"Donating Is Not Difficult"… Seocho-gu Adds More 'Jamwon Happiness Sharing Boxes'

Donation Box Installed in Front of Apartment Complex
Sharing Food and Daily Necessities with Neighbors in Need

Jamwon Happiness Sharing Box. Provided by Seocho-gu.

Jamwon-dong Community Service Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on the 26th that the ‘Jamwon Happiness Sharing Box,’ which helps neighbors in need through donations, is receiving great support from residents.

The Jamwon Happiness Sharing Box is a resident-led sharing project where residents donate processed foods, health supplements, or unused daily necessities to support vulnerable households or share with neighbors in need through a shared refrigerator. It is operated as a public-private partnership project together with Banpo Comprehensive Social Welfare Center and apartment residents.

This project originated from residents’ desire to make donations easier and eliminate the hassle of visiting in person. Accordingly, last year, a meeting was held with apartment managers in the area to receive participation applications, resulting in donation boxes being installed in five apartment complexes. As a result, 620 donated items such as meal kits, cooking oil, and dairy products were delivered to about 40 vulnerable households.

In particular, to increase trust regarding the expiration dates of food and ingredients, donors’ names are labeled on the packages. Management is also thorough, with donor names, item types, and quantities recorded in a ledger. On the 12th of last month, a ‘Happiness Sharing Bazaar’ and a ‘Quiz Event’ were held in Jamwon-dong to promote the project to residents.

The district plans to install additional ‘Happiness Sharing Boxes’ in four apartment complexes starting this month and also plans to set up sharing boxes at local festival venues such as the upcoming ‘Jamwon Naru Festival’ scheduled for October.

The district expects the Happiness Sharing Box project to have a triple effect: making donors feel light-hearted, recipients feel fulfilled, and reducing waste to protect the environment.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “I hope the Sharing Box, which promotes donation activation and practices a culture of sharing, will serve as a timely help like rain to neighbors in need.”