“It Has Become Difficult to Send Rice”… Residents Step Forward
The Good Deeds of the ‘Faceless Angel’ Inspire the Community
Residents of Wolgok 2-dong in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, have stepped forward as the "Second Faceless Angel." They are taking the place of the Wolgok 2-dong "Faceless Angel," who, since 2011, has annually sent 300 bags of rice to help marginalized neighbors while keeping their identity hidden.
Residents of Wolgok 2-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, have stepped forward as the "Second Faceless Angel." On the 11th, Lee Seung-ro, the mayor of Seongbuk-gu (center front), and residents of Wolgok 2-dong delivered 300 bags of rice and expressed messages of gratitude and support to the "Faceless Angel" who has performed good deeds for 14 years. Provided by Seongbuk-gu.
"It has become difficult to send rice anymore. We are truly sorry and grateful." Last month, a staff member at the Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, received a phone call. It was the usual call from the "Faceless Angel" that came around this time every year.
From 2011 until last year, for 14 years, this angel sent 300 bags of rice, each weighing 20kg, to the community center annually. Each year, the angel refused to reveal their name, only saying, "Please take good care of the rice so that those in need can celebrate the holidays," before hanging up.
Over the years, the angel has donated a total of 4,200 bags of rice, weighing 84 tons and valued at approximately 220 million KRW, to support marginalized neighbors. On the day the angel’s rice arrived, Wolgok 2-dong residents gathered at the community center to unload the rice from trucks that arrived in the early dawn. The long line of people carrying 300 bags of rice created a unique and memorable scene with their visible breaths in the cold air.
What circumstances have arisen for the Faceless Angel? Along with concerns for the donating angel, residents worried about the low-income households who had been receiving the rice support. When this news spread, something remarkable happened.
The residents decided to become the second Faceless Angel. They launched the "Wolgok 2-dong Village Angel Warmth Sharing Project" campaign on the 17th of last month, aiming to establish the angel’s long-standing kindness as a culture of sharing and donation in Wolgok 2-dong and to continue this legacy together. Residents of Wolgok 2-dong, local professional organizations, financial institutions, and supermarkets all rolled up their sleeves in support. Although the amount was large and difficult for any one person to bear alone, they continued the donation relay with the conviction that the warm hearts of the community could make a significant impact.
The Wolgok 2-dong Community Social Security Council (Chairman Yoon Jae-sung) actively sought local donors by using council funds to support white rice. The Wolgok 2-dong Residents’ Autonomy Committee (Chairman Ha Kwang-yong) also united in the belief that continuing the angel’s spirit of sharing was a meaningful practice for the community. Local financial institutions (Wolgok Saemaeul Geumgo), supermarkets (JL Market Top), companies (Dong-A TNS), and individual donors also participated.
Thanks to the positive influence of the sharing spirit planted by the Faceless Angel, the campaign achieved its goal of 300 bags of white rice (10kg each) within about two weeks of starting. The 300 bags of rice prepared by the second Faceless Angels were delivered to the Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center on the morning of the 11th. When the truck carrying the 300 bags of rice stopped in front of the community center, about 40 residents carried the rice inside.
After unloading all the rice, the residents expressed their gratitude to the "original Faceless Angel," who had donated rice for 14 years to support marginalized neighbors, spreading the value of sharing in the community and instilling pride among residents. Yoon Jae-sung, chairman of the Wolgok 2-dong Community Social Security Council, said, "While conducting the rice fundraising campaign on behalf of the angel, everyone’s hearts grew not only with gratitude and respect for the angel but also with concern about whether the angel was facing difficulties or if their health might be poor."
Despite his busy schedule, Lee Seung-ro, mayor of Seongbuk-gu, who has checked on the angel’s rice sharing site every year, said, "I am deeply moved to be part of this virtuous cycle of goodwill, where residents naturally came together to help neighbors in need by collecting 300 bags of rice on behalf of the angel." He added, "From now on, the residents and administration will become the second Faceless Angel and do their best to create a Seongbuk where we live together with neighbors in need."
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