Warm Hands Fill the Gwanak-gu Flood Site... From Volunteering to Sharing Coffee

[Seoul District News] Gwanak-gu Flood Damage Site: Over 1,300 Volunteers Participated in Recovery Efforts by the 12th & Mega Coffee (MGC) Headquarters Visited Flood Recovery Site, Sharing 500 Cups of Love Coffee ... [Photo] Moon Heon-il, Guro-gu Mayor, Visited Apartments near Gaewoongsan on the 16th; Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Interior and Safety, and Gwak Yun-hee, Chairperson of Guro-gu Council, Confirmed Landslide Damage Recovery Measures ... Dongjak-gu Health Center Provides 'Visiting Medical Support' for Flood Victims ... Mapo-gu Baro Volunteer Group Sweats in Flood Recovery Support & Ma

Coffee Sharing of Love held on the 12th at Mega Coffee Headquarters

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is focusing all efforts on recovery in areas affected by heavy rain, drawing attention as volunteers continue to lend helping hands.

Currently, the district is mobilizing all manpower and equipment to conduct emergency recovery targeting affected areas and facilities. Including neighborhood community leaders, members of professional organizations, and those who voluntarily participated, a cumulative total of about 1,300 volunteers have contributed to recovery efforts as of the 12th.

The district Volunteer Center established an Integrated Volunteer Support Team for Disaster Sites on the 4th floor of the Sinsa Market Customer Center starting from the 8th, providing safety education to volunteers and setting up rest areas to support their activities.

Volunteers are being recruited through the 1365 Volunteer Portal, and volunteer activities such as restoring damaged households, disinfection, and cleaning alleyways are ongoing, focusing on Sinsa-dong where urgent recovery is needed.

On the 12th, Mega Coffee (MGC) headquarters visited the flood recovery site, attracting attention by delivering coffee of love to comfort volunteers and flood victims.

They shared 500 cups of refreshing coffee with many volunteers, military personnel, affected merchants of Sinsa Market, and flood victims who came to request appliance repairs, conveying warm hearts. Some volunteers also participated in distributing coffee.

One volunteer said, “Just as everyone united to recover from COVID-19, I believe we can overcome this hardship together. Having gained strength from a refreshing cup of coffee, I will now go back to volunteering.”

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “We will do our best to provide prompt recovery support so that residents suffering great difficulties from this unexpected disaster can return to their daily lives as soon as possible,” and added, “I express my gratitude to everyone who encourages and supports the volunteers.”

Meanwhile, the district’s Integrated Volunteer Support Team for Disaster Sites plans to devote all efforts to flood recovery until the restoration is complete.

Moon Heon-il, Mayor of Guro-gu, visited an apartment near Gaeung Mountain in Guro-gu on the morning of the 16th to check recovery measures for landslide damage along with Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Kwak Yoon-hee, Chairperson of the Guro-gu Council.

Following the landslide caused by heavy rain on the 8th, Guro-gu applied waterproof sheets to prevent secondary damage, removed soil accumulated in flooded households and parking lots, and conducted water cleaning.

The district plans to use disaster funds to maintain drainage channels and retaining walls around the apartment, conduct slope stability review services for the landslide area, and perform detailed safety inspections of the apartment. Based on the results, prompt measures will be taken.

Measuring blood pressure at Sadang 2-dong Community Service Center in Dongjak-gu

Dongjak-gu Public Health Center is providing ‘visiting medical support’ to protect the health of residents affected by heavy rain.

Due to the record-breaking heavy rain in 80 years causing flood victims, since the 10th, the district has been conducting ‘visiting medical support’ at about 20 temporary shelters in the area.

Teams of 4 to 5 members, including doctors, nurses, and public officials from the health center, provide medical support services in the morning and afternoon.

They offer medical care such as blood pressure and blood sugar checks, emergency treatment for abrasions and dermatitis caused during flood recovery, and administer medications when necessary to prevent secondary infections.

Since residents living in temporary shelters are in crowded environments where COVID-19 may spread, rapid antigen tests and other measures are also conducted to prevent outbreaks.

Additionally, the district provides ‘psychological support services’ to flood victims who are emotionally distressed. On the 12th, mental health specialists from the health center helped stabilize and aid the recovery of residents affected by the apartment retaining wall collapse in Sadang-dong at the Sadang Sports Complex.

Meanwhile, besides medical support, the health center prioritizes supplying masks, hand sanitizers, and disinfectant wipes to places in need, and is conducting emergency disinfection activities focusing on temporary shelters and flooded areas to protect residents’ health.

Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, “Through this medical support, we will protect residents who have been deeply distressed by the heavy rain,” and added, “We will spare no effort to help residents return to stable daily lives as soon as possible.”

Members of the Mapo-gu Volunteer Group are cleaning up trash piled up at the flooded site.

Mapo-gu Baro Volunteer Group (Leader Jeon Jeong-mi) visited a flooded household site in Sindebang 1-dong, Dongjak-gu on the 11th and worked hard to support recovery efforts.

The area near Sindebang 1-dong in Dongjak-gu was one of the hardest-hit regions by this heavy rain, with Dorimcheon overflowing and embankments collapsing.

On that day, 13 members of the Mapo-gu Baro Volunteer Group carried out extensive environmental cleanup at flooded households, removing water and soil inside homes, and organizing furniture and belongings.

One volunteer participating in the recovery said, “Seeing the site, it was more devastating than I had imagined. I hope that even small helping hands can provide some strength to neighbors affected by the disaster.”

Jeon Jeong-mi, leader of the Mapo-gu Baro Volunteer Group, said, “We visited the site with members for neighbors who must be devastated by the sudden heavy rain,” and added, “More volunteers are needed for neighbors affected by the flood to recover their daily lives quickly.”

The Mapo-gu Baro Volunteer Group was established through the Seoul Disaster Response Baro Volunteer Group inauguration ceremony on July 8 and actively engages in solidarity activities for disaster safety throughout Seoul as well as within Mapo-gu.

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) Public Health Center conducted intensive hygiene inspections of delivery food establishments to prevent food poisoning, which is common in summer, and to strengthen food hygiene at delivery restaurants.

With the increase in single-person households and the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic spreading food delivery culture, Gwangjin-gu completed intensive hygiene inspections of gimbap delivery restaurants from August 10 to 12, following Chinese cuisine inspections in the first quarter and jokbal (pig’s trotters) and bossam (boiled pork) in the second quarter of this year.

The district is thoroughly managing establishments with a history of food poisoning or violations of the Food Sanitation Act to systematically carry out food poisoning prevention and management tasks.

The inspection targeted 23 gimbap delivery restaurants managed by the district that had no inspection history in the past 2-3 years or had records of non-compliance or administrative sanctions.

Main inspection items included ▲checking and compliance with food ingredient inspection and storage periods ▲hygienic management of cooking facilities and utensils ▲compliance with personal hygiene rules such as wearing hygiene caps and masks ▲and hygiene management of delivery boxes.

Additionally, cooked gimbap samples were collected and sent to the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment for food poisoning bacteria testing, and hygiene education was conducted during on-site inspections.

Through on-site education, the district emphasized compliance with six major food poisoning prevention rules including hand washing, cooking thoroughly, boiling, cleaning and disinfecting, using separate knives and cutting boards, and maintaining proper storage temperatures, along with administrative sanctions for violations of the Food Sanitation Act.

For establishments violating the Food Sanitation Act or failing tests, administrative sanctions will be imposed, and for serious violations or intentional/repeated offenses, legal action will be taken.

Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “As non-face-to-face consumption culture spreads, we will continue hygiene inspections and education for delivery businesses,” and added, “We ask food service workers to thoroughly manage hygiene and prevent summer food poisoning so that residents can enjoy food with peace of mind.”