December 5 Volunteer Appreciation and Pride Promotion at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall
Pre-event Performances, Outstanding Volunteer Awards, Time-based Certification Awards... About 300 Attendees Brighten the Event
Weekly Saturday 'Volunteer Day' Operation, New Incentive Program Planned for Outstanding Volunteers Next Year
Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that it held the ‘2023 Yeongdeungpo-gu Volunteer Awards Ceremony’ on December 5th at the Yeongdeungpo Art Hall in celebration of International Volunteer Day.
Every year on December 5th, International Volunteer Day is observed. Since 2005, it has been designated as a legal commemorative day under the ‘Volunteer Activities Basic Act’ to encourage volunteer activities and boost the morale of volunteers.
This year’s volunteer awards ceremony was hosted by the Yeongdeungpo-gu Volunteer Center, with about 300 attendees including Mayor Choi Ho-kwon, district council members, neighborhood volunteer groups, volunteer organizations, and corporate volunteer teams.
The event was held to encourage and express gratitude for the hard work of volunteers who bring warmth and hope to the local community, and proceeded in the following order: ▲pre-event performance ▲watching volunteer activity videos ▲greetings ▲awarding outstanding volunteers ▲awarding certificates based on volunteer hours.
Unlike previous years when the event was simplified due to COVID-19, this year’s ceremony featured a pre-event performance by the popera group ‘Romanomdeul’ to liven up the atmosphere. Volunteer activity videos were also shared to inspire pride among volunteers.
In particular, this year, the district mayor’s commendation (10 individuals) and the district council chairman’s commendation (10 individuals) were awarded to outstanding individuals and groups who devoted themselves to community development and sharing love with neighbors through their dedicated volunteer spirit.
Additionally, a total of 463 volunteers who practiced volunteering through the ‘1365 Volunteer Portal’ over the past year were awarded with prizes as follows: ▲‘Gold Medal’ for over 500 hours (39 people) ▲‘Silver Medal’ for over 300 hours (57 people) ▲‘Bronze Medal’ for over 200 hours (64 people) ▲‘Sharing Award’ for over 100 hours (303 people).
Since 2023, the district has designated the first Saturday of every month as ‘Volunteer Day’ and has been steadily carrying out volunteer activities for the local community and marginalized groups together with public-private joint volunteer teams. Various volunteer activities are underway, including cleaning rainwater drains to prevent flood damage, tree planting in commemoration of Arbor Day, supporting summer care in jjokbangchon (small room villages), sharing songpyeon rice cakes for Chuseok, and accompanying elderly people at day care centers.
Furthermore, next year, the district plans to implement incentive programs for outstanding volunteers to comfort their hard work and encourage new volunteer participation, such as discounts at public parking lots and district sports centers.
Mayor Choi Ho-kwon of Yeongdeungpo-gu said, “I sincerely thank all volunteers who have worked hard to establish a warm volunteer culture,” and added, “We will continue to share warm hands with neighbors in need and create a happy Yeongdeungpo together.”
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