Citizens and Public Institutions Join Hands
to Deliver Holiday Care Packages and Warm Greetings
to Lonely Neighbors
The scenery of a holiday is not complete with food alone. It becomes a true communal time only when people’s hearts are added. A scene of solidarity that unfolded in Andong showed exactly that.
To mark Seollal, the Andong City Comprehensive Social Welfare Center and the Andong City Home Care Support Center for the Elderly carried out a sharing program for seniors spending the holiday alone and households facing financial difficulties.
They focused on delivering care packages filled with daily necessities and food, checking in on recipients, and providing emotional support as well. In the middle of winter, it was a practice that raised the temperature of human relationships.
This event was powered by citizen-participation fundraising. On top of the contributions gathered through an online platform, additional sponsorship came from the Andong Branch of the National Pension Service, the Northern Gyeongbuk Branch of the Korea Gas Safety Corporation, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional Headquarters of Korea Land & Housing Corporation, and the Gyeongbuk Headquarters of Korea Electric Power Corporation, making the prepared boxes even more abundant. It effectively showcased a model of welfare jointly created by the public sector, businesses, and citizens.
Many organizations also took part in the delivery process. Employees of the Southern Regional Office of the Korea Forest Service, the Andong Branch of the National Health Insurance Service, Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), the Northern Gyeongbuk Housing Welfare Branch of Korea Land & Housing Corporation, the Andong Branch of Hyundai Motor Company, the Andong Branch of KEPCO KPS, and the Andong Branch of Korea Real Estate Board wrote handwritten letters themselves and visited households. In the moment when people meet face to face, assistance turns into consideration, and consideration grows into trust.
Director Son Sungmun said, "It is meaningful that we can share our hearts with our neighbors," adding, "We will remain a pillar of support for welfare that protects our community."
The strength of local welfare comes not from grand slogans, but from steady contact. The more often solidarity that goes beyond the bounds of formal systems is repeated, the less lonely the holidays become for vulnerable neighbors, and the warmer the city grows. This is the message left by this initiative.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
