Kim Byungho, Head of Jochiwon-eup: "Small Acts of Kindness Grow into Great Hope, Driving Force for Community Change"
Lee Jaekyung, Private Chairperson of the Council: "Wishing Warm Comfort to Lonely and Struggling Neighbors"
Holiday Foods Delivered to 50 Vulnerable Households Ahead of Chuseok
The Happiness Discovery Team of the Community Security Council in Jochiwon-eup, Sejong City, has been conducting roundtable meetings at 27 locations, including apartment complexes and religious organizations, since June to identify welfare blind spots. / Photo by Jochiwon-eup Office, Sejong City
Every year during the holiday season, some imagine the happiness of families reuniting, sharing stories, and checking in on each other. However, there is another side to these holidays that can be heartbreaking. For people living alone or marginalized low-income neighbors, the holidays are often not a welcome time.
It is never easy to regularly visit those who live alone and check on their well-being amidst busy daily lives. The effort to foster a sense of community-reminding everyone that they are breathing together and living alongside one another-is certainly a source of pride for the local community.
Some say, "Regularly visiting low-income neighbors, including those living alone, is perhaps evidence that even though they may lead difficult lives, they are not being neglected by the community and are still receiving attention as members of it."
There are those who make a point of visiting the marginalized during every holiday. These are the welfare officials from administrative agencies. While their activities before the holidays might seem like a routine, formal procedure, the emphasis is on the sincerity with which they care for others.
The Community Security Council at the Jochiwon-eup Office, the central city of northern Sejong City, is once again delivering holiday food to low-income and vulnerable households ahead of Chuseok, the nation's major holiday, sharing the spirit of neighborly love as always.
Previously, the council has also been working to build a local welfare safety net by operating the "Chanchan Sejong" program, which regularly provides side dishes to elderly people living alone and households at risk of food insecurity.
Lee Jongyeop, head of welfare administration at Jochiwon-eup, stated, "This initiative was organized so that administrative agencies and the private committee can work together to ensure that neighbors spending the holiday alone-such as elderly people living alone-can experience the warmth of the community and maintain a society where we live together."
With support from the Sejong Community Chest of Korea's distribution program, about 20 people, including members of the council and volunteers, personally prepared and delivered holiday foods such as songpyeon, jeon, and nabak kimchi to 50 vulnerable households, checking in on their well-being as they did so.
Lee Jaekyung, the private chairperson of the council, said, "I hope this brings warmth and comfort to those who feel lonely and have a difficult time during the holidays," adding, "Through regular sharing, we will continue to support the stability and emotional well-being of vulnerable groups."
Kim Byungho, head of Jochiwon-eup, also remarked, "Small acts of kindness can grow into greater hope and become the driving force for change in the community," and pledged, "We will work together with residents to create a happy village where everyone can thrive."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
