Songpa-gu Provides Meals for COVID-Vulnerable Groups Including Youth and Elderly Living Alone

‘With Village & Cheongnyeon, Livable Songpa’ Project Promotion... Triple Benefits Expected Including Increased Sales for Young Small Business Owners and Enhanced Local Affection

On the afternoon of the 5th, the Nanum Neighbor Volunteer Group packed lunch boxes for elderly and middle-aged single residents in need of meal support at the Pungnap 1-dong Community Service Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) announced on the 24th that it will join forces with local youth to help vulnerable groups at risk of food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, as multi-use facilities such as welfare centers have suspended operations due to the COVID-19 situation, gaps in care services have emerged. In particular, although ready meals and side dishes are being delivered to recipients, low-income individuals, elderly living alone, and people with disabilities who used to eat at facilities like the Songpa-gu Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, they are still facing difficulties.

Accordingly, starting in April, Songpa-gu will promote the welfare service project connecting villages, youth, and vulnerable groups called “Together with Village & Youth, Livable Songpa.”

“Together with Village & Youth, Livable Songpa” will be carried out by dividing Songpa into eight zones. Songpa-gu plans to purchase meals from young small business owners operating in each zone?specifically, eight young restaurant owners?and deliver them to COVID-19 vulnerable groups in need of meal support through local youth.

Songpa-gu emphasized that it expects a triple-win effect: △ providing meals to COVID-19 vulnerable groups △ offering young small business owners struggling due to the economic downturn an opportunity to increase sales △ helping local youth solve community problems and foster affection for the area.

Furthermore, “Together with Village & Youth, Livable Songpa” aims to be a win-win cooperation project that benefits all participants, not just helping those in difficulty, emphasizing the value of “together.”

This project is scheduled to be conducted twice a week until the COVID-19 situation ends.

The young small business owners and COVID-19 vulnerable groups in need of meal support in each zone will be identified and selected by the local community service centers.

However, youth who will be assigned to deliver meals to vulnerable groups in each neighborhood are being publicly recruited. Actual expenses such as round-trip transportation costs will be reimbursed. Applicants must be aged 19 to 39, residing in Songpa-gu or primarily active in Songpa, and have personal expense insurance.

Interested youth can check the recruitment announcement on the Songpa-gu Office website and apply to the Job Policy Officer.

Mayor Park Seong-su of Songpa-gu said, “Everyone is going through a difficult time due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation,” but added, “If we unite our strength ‘together,’ we can definitely overcome this, and we will spare no support to achieve this.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.