Hopeful Hands Amidst Trash Piles... Geumcheon-gu Improves Living Conditions for Households Suspected of Hoarding Disorder

Siheung 4-dong Youth Guidance Council, Dong Welfare Council, and Youth Conduct Volunteer Activities Together
Youth Foster Proper Growth and Education Through Volunteer Work

Geumcheon-gu (District Mayor Yuseonghun) announced that on October 29, they conducted volunteer activities targeting low-income households suspected of hoarding disorder, together with the Siheung 4-dong Youth Guidance Council, the Dong Welfare Council, and youth.

Hoarding disorder is a mental illness characterized by the continuous accumulation of items regardless of their use, and experiencing discomfort if unable to do so.

The subject had been working as a self-support worker in Siheung 4-dong until recently, but had been unreachable for a month, prompting the Siheung 4-dong regional welfare team leader and staff to visit the home together.

At the time of the visit, the subject was in very poor health, and the house was filled with garbage from the kitchen and bathroom to the entrance, making basic living difficult.

Additionally, neighboring residents were suffering from the foul odor.

Accordingly, the community center decided to quickly provide support by recruiting volunteers. About 20 volunteers, including members of the Youth Guidance Council, the Dong Welfare Council, and youth, participated in the volunteer activities.

The volunteers visited the subject’s home that afternoon to carry out organizing and cleaning work. They prioritized the disposal of about 1 ton of waste to enable daily living. Afterwards, they plan to support replacing flooring and wallpaper, pest control, repairing the bathroom door, and providing an additional bed.

A youth participant in the volunteer activity said, “I felt proud to see a clean living environment created through this volunteer work,” and added, “If given the chance, I want to continue participating in volunteer activities to help the local community.”

Sunja An, Chairperson of the Youth Guidance Council, stated, “We hope this cleaning will help the subject overcome hoarding disorder, and we will continue to carry out community volunteer activities with youth to help them grow properly.”

Geumcheon-gu Mayor Yuseonghun expressed gratitude, saying, “I thank the Siheung 4-dong Youth Guidance Council, the Dong Welfare Council, youth, and all volunteers who helped improve the living environment,” and added, “We will continue to cooperate with local organizations to make Geumcheon-gu a better place where neighbors care for each other.”