[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu Provides Winter COVID-19 Prevention Supplies Including Masks and COVID-19 Test Kits... Geumcheon-gu Supports Vulnerable Groups Eligible for Care SOS Service with Cold Weather Supplies Such as Neck Warmers, Blankets, and Microfiber Quilts... Seodaemun-gu Wins Two Awards in Ministry of Health and Welfare Regional Welfare Project Evaluation... Gangbuk-gu Offers Visiting Laundry Service for Severely Disabled, Basic Livelihood Security, and Low-Income Elderly Living Alone
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that starting from the 16th, it will provide essential workers, numbering over 6,400, with sets of quarantine safety supplies consisting of masks and COVID-19 self-test kits in preparation for the winter resurgence of COVID-19.
Essential workers refer to welfare and care workers, childcare teachers, apartment managers, village bus drivers, and others who perform face-to-face duties within Seongdong-gu, risking COVID-19 infection to maintain social functions such as residents' safety and livelihood security.
The quarantine safety supply set consists of 50 KF94 masks and two COVID-19 self-test kits per person and will be delivered directly to the workplaces where the essential workers belong.
This is the fourth time this year that quarantine safety supply sets have been provided. Since 2020, Seongdong-gu has consistently supplied quarantine safety items such as masks, hand sanitizers, and COVID-19 self-test kits a total of 10 times to protect essential workers.
In addition, free influenza vaccinations and psychological counseling are also supported.
In September 2020, Seongdong-gu was the first in the nation to enact the Seoul Metropolitan City Seongdong-gu Ordinance on the Protection and Support of Essential Workers, and sparked social empathy through the SNS campaign "Thank you, Essential Workers!" featuring celebrities from various fields.
As a result, eight months after the ordinance was enacted, it led to the enactment of the central government's law on the designation of essential tasks and the protection and support of workers, which is significant as an ordinance initiated by a local government was legislated into law.
For the practical protection and improvement of treatment for essential workers, a rational and organic system between local and central governments must be established, and Seongdong-gu continues to strive for better treatment and working conditions for them.
In fact, Seongdong-gu decided the 2023 living wage implemented by local governments at 11,157 KRW to guarantee workers' basic human and cultural living standards. The living wage applies broadly not only to public corporations and foundations but also to employees of Seongdong Future Jobs Co., Ltd., benefiting 1,115 workers?twice the number of workers covered in other Seoul districts?with actual wage increases.
Seongdong-gu plans to continue initiatives next year such as creating rest shelters for essential and mobile workers, conducting wage surveys for essential workers, and researching standards.
Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "Support for essential workers engaged in essential tasks to maintain social functions during disaster situations will continue. Seongdong-gu will persistently implement various policies at the local government level so that all diligent workers receive appropriate treatment and can work in safe labor environments."
Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) will provide cold-weather supplies such as neck warmers, blankets, and microfiber comforters to help vulnerable groups receiving the ‘Geumcheon Neighborhood Care SOS Service’ (hereafter Care SOS Service) have a warm winter.
The support targets 360 people among Care SOS Service users, including recipients under the National Basic Livelihood Security Act, near-poverty groups, low-income registered disabled persons, basic pension recipients under the Elderly Welfare Act, and single-parent families under the Single-Parent Family Support Act.
This support is part of Geumcheon-gu’s specialized project, ‘Customized Gap Support for Care SOS Service,’ providing seasonal items for heatwaves and cold spells.
The Care SOS Service is provided by Geumcheon-gu to residents who urgently need care due to sudden illness, accidents, discharge after surgery, or absence of caregivers.
Care managers at community service centers promptly visit the site to create care plans and, through contracted service providers, offer ▲temporary home care ▲meal support ▲short-term facilities ▲accompaniment support ▲housing convenience services (cleaning, home repair, disinfection, laundry).
The service targets middle-aged people aged 50 and over, seniors, and disabled persons aged six and above, with costs supported up to 85% of median household income. Next year, the cost support target will expand to 100% of median income.
Yoo Sung-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “We have prepared cold-weather supplies so that care recipients vulnerable to winter health issues can spend a warm winter. We will continue to provide customized welfare services to vulnerable residents who may become isolated in crisis situations through the Care SOS Service system.”
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Sung-heon) announced on the 15th that it recently won the grand prize in the ‘Public-Private Cooperation and Resource Linkage’ category and an excellence award in the ‘Hope Welfare Support Group Operation’ category in the 2022 Regional Welfare Project Evaluation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare selected award-winning local governments through expert evaluations of welfare administration in 17 metropolitan cities and provinces and 228 city, county, and district governments nationwide to discover and spread excellent regional welfare cases.
The district was recognized for outstanding achievements in activating the Community Social Security Council and Honorary Social Welfare Officers and linking resources through public-private cooperation in the ‘Public-Private Cooperation and Resource Linkage’ category.
In particular, public, private welfare institutions, and local residents were praised for their cooperation in activities such as ▲practical subcommittee regional welfare contests ▲benchmarking advanced welfare systems ▲small-scale facility regional specialization contests ▲operation of Dong Welfare University ▲100% Happiness Companion Matching ▲promotion of welfare registered mail ▲operation of the Angel Chatbot.
In the ‘Hope Welfare Support Group Operation’ category, key reasons for the award included ▲production of integrated case management manuals for public-private sectors ▲activation of systems to discover welfare blind spots ▲development and coordination of resources through a welfare resource management system ▲promotion of integrated case management consulting.
Besides these awards, the district’s family care youth (young carer) support project was recently selected as an ‘Excellent Case of Civil Service Improvement’ by Seoul City and as a ‘Case of Resolving Regulatory Difficulties through Proactive Administration’ by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, further recognizing the excellence of its welfare policies.
Lee Sung-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “We will work harder to build a dense welfare safety net through organic cooperation between the private and public sectors and to promote Seodaemun-gu’s life care welfare policies that care for residents throughout their life cycle.”
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) will expand the ‘Visiting Customized Laundry Service’ it has been operating for households with disabled persons who have difficulty with housework and elderly living alone starting next year.
The Visiting Customized Laundry Service collects, launders, and delivers large laundry items such as bedding for severely disabled persons and low-income elderly living alone who receive basic livelihood or near-poverty support. This policy has been in effect since the year before last, supporting about 1,200 people with laundry services.
To reduce usage disparities by neighborhood and provide services to more users, the district signed service agreements with local laundries at the district office’s planning situation room on the 12th.
Due to the agreement, starting next year, the Visiting Customized Laundry Service will expand to 13 administrative neighborhoods, allowing users to receive faster laundry services.
The district expects that as the project expands, it will not only improve users’ living environments but also strengthen safety care networks for vulnerable groups through home visits.
Severely disabled persons and low-income elderly living alone who wish to use the laundry service can inquire at their local community service center for detailed information.
Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “We have prepared plans to expand laundry services so that many beneficiaries can enjoy the service. We will continue to implement various policies to create a pleasant living environment for the elderly and improve their quality of life.”
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