Seocho-gu, Delivery of Essential Goods Such as Rice, Shampoo, and Cosmetics to Vulnerable Households

Visiting vulnerable households such as children facing food insecurity, elderly living alone, and homebound disabled becomes difficult... The district provides customized home delivery service of about 15 types of groceries and daily necessities to vulnerable households

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] The closure of welfare facilities due to COVID-19 is being prolonged.

Amid this situation, Seocho-gu (Mayor Eunhee Cho) is conducting a home delivery service of groceries for vulnerable groups through the ‘Food Bank Market Center.’

Until now, the ‘Seocho-gu Food Bank Market Center’ has played the role of a private social safety net by providing donated food and daily necessities to marginalized groups such as children at risk of food insecurity, elderly living alone, and disabled people living at home. However, since the center was temporarily closed from February 21 this year due to COVID-19, it has been unable to provide daily necessities to users, resulting in issues such as food insecurity.

In response, until the Food Bank Market Center reopens, the district has joined the extended social distancing measures for COVID-19 and started home delivery to alleviate the difficulties faced by vulnerable groups due to the closure. The ‘Home Delivery’ service, implemented from April 20, prioritizes about 200 users in the Seocho, Bangbae, and Banpo areas, delivering package boxes consisting of groceries and daily necessities directly to their homes.

Sequentially, delivery will continue for about 200 users in the Yangjae and Naegok areas.

The package boxes are composed of about 15 preferred items selected through satisfaction and demand surveys of the recipients. The boxes contain food and daily necessities worth about 70,000 KRW, including 10kg of white rice, instant cooked rice (Hetbahn), ox bone soup, seaweed, laver, and 11 types of ingredients, as well as shampoo, cosmetics, and jelly.

An elderly recipient who received the package said, “I usually obtained essential daily necessities through the Food Market, but the facility was closed due to COVID-19, so I felt helpless. However, the district delivering directly to my home like this makes me feel much more at ease,” expressing continuous gratitude.

Seocho-gu Mayor Eunhee Cho said, “Until the Food Bank Market Center reopens, we will carefully attend to even the small parts of daily life for the psychological stability and health of our residents.”

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