Gyeonggi Province will launch its first fund project utilizing donations collected through the "Hometown Love Donation Program." On July 10, the provincial government announced that the first designated donation project will be the "Eco-friendly Agricultural Products Package Support Project for Vulnerable Groups."
During school vacation periods, when school meals are suspended, Gyeonggi Province plans to provide packages of eco-friendly agricultural products produced in the region to vulnerable households. This initiative aims to address nutritional imbalances and simultaneously boost local agricultural product consumption.
The target fundraising amount is 60 million won, and the project will benefit 1,500 households within the province. Donations collected by December this year will be used to provide the packages twice?during both the winter and summer vacations next year.
Designated donations can be made by selecting "Donate to a Specific Project" on the Hometown Love Eum website (ilovegohyang.go.kr).
The "Gyeonggi Hometown Love Nest Support Project," which will be promoted using general funds, involves demolishing or remodeling vacant houses left unattended in rural areas and repurposing them as facilities for community use, such as spaces for returning farmers and villagers, village rest areas, or experiential spaces.
This year, Gyeonggi Province plans to select one rural area as a pilot site, invest a total of 50 million won in the project, and complete the work by the end of the year.
Cho Byungrae, Director of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government's Autonomous Administration Bureau, stated, "We plan to actively promote the fact that donations are used for tangible changes in local communities so that more people can participate in the Hometown Love Donation Program." He added, "We will transparently manage and share the execution and outcomes of the donations to continuously expand the public value of the Hometown Love Donation Program."
Meanwhile, Hometown Love donations are divided into "general donations," which are made to a local government without specifying a project or purpose, and "designated donations," which are made to a specific project rather than to the local government itself.
Individuals can donate up to 20 million won annually to a local government other than their current place of residence. Donors receive tax deductions (full deduction up to 100,000 won, and 16.5% for amounts exceeding that), as well as local specialty products and other return gifts.
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