Hope Bridge Provides Summer Living Support to Flood Victims in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province

Volunteers from Hope Bridge are checking out daily necessities with disaster victims at a mart in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Hope Bridge

Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association (Chairman Song Pilho) announced on June 30 that it had carried out the second round of its "Hope Connection" ongoing care program for 50 households affected by the 2022 flood in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, together with volunteers.

"Hope Connection" is a continuous care program designed to help vulnerable groups affected by disasters recover their daily lives. The program provides daily necessities worth 200,000 KRW and emotional support four times a year. This year, Hope Bridge selected 50 households in Gwangju for regular visits. In this round, disaster victims participated directly and selected the daily necessities they needed together with volunteers. In addition to groceries, Hope Bridge also provided summer bedding sets and cool mats to help recipients cope with the heatwave.

Hope Bridge volunteers are shopping with disaster victims, selecting necessary groceries. Hope Bridge

Participant A (age 68) said, "In the past, I received pre-selected items, but this time, I was able to choose the daily necessities and groceries I really needed while shopping myself. It felt warm, as if I were shopping with my own children."

Jang Youngkyu, program manager at Hope Bridge, said, "I hope that these small activities with volunteers have brought a bit of energy to the seniors. We will continue to run programs that can provide even a little support to disaster victims in their daily lives."

Hope Bridge plans to continue experience-based programs that reflect the characteristics and needs of the recipients in the upcoming third and fourth rounds of activities.