Elementary and middle school children volunteer for 6 years with Gilwon Elementary teacher Eunseon Choi
Gilwon Elementary students also participate in volunteer activities
Expressed willingness to always support neighborly causes in the future
Volunteer group consisting of Teacher Choi Eun-seon from Gireun Elementary School (center) and her children, Nayoung and Jaeyoung
"As the children grow busier with their studies, I feel that our relationship has become even stronger by consistently engaging in volunteer activities together."
At the Gireum 1-dong Community Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Lee Seung-ro), a family visits every Thursday afternoon without fail to deliver side dishes as part of their volunteer work. This family consists of teacher Choi Eun-seon, a resident of Gireum 1-dong and a teacher at Gilwon Elementary School, along with her children. They diligently deliver nutritious side dishes to five elderly households each time.
The volunteer work began in 2017 when Choi Eun-seon's family moved to Gireum 1-dong. The volunteer activity started at the request of their eldest daughter, Na-young (attending Gaewoon Middle School), and has continued for six years with the participation of their younger son, Jae-young (attending Gilwon Elementary School).
Initially, they participated in weekly environmental cleanup activities. Since they had just moved to Gireum 1-dong, they adapted to the unfamiliar neighborhood by cleaning every corner. The encouraging words of appreciation from the elderly residents they met along the way became the driving force for Na-young and Jae-young to continue their volunteer work. Choi Eun-seon and her children naturally developed a strong attachment to Gireum 1-dong as they cleaned the neighborhood every week and discussed public facilities in need of repair and areas for improvement.
The volunteer activities that began with her children also extended to Choi Eun-seon's workplace, Gilwon Elementary School. As part of its specialized education program, Gilwon Elementary operates the Right Living Student Volunteer Group. They consistently practice sharing with the children on themes such as environment, sharing, and consideration. Recently, they donated tumblers decorated together with the students to elderly residents and middle-aged single-person households in Gireum 1-dong.
Choi Eun-seon said, "Every time we deliver side dishes to households, the elderly express their gratitude, but we are just the ones delivering them," adding, "The people who prepare the side dishes put in a lot of hard work." She expressed her intention to continue supporting any work for the neighbors in the future.
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