Yeongdeungpo-gu Delivers 4,440 Youth Lunchboxes to Vulnerable Groups

Selected 6 Youth Restaurants with 4,440 Lunchbox Orders... Support for 300+ Vulnerable People Over 15 Days... Variety Includes Fried Rice, Stew, Bibimbap, Rice Bowls, Curry... Youth Owners Deliver Directly... Youth Owners Show Warm Hearts by Separately Purchasing Seaweed, Soy Milk to Care for Vulnerable Groups' Health

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) selected six youth restaurants and ordered 4,440 lunchboxes, delivering them to about 300 vulnerable people over 15 days, proactively establishing a welfare safety net along with support measures for young small business owners.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the closure rate of rest stops in Seoul rose from 49.1% in 2016 to 61.2% in 2019, and surged to 77.5% in March during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

As the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic continued to depress the local economy, the district ordered 4,440 "specialized lunchboxes" to prepare support measures for young small business owners working in the food service industry.

The lunchboxes made by young people were provided as one meal per day to about 300 vulnerable people in the area from April 20 to May 12, offering a balanced diet.

To this end, in March, the district recruited young people under the age of 39 with business registration certificates related to the food service industry in the area, and selected six companies considering meal composition, packaging, and delivery suitability.

The youth restaurants participating in lunchbox production are △ Da Food (fried rice) △ Gukgadaepyo (stew, bibimbap) △ Vertex (rice bowl, fried rice) △ Somashijjim (stir-fried pork, pork cutlet, etc.) △ Gossine (curry) △ Kuide (rice bowl), totaling six locations.

The youth companies produced about 300 lunchboxes daily and delivered them contactlessly to the homes of vulnerable groups.

The lunchboxes included information on △ food storage period and methods △ precautions when consuming △ COVID-19 guidelines to increase reliability, and convenience was enhanced by sending scheduled delivery times and delivery completion messages.

Kim Jeong-sun, an elderly resident of Singil 4-dong, said, "It is difficult to go outside because I have trouble moving," and added, "I am very grateful to receive a warm meal once a day."

Some young business owners showed warm hearts by providing seaweed, soy milk, and other items to vulnerable groups in addition to the support funds, taking care of nutrition.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, "Through the lunchbox support project, we provided economic support to young business owners and alleviated the loneliness of vulnerable groups," and added, "Yeongdeungpo-gu will overcome COVID-19 with meticulous support measures for residents in difficulty."

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