Rotary Korea Spreads Warm Community Values Through Disaster Response and Neighborly Care

- $100,000 in Support for Wildfire Victims... Nationwide Relief Efforts and On-site Response
- Warm Care in Daily Life, from Home Repairs for Seniors Living Alone to Children's Day Events

The Rotary Club of Anseong Districts 1 and 2 in Rotary International District 3600 visited Andong Seobu Elementary School last March to conduct a joint Hope Sharing meal service. [Provided by Rotary Korea]

The national organization of Rotary Korea, an international volunteer service group, announced that it has carried out a variety of volunteer activities across the country for neighbors from this spring through Family Month. Rotary’s efforts to build a "society of living together" have drawn attention as the organization continued its solidarity in action, including recovery from the large-scale wildfire that broke out in March, as well as activities commemorating Family Month such as Parents’ Day and Children’s Day.

When large wildfires spread across the Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, and Gyeongnam regions in mid-March, Rotary Korea activated its disaster response system and launched nationwide relief efforts. Rotary districts 3590, 3630, 3721, and 3722, which are federations of clubs operating in the severely affected Gyeongnam and Gyeongbuk regions, applied for a total of $100,000 in disaster response grants and concentrated their efforts on local recovery. Various relief supplies, including bottled water, lunch boxes, sleeping bags, masks, and food, were delivered to evacuation centers in the affected areas. In Uiseong, eight clubs, including the Uiseong Rotary Club, made 1,000 rolls of gimbap every day on site and provided them to evacuees and firefighters. Rotary Clubs from Anseong Districts 1 and 2 in Rotary International District 3600 also conducted a joint Hope Sharing meal service at Andong Seobu Elementary School, demonstrating swift on-site responses across the country.

In addition to the efforts of individual clubs, Rotary-affiliated organizations also actively participated in wildfire recovery. Rotary Korea, the official publishing arm of Rotary, visited evacuation centers in Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam and the District 3630 headquarters, delivering 10 million won each to Districts 3590 and 3630 as donations for wildfire relief. On April 11, the Korea Rotary Youth Union delivered approximately 10 million won raised at the "Young Blossom" festival held at the Korea Rotary Center in Seoul to the Gyeongbuk Community Chest of Korea, furthering the spirit of sharing.

The solidarity initiated by Rotary for wildfire relief expanded in even more diverse ways in May, Family Month.

Leading up to Parents’ Day, volunteer activities for seniors were actively carried out across the country. Ulsan New Ulsan Rotary Club and Ulsan Jungang Rotary Club visited the homes of elderly people living alone in Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, providing home repair services such as wallpapering, insulation, and replacing lighting fixtures. In addition, in honor of Parents’ Day, respect was also shown to national merit recipients. The Sae Chuncheon Rotary Club in Gangwon, in cooperation with the Gangwon Western Veterans Affairs Office, held a ceremony to deliver care packages to national merit recipients, expressing gratitude and respect to those who have served the country.

For Children’s Day, sharing activities for children were held in various regions. The Seoul Shinsung Rotary Club visited Seondeokwon, a childcare facility in Segeomjeong, Jongno-gu, sharing a meal with the children and donating school supplies and daily necessities. The Daegu Hwanggeum Rotary Club also sponsored goods worth 1 million won, including snacks and food ingredients, for the Jeil Christian Comprehensive Social Welfare Center’s Children’s Day family event.

Yoon Youngho, Chairman of the Rotary Korea Centennial Memorial Association, stated, "As the voluntary service activities of each district and club have expanded into a nationwide solidarity, Rotary Korea has been able to realize the true meaning of 'love for neighbors,' from large-scale disasters such as wildfires to marginalized neighbors in daily life." He emphasized, "Rotary’s efforts to extend a hand of hope to neighbors in need, based on a genuine community spirit, will continue in the future."