[Seoul District News] Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest Donates 40 Million Won to Mapo-gu and Mapo Welfare Foundation & Identifies and Supports Welfare Blind Spots Facing Temporary Crises Such as Unemployment and Business Closure ... Jungnang-gu Supports Life-Oriented Lifelong Learning Programs for Vulnerable Groups ... Gangbuk-gu Recruits Instructors for ‘Talent Sharing Classes’ Opened and Taught by Residents ... Seodaemun-gu Yeonhui-dong Mabom Council Hosts '9988 Yeonhui Dementia Prevention Class'
Group photo of the signing ceremony for the 'Community Safety Line Protection Support Project' agreement held on July 29 (from the third person on the left: Lee Hong-ju, Chairman of Mapo Welfare Foundation; Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo District; Shin Hye-young, Secretary General of Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest)
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Kang-su) signed a business agreement on the 29th of last month with the Mapo Welfare Foundation and the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest to promote the ‘Community Safety Line Protection Support Project.’
This agreement was made to provide a stepping stone for residents temporarily facing crises. The Social Welfare Community Chest will support with 40 million KRW in donations, and Mapo-gu along with the Mapo Welfare Foundation will carry out welfare projects.
The support targets vulnerable groups in Mapo-gu with a standard median income of 120% or less who are in crisis due to ▲unemployment ▲temporary closure or business shutdown ▲death of the main income earner ▲health deterioration, among other reasons.
The project period is from August 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. During this period, the district will actively identify and support residents in welfare blind spots who are struggling due to prolonged COVID-19 and economic downturn causing income polarization.
Candidate selection will be recommended by Mapo-gu Office, community service centers, and social welfare facilities in Mapo-gu. The Mapo Welfare Foundation will review cases and provide living expenses to the selected recipients. Temporarily struggling residents can also apply directly by visiting their local community service center.
The support amount varies according to the number of household members. Single-person households can receive up to 400,000 KRW, and households with four or more members can receive up to 1,000,000 KRW.
Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “With the increase in single-person households and the prolonged COVID-19 situation, more people are facing difficulties with nowhere to turn for help. Through this agreement, we will do our best to resolve urgent situations for those in hardship and identify welfare blind spots.”
Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) will operate lifelong learning courses targeting low-income vulnerable groups such as multicultural families and recipients of public assistance within the district until the end of this year.
Through these courses, the district aims to increase participation among vulnerable groups who have had limited lifelong learning opportunities, activate lifelong learning, and reduce educational disparities.
A total of 300 people recommended by the Jungnang-gu Family Center and community service centers will participate. Considering difficulties in continuous learning due to livelihood activities, the courses will be conducted as short-term special lectures of one to two sessions. All courses are free of charge.
The programs include ▲employment-linked image making ▲natural cosmetics making ▲leather accessory crafting ▲home interior wreath making ▲cultural lectures, which are practical crafts and experiential programs highly applicable to daily life.
A resident named Park who participated in the July classes said, “While attending the image-making class, I learned how to create a favorable first impression and a positive image, which boosted my confidence and will help me when seeking employment.”
Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “I hope that expanding lifelong learning opportunities for vulnerable groups will allow more residents to experience the joy of learning. We will continue to improve accessibility to lifelong learning so that anyone can participate anytime, anywhere.”
The district is also operating regular summer semester lifelong learning programs for residents. Reflecting the latest trends, 23 diverse programs such as YouTube creator training, senior financial education, and woodworking are offered on weekday evenings and weekends, enabling residents to enjoy lifelong learning after work.
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) is recruiting talent-sharing instructors to open and operate the ‘Talent Sharing Classroom’ program.
The ‘Talent Sharing Classroom’ is a program that combines lifelong learning with talent donation, allowing residents to create and conduct courses they desire.
Courses that can be opened include experience-centered programs and practical life application programs reflecting residents’ needs. Programs promoting specific religions, political parties, or for profit purposes that contradict the purpose of Gangbuk Learning Center are not allowed.
Any Gangbuk resident or graduate of the Gangbuk Learning Center programs can apply to become a talent-sharing instructor. Applicants must apply through the Gangbuk-gu Neulbaeum Center website by August 26.
Afterward, the district will accept learner applications from September and operate the Talent Sharing Classroom free of charge at the Gangbuk-gu Lifelong Learning Center starting in October. Each program can accommodate 5 to 15 participants and can be attended up to four times.
Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “I hope many talented individuals in the community participate in the Talent Sharing Classroom to foster a lifelong learning culture of mutual learning and growth. We will continue to develop programs utilizing various local resources to revitalize lifelong education.”
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Sung-heon) announced on the 3rd that the Yeonhui-dong Mabom Council, a public-private welfare cooperation organization at the neighborhood level, is receiving great responses for operating the ‘9988 Yeonhui井 Dementia Prevention Class’ for the elderly.
Council members agreed to prepare a dementia prevention program to help seniors enjoy a healthy old age and developed it as a welfare-specialized project.
The dementia prevention class started on the 19th of last month and runs every Tuesday from 10 a.m. for 90 minutes until October 4 at ‘Yeonhuilang,’ a resident space within the Yeonhui-dong Community Service Center.
This project is promoted in collaboration with the Seodaemun-gu Dementia Safety Center. The council handles participant selection, material cost support, and group activities, while the center dispatches instructors and manages the overall program.
There are 15 participants, elderly individuals identified as high-risk for dementia in preliminary tests or those interested in dementia prevention.
A dementia-specialized occupational therapist conducts a complex program once a week for 12 weeks to stimulate and strengthen cognitive functions.
The council plans to support the organization and operation of self-help groups to sustain dementia prevention activities after this course.
One participating resident expressed satisfaction, saying, “Using my brain after a long time made me feel like I was back in school, and I look forward to the remaining classes.”
Choi Jae-sook, Chairperson of the Yeonhui-dong Mabom Council, said, “We will continue to conduct early dementia screening and prevention programs in cooperation with the Seodaemun-gu Dementia Safety Center for local seniors.”
The council will also provide dementia awareness improvement education for welfare account holders at the end of this month to enable them to serve as ‘Dementia Partners.’
‘Dementia Partners’ are neighbors who, based on a correct understanding of dementia, warmly care for dementia patients and their families in daily life.
Meanwhile, the Yeonhui-dong Mabom Council has been carrying out various projects that serve as a model for the community, including ▲customized family motto delivery ▲making homes fresh and dry by providing dehumidifiers ▲healing neighborhood bathhouse with bath coupons ▲medicine delivery for low-income seniors ▲installing insect screens for cool summer entrances ▲creating comfortable and happy sleeping spaces by providing beds ▲saying goodbye to COVID-19 by growing companion bean sprouts ▲zero fall accidents by making homes safer, among others.
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