Many people deliver lunchboxes and check on the well-being of elderly people living alone. There are also neighbors who visit elderly people with mobility difficulties to provide beauty services and share love through kimchi-making. Thanks to these 'faceless angels,' our society can welcome a warm winter.
Those who quietly care for their neighbors are volunteers. Events celebrating Volunteer Day are being held across Seoul's autonomous districts to honor and encourage them.
Volunteer Day, established in 2005 as a legal commemorative day, was designated to promote volunteer activities and boost volunteers' morale.
Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) will hold the ‘2024 Yeongdeungpo-gu Volunteer Day Ceremony’ on December 4th at the auditorium on the 5th floor of the district office annex in celebration of Volunteer Day.
The ceremony, hosted by the Yeongdeungpo-gu Volunteer Center, is organized to express gratitude and encouragement to volunteers who have quietly dedicated themselves to bringing warm changes to the local community.
The event will include ▲opening remarks ▲2024 Volunteer Center activity report ▲screening of volunteer activity videos ▲awards for outstanding volunteers ▲presentation of certification badges based on volunteer hours.
In particular, at this ceremony, awards will be given to individuals, companies, and organizations that have led positive changes in the community by practicing love and sharing with neighbors through a strong spirit of volunteerism. Awardees were selected based on recommendations from district office departments, community service centers, and related agency heads. A total of 20 outstanding volunteers will be recognized, including ▲10 recipients of the District Mayor’s Commendation and ▲10 recipients of the District Council Chairperson’s Commendation. Additionally, volunteers who have consistently participated and dedicated significant time to volunteer activities will be acknowledged. Volunteers who have accumulated 100 or more hours of service from October last year to September this year will receive certification badges according to their hours: ▲‘Sharing Medal’ for 100+ hours (304 people), ▲‘Neighborhood Medal’ for 200+ hours (61 people), ▲‘Silver Medal’ for 300+ hours (34 people), and ▲‘Gold Medal’ for 500+ hours (31 people), with four representatives from each category receiving the awards.
The district is also promoting various incentive programs to boost volunteers’ morale and pride. In the first half of 2024, through ordinance amendments, it provided ▲issuance of outstanding volunteer certificates and ▲discount benefits on public facility usage fees within the district (such as public parking fees, district sports center usage fees, lifelong learning center tuition, and community center tuition discounts). Furthermore, a ‘Hall of Fame’ has been installed at the entrance of the Volunteer Center to widely recognize volunteers’ contributions and dedication.
A special event planned this year includes a ‘Healing Workshop’ trip to Daebudo and Jebudo Islands in the West Sea with about 80 outstanding volunteers, offering them a chance to recharge.
Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “As of last year, our district’s volunteer participation rate is more than twice the Seoul city average, leading the way in warm companionship with neighbors in need. We deeply appreciate the dedication of volunteers who contribute to the community’s change and development, and we will continue to provide strong support so they can carry out their activities with pride.”
Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo District (second from the right), is making kimchi for kimjang to deliver to neighbors in need.
Mapo-gu (District Mayor Park Kang-soo) will hold the ‘2024 Mapo-gu Volunteer Day Ceremony’ on Thursday, December 5th, at Majung Hall on the 6th floor of Mapo Central Library.
About 400 volunteers and representatives from local demand organizations will attend this event, which will feature various programs to reflect on the value of volunteering. Starting at 10 a.m., a photo exhibition showcasing the diverse volunteer activities carried out by volunteers throughout the year will be held. From 2 p.m., there will be a volunteer encouragement lecture titled ‘Love is the Answer’ by actress Oh Yoon-ah, who has long been active in volunteer work, followed by popera and violin performances to express gratitude and encouragement to volunteers.
The main ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m., where attendees will review the past year’s volunteer activities through a video presentation, followed by an awards ceremony for 198 outstanding volunteers.
Special thanks and encouragement will be given to eight ‘Volunteer Kings’ who have dedicated over 1,000 hours annually and 149 volunteers who have served between 300 and 500 hours annually.
Mapo-gu has continued to promote a sustainable volunteer culture this year through various projects. At the Resident Participation Senior Meal program, 4,624 volunteers contributed 9,248 hours by assisting with meal distribution and companionship services.
Additionally, volunteer camps in each neighborhood carried out community-centered, customized volunteer activities such as the ‘Home-cooked Meal Project’ for marginalized groups, ‘Volunteering by My Side’ to discover and care for isolated neighbors, and the ‘Our Village Alley Travel Project’ utilizing local culture.
Other innovative specialized programs that received great responses include the ‘Soil Handful Pumasi Volunteer Group,’ which connects farms lacking labor with volunteers and donates crops to the Senior Meal program, and ‘Hello, Rainwater Drain’ to prevent flood damage during the rainy season.
Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “We deeply appreciate the dedication and hard work of volunteers who have added warmth to our community. We will continue to create a warm and livable happy city, Mapo-gu, through the activation of volunteer activities.”
Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Sung-myung) will hold the ‘2024 Gangnam-gu Volunteer Conference’ on December 5th at 2 p.m. at Seongam Art Hall (6, Seolleung-ro 111-gil), hosted by the Gangnam-gu Volunteer Center.
Gangnam-gu ranks first among Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts in volunteer participation rate, with 178,000 volunteers actively engaged annually. This conference will be attended by about 200 people, including volunteers, volunteer organizations, and representatives from demand organizations, to share the achievements of volunteer work and boost pride.
The event will consist of an awards ceremony for distinguished volunteers, screening of volunteer activity videos, and congratulatory performances. The Gangnam-gu District Mayor’s Commendation will be awarded to 44 people including Mr. Kim Kwang-mal, the Gangnam-Seocho Office of Education Superintendent’s Commendation to 3 people, and the Volunteer Activity Award to 16 people, totaling 63 awardees. Additionally, 738 volunteers who have reached milestones of 5,000 hours (9 people receiving honorary badges), 2,000 hours (29 people), 1,000 hours (44 people), 500 hours (104 people), and 200 hours (552 people) will receive certificates and badges. Five representatives from each time category will receive their badges on-site, while the rest will be delivered individually.
This year, Gangnam-gu volunteers also achieved notable external recognition. Lee Jeong-chan received the Presidential Commendation at the Korea Volunteer Awards. Jeon Hyung-soon (Gaepo 4-dong Volunteer Camp) and Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd. received the Minister of the Interior and Safety Commendation, while Kim Young-hee, Yoo Eun-sook, Jung Eun-jung, and Gaepo 4-dong Community Service Center received the Seoul Mayor’s Commendation, acknowledging Gangnam-gu’s strong volunteer spirit.
Jo Sung-myung, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “Thanks to the dedication of volunteers, Gangnam-gu is becoming a warmer and more livable city. We will continue to support volunteers so they can feel greater pride and play an important role in the community.”
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