Seongdong Residents Unite as 'COVID-19 Overcoming Volunteer Group'

Seongdong-gu Volunteers from Various Fields Unite as 'COVID-19 Overcome Volunteer Corps'... Organized into Four Teams: Quarantine, Masks, Pharmacy Support, and Administrative Assistance for Systematic Volunteer Activities

Volunteer Work for Making Cotton Masks

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) is integrating volunteer groups that had been operating individually in various fields into a single ‘COVID-19 Overcoming Volunteer Corps’ to overcome the COVID-19 crisis together with residents.

Since the first confirmed case in the area in February, Seongdong-gu has been operating a 24-hour emergency response system. As the COVID-19 situation prolonged, the public and private sectors cooperated with one heart to respond, organizing volunteers who had been working individually in various fields into one volunteer corps to carry out systematic activities.

The ‘COVID-19 Overcoming Volunteer Corps’ is composed of four sectors: disinfection volunteer group, mask volunteer group, pharmacy support volunteer group, and administrative support volunteer group.

The disinfection volunteer group, which has been steadily active since early February, is led by a special disinfection volunteer group consisting of Saemaul leaders, along with about 1,700 members from each neighborhood’s resident autonomy committees and autonomous disaster prevention groups, who are dedicated to disinfection activities throughout the region.

The mask volunteer group visits households directly to deliver masks to residents having difficulty purchasing masks, as well as vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and pregnant women.

The volunteer corps has completed mask support for 1,152 pregnant women and 9,400 people with disabilities in the area on a household basis.

Additionally, this volunteer group produced 1,600 cloth masks and delivered them to Seongdong-gu Office on the 12th of last month. Mayor Jung Won-oh and all Seongdong-gu office staff wore the produced cloth masks.

This was promoted as part of the ‘I’m okay, you first’ campaign, encouraging people to give up health masks to those who really need them.

The pharmacy support volunteer group has been volunteering as order maintenance personnel at pharmacies selling public masks since the 23rd of last month. They are expected to help not only pharmacists overwhelmed with work but also buyers exposed to infection risks due to narrow spacing in queues.

In Seongdong-gu, in addition to voluntary participation by residents, warm-hearted donations of money and goods continue. So far, about 220 million won in donations and goods have been collected and will be used to support various activities to overcome COVID-19.

Mayor Jung Won-oh of Seongdong-gu said, “I feel encouraged by the meaningful participation and warm encouragement from residents. Although social distancing is maintained, I feel the emotional distance is getting closer.” He added, “We ask for the continued active interest and participation of all residents.”

Pharmacy Support Volunteer Group

The COVID-19 Overcoming Volunteer Corps is currently recruiting volunteers through the 1365 Volunteer Portal and the Seongdong-gu Volunteer Center website, and individuals aged 19 or older who wish to volunteer can apply at any time.

Applications and inquiries can be made to the Seongdong-gu Volunteer Center.

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