Seven Senior Meal Service Centers Begin Pilot Operation from April 24, Serving Over 200 Elderly Living Alone
As of the end of April, a total of 80 organizations, groups, and 485 individuals have sponsored, raising over 230 million KRW
Elderly people are having meals at Seogang-dong Branch No. 1, a filial piety meal service institution that opened last April.
"I used to just mix some water and eat kimchi alone at home, but eating together with neighbors makes the food taste better and I feel healthier,"
said an elderly person who uses the Yeomni-dong No. 1 location. "Coming here every day, I’ve made friends in the neighborhood, and my life has become really lively. Our country has really improved."
The 'Resident Participation Senior Meal Service,' designed to address the already realized issue of an aging society, provides free balanced lunch meals to residents aged 75 and older in the district who need meal support, preventing malnutrition and meal skipping.
However, it is not just about providing meals; it is a one-stop integrated elderly welfare service that manages daily life by gathering seniors in the dining space to communicate with each other, preventing depression and solitary deaths, while checking on the well-being and health status of visiting seniors, thus offering a community-based elderly welfare service that cares for daily life.
Notably, the program is distinct in that it does not use the entire budget from the district but operates through resident participation, covering part of the meal costs through voluntary sponsorships from individuals and companies.
The district has prioritized selecting about 200 elderly living alone who urgently need meal support and provides meals six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, using a variety of ingredients.
Since the pilot operation of seven senior meal service centers began in April, by May 15?less than a month later?about 200 elderly living alone have visited, with most participants attending regularly, resulting in a total of 3,021 meal services provided across the seven centers.
To attract public interest and participation, since February, announcer Lee Jae-yong has been appointed as the head chef (Senior Meal Service Ambassador), and about 300 members of promotional teams formed in 16 neighborhoods have widely publicized the Senior Meal Service project throughout the district.
As a result, support has poured in from all walks of life to the Mapo Welfare Foundation, which oversees the Senior Meal Service, with 80 organizations and groups and 485 individuals donating over 230 million KRW as of April 30 this year.
Additionally, about 300 volunteers recruited from each neighborhood assist elderly visitors unfamiliar with the meal centers by helping with meal distribution and providing companionship.
Moreover, each meal center is equipped with blood pressure monitors and diabetes testing devices, offering convenience for elderly individuals who need health management to easily check their health daily.
The son of Mr. Choi (92), an elderly man living alone who uses the Daeheung-dong No. 1 location, said, "I was always worried and anxious because I couldn’t take care of him closely, but now I feel relieved. Moreover, I’m truly grateful that they check on him every day if he doesn’t come."
The district plans to gradually expand the target group while reviewing and improving the current operation status.
Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, said, "Since the Resident Participation Senior Meal Service is the first attempt by a local government, there will be points to improve, but I believe it is an elderly welfare system that someone must try to prepare for the aging society of the 21st century. I am confident that if many residents empathize and participate, the Senior Meal Service project will continue to run smoothly and be benchmarked by the government and other local governments."
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