"Please Help Those More Needy"... Elderly Collecting Recyclables Donate 1.2 Million Won

[Seoul District News] Jungnang-gu Junghwa 2-dong Community Center on the 5th: 3 Elderly Residents Donate 1.2 Million Won from Collected Paper Recycling as Neighbor Aid... Seongdong-gu Provides ‘Neutari Mushroom Kits’ to Middle-aged Single-person Households

A donation totaling 1,201,000 won consisting of twenty-four 50,000 won bills, one 50 won coin, and five 10 won coins, along with a receipt received from selling scrap paper to a junk dealer

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) Jung-hwa 2-dong Community Service Center announced on the 5th that three elderly residents donated 1.2 million won, collected by picking up waste paper, as a contribution to help neighbors.

The elderly residents living in Junghwa-dong collected waste paper every day without fail from last winter until the end of March despite their difficult circumstances. Elderly resident Jin, known for volunteering by cleaning a nearby park for 16 years despite being a basic livelihood security recipient, is well known. Elderly residents Lee and Kim said, "Although I live a difficult life, I want to help those who are even more in need. That way, life feels more rewarding," adding, "It is a small amount, but since it was hard-earned money, please use it meaningfully."

When the elderly said they were helping neighbors by selling waste paper, the junk shop even offered a higher price for the waste paper, adding warmth to the story.

The donated funds will be used to support vulnerable groups in the Jung-hwa 2-dong area through the Community Chest of Korea.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, "Thinking about donating is one thing, but putting it into practice is never easy," and added, "I sincerely thank the elderly who quietly collected waste paper thinking of their neighbors during the cold winter days despite their difficult situations and delivered inspiration to the local community."

An elderly person watering oyster mushrooms

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will provide ‘Oyster Mushroom Growing Kits’ to middle-aged single-person households this month.

The ‘Oyster Mushroom Growing Kit,’ consisting of a PET bottle inoculated with mycelium and an instruction manual, was prepared to support socially isolated households due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19.

In particular, oyster mushrooms were selected because they can be harvested immediately after watering for about 3 to 4 days, allowing recipients to cultivate them conveniently. This aims to relieve accumulated depression and stress caused by restricted outdoor activities and promote emotional stability through the experience of growing and harvesting mushrooms.

To cultivate oyster mushrooms, about 1 cm of the top of the PET bottle containing the mycelium is cut out, and water is given twice a day. Watering can be done using a spray bottle or by pouring water directly. After harvesting the grown mushrooms, cultivation can be repeated up to two more times.

The district selected 1,000 households in need of priority support, such as elderly living alone and middle-aged single-person households, and plans to visit each home directly through welfare planners at each community service center to check on their well-being and deliver the kits.

Previously, as the nation’s first psychological care project for elderly living alone, the district distributed ‘Bean Sprout Growing Kits’ to over 2,000 households, receiving great responses. Last year, it supported over 1,000 single-person gardening kits, providing psychological stability and safe food harvesting to invigorate lives.

Earlier this year, the district provided an ‘安心 4-piece Set’ consisting of highly satisfactory items such as home CCTV and portable emergency bells to 200 single-person households. It also supported 1,000 middle-aged households with the ‘Seongdong-type Safe Quarantine Box’ containing masks, hand soap, and other quarantine and hygiene products, actively delivering administrative services that meet residents’ needs and provide practical help.

Residents who received the items showed high satisfaction. Mr. Lee (59) living in Seongsu-dong said, “Recently, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased so much that most of us are spending time stuck at home, but it’s amazing to see the mushrooms growing rapidly day by day,” adding, “Indoor life has become so familiar that going outside feels awkward, but it’s very grateful that someone cares about small things like ‘Oyster Mushroom Growing.’”

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Although anxiety continues due to the recent rapid spread of COVID-19 and it is difficult to find peace of mind, I hope growing crops directly will help recover mental health,” and added, “We will do our best to care for residents’ lives and minds until we recover our precious daily lives.”