District News] Geumcheon-gu Provides 100,000 KRW per Household to Single-Parent and Grandparent Families Below 52% Median Income and Youth Single-Parent Families Below 60% Median Income... Paris Croissant Yeouido 2nd Branch Manager Jeong Jin-yeol Donated Food Worth 930 Million KRW Since 2010... Dobong 1-dong Christmas Miracle, Anonymous Donor Leaves 3 Million KRW... Songpa Sharing Center Leads 'Energy Welfare' Realization... Dongjak-gu Actively Identifies and Supports Welfare Blind Spots During Year-End and New Year
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Seong-hoon) provides 100,000 KRW in winter support funds per household to single-parent families.
This support is promoted as part of the ‘Geumcheon-type livelihood measures’ to assist single-parent families facing economic difficulties due to the resurgence of COVID-19.
The beneficiaries are approximately 500 single-parent families and grandparent-grandchild families with median income below 52% as of December 10, 2021, and youth single-parent families with median income below 60%. However, single-parent families receiving basic livelihood security benefits (living expenses, medical aid) are excluded.
The support funds will be deposited into the registered accounts of eligible recipients on December 24 without a separate application.
Geumcheon-gu plans to continue seeking support measures for legally recognized single-parent families who receive relatively fewer government benefits compared to basic livelihood recipients and will also continue to identify welfare blind spots.
Yoo Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “I hope low-income single-parent families who are working hard with their children despite the prolonged difficulties of COVID-19 can have a warmer winter.”
◆Seoul Geumcheon-gu
In these days when even the spirit of sharing has frozen due to the impact of COVID-19, there are those who continue their good deeds for neighbors in need without change.
The protagonists are store managers Jeong Jin-yeol and Kim Jeong-ho, who operate bakeries.
They have been donating bread and cakes for years through the Jung-gu Food Bank Market Center, an institution under Jung-gu Office. Despite difficulties caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they continue sharing to support vulnerable groups in the region who are going through even tougher times.
Paris Croissant Yeouido Branch 2 (Manager Jeong Jin-yeol) has donated food worth approximately 930 million KRW over 11 years since 2010, and Paris Baguette Sindang Daerim Branch (Manager Kim Jeong-ho) has donated food worth about 160 million KRW over 7 years since 2014.
The Food Bank is a general term for institutions that collect surplus food generated during production, distribution, sales, and consumption processes and deliver it to neighbors in need, practicing sharing through food.
The food donated to the Jung-gu Food Bank Market Center is stocked in a store located on the first floor of Yurak Comprehensive Social Welfare Center and delivered to vulnerable groups such as low-income households visiting the center. This year, delivery services were also provided directly to about 780 people, including elderly living alone with mobility difficulties and disabled persons, by the center and local volunteer groups.
Managers Jeong Jin-yeol and Kim Jeong-ho received commendations in the material sharing category at the ‘Seoul City Itda Food Bank & Market Supporters Appreciation Night’ hosted by Seoul City on the 1st, recognizing their continuous good deeds.
Manager Jeong Jin-yeol said, “I have continued donating because I believe that what we receive from consumers should be returned to socially vulnerable groups.” He added, “Although everyone is going through difficult times due to COVID-19, if we help each other, we can overcome this crisis. I hope the warm culture of donation spreads in the community by starting with donating the talents one is best at.”
Seo Yang-ho, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, “I sincerely thank the supporters who participated in donations thinking of neighbors despite difficult circumstances. Together with warm hearts of helping and sharing, we will overcome the current crisis through thorough support for vulnerable groups at the local government level.”
On December 23, just before Christmas, a small but warm miracle happened at Dobong 1-dong Community Service Center at the edge of Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin). An anonymous donor suddenly left 3 million KRW and departed.
A middle-aged woman wearing a mask and hat visited the community center around 10 a.m. When she asked for the donation officer, Kim, the officer in charge of the ‘Warm Winter’ program at Dobong 1-dong Community Service Center’s integrated welfare team, greeted her.
Without a word, the woman handed over an envelope containing a donation. On the outside of the envelope was a handwritten note saying, “I hope this small heart shared during the difficult times of COVID-19 will give strength.”
Despite Kim’s request to provide the donor’s name and contact information, the woman waved her hand and said, “It’s nothing like that. It’s okay,” and quickly left the community center. The 3 million KRW donation will be used to help neighbors in need within the community.
Park Hyo-jin, head of Dobong 1-dong Community Service Center, said, “The staff were deeply moved by the silent good deed performed by the donor during difficult times. We will carefully manage the donation to ensure the donor’s heart is fully conveyed. Once again, we sincerely thank the anonymous donor.”
Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) is realizing a new form of ‘energy welfare’ that combines environment and welfare.
Since 2009, the district has operated the Songpa Sharing Power Plant, producing electricity through solar power and using the operating profits to support vulnerable groups. In cooperation with the non-profit corporation ‘Energy Sharing and Peace,’ the first plant was built in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, the second in Uiseong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and the third and fourth within Songpa-gu’s Resource Circulation Park. Since July 2020, the fifth plant, planned and built independently by the district, has been operating at Songpa-gu Sincheon Rainwater Pump Station.
Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “Operating the Songpa Sharing Power Plant helps both the environment and energy-vulnerable groups, achieving two goals at once. This year, we supported 27 energy-poor households in the region with high-efficiency home appliances worth about 12 million KRW using operating profits.”
The district delivered nine washing machines, eleven refrigerators, and seven electric rice cookers tailored to households receiving basic livelihood benefits or those in welfare blind spots. A recipient, Mr. Yoo, who received an electric rice cooker, said, “I used to feed my sixth-grade son cold rice, but now I can give him warm rice every day, and I am truly grateful.”
Additionally, this year, Songpa-gu actively carried out support projects such as paying off public utility arrears for energy-poor households, replacing LED lighting for vulnerable groups, and installing cool roofs at social welfare facilities, spending a total of about 230 million KRW from the operating profits of the Songpa Sharing Power Plant.
Also, in response to the COVID-19 situation, the district raised the limit for public utility arrears support for energy-poor households, gaining great response from local residents through customized projects.
Mayor Park Seong-su said, “By operating the Songpa Sharing Power Plant, we actively participate in low-carbon green growth policies while supporting energy-poor households, realizing a new form of ‘energy welfare’ that combines environment and welfare. We will also do our best to help energy-vulnerable groups who are going through difficult times due to COVID-19 live healthy lives.”
Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) announced on the 24th that it has established a plan to discover and support welfare blind spots so that vulnerable groups can spend a safe and warm winter during the year-end and New Year holidays, focusing on identifying welfare crisis households until February next year.
This project was prepared to support vulnerable groups who face increased economic difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and are at risk of damage due to poor housing conditions during cold waves and heavy snowfall.
The district will actively discover welfare crisis households and connect them to customized welfare services by utilizing the local community’s human safety network, including welfare planners, neighborhood officers, visiting nurses, and welfare-related assistants.
First, using big data, the district will focus on discovering single-person households and low-income disabled households. If on-site investigation or visit counseling is needed for welfare checks, the living environment and lifestyle will be observed, and if recognized as vulnerable, the case will be linked to welfare planners for proactive discovery and management of crisis households.
Additionally, for single-person households aged 50 or older living in housing-vulnerable areas, the district will assess living conditions and conduct in-depth counseling to connect and arrange necessary services such as public benefits and private resources.
Moreover, the district actively informs residents about welfare membership and comprehensive welfare counseling services that help find and guide welfare services available based on individual or household age and composition, aiming to maximize welfare benefits.
Discovered beneficiaries will receive customized welfare services such as basic livelihood support, Seoul-type basic security, emergency welfare, Hope Ondol support for vulnerable crisis households, and Warm Winter programs.
In the future, after setting crisis levels according to household characteristics, the district will establish annual monitoring plans by neighborhood, conduct periodic visit counseling, and perform continuous monitoring using human resources such as neighborhood care groups to ensure meticulous follow-up management.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, general initial counseling visits will be replaced by phone calls and postal mail, but visits will be conducted following quarantine rules only in urgent situations or when face-to-face counseling is essential.
If you discover welfare crisis households around you, please report to the nearest community service center. For more details, contact the Welfare Policy Division.
Park Mi-young, head of the Welfare Policy Division, said, “As economic and social isolation of vulnerable groups deepens due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, we will do our best to look after neighbors in need once more and support stable living to eliminate welfare blind spots.”
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) received the Ministry of Health and Welfare Minister’s Award for the ‘2021 Excellent Case Contest for Disabled Health and Welfare Management Project’ and the Excellence Award in the ‘2021 Field Application Practice Case Contest’ hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Notably, Gwangjin-gu was the only district among Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts to receive these awards, highlighting its leading role in disabled health and welfare management in Seoul.
The Excellent Case Contest for Disabled Health and Welfare Management Project and the Field Application Practice Case Contest are held to discover and reward excellent projects for people with disabilities in local communities. Entries from across the country are reviewed by internal and external experts, and outstanding cases are selected.
Under the theme ‘Happiness Delivered to Your Home,’ the district was highly evaluated for actively providing rehabilitation services in response to the changed COVID-19 situation, including ▲‘Visiting Rehabilitation Medicine Clinic’ project in cooperation with Konkuk University Hospital ▲‘Disabled Health Package’ project through home visits by disabled health coordinators ▲‘Visiting Horticultural Therapy Program’ to overcome COVID blues ▲‘Strengthening Cooperation of Community Rehabilitation Council’ for people with disabilities in the community.
First, the ‘Visiting Rehabilitation Medicine Clinic’ project involves a professor from Konkuk University’s Rehabilitation Medicine Department visiting the homes of severely disabled persons who have difficulty going out or visiting hospitals due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
During visits, medical treatment, advice on improving living environments, exercise education, and welfare services such as medical expense support linked with the social work team are provided, earning high praise from judges.
The ‘Disabled Health Package’ project delivers health packages consisting of items such as anti-slip mats, socks, stretching bands, and masks to prevent secondary disabilities and support rehabilitation exercises for disabled persons with limited physical activity.
Additionally, the ‘Visiting Horticultural Therapy Program’ to overcome COVID blues and the ‘Strengthening Cooperation of Community Rehabilitation Council’ project, which provides care services through linkage and cooperation amid the prolonged COVID-19 situation, were also recognized as noteworthy projects.
Previously, the district was externally recognized for achievements in disabled health and welfare, including the ‘2019 Community-Based Rehabilitation Project Excellence Award’ and the ‘2020 Ministry of Health and Welfare Minister’s Award for Best Institution in Disabled Health and Welfare Management Project.’ With this recent award, Gwangjin-gu has achieved three consecutive years of recognition in the disabled health and welfare management field.
Mayor Kim Seon-gap said, “I am pleased to receive good evaluations for our active efforts to ensure that welfare for people with disabilities is not neglected during the prolonged COVID-19 situation. We will continue to provide various rehabilitation services to improve the physical and psychological health and quality of life of people with disabilities.”
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