Seongbuk-gu Delivers Bokdallim Packages Including Samgyetang to Elderly Living Alone

Delivery of Bokdallim Packages to 400 Elderly Living Alone Struggling Through the Dog Days of Summer Amid COVID-19... Packages Include Samgyetang, Seasonal Fruits, Hand Fans, and Heatwave Safety Guidelines

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) is receiving positive reviews for its "mental quarantine" program aimed at low-income elderly living alone who are enduring the dog days of summer more difficultly than usual due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Seongbuk-gu partnered with the Seongbuk-gu Gireum Comprehensive Social Welfare Center (Director Jang Min-gyun) to identify a total of 400 elderly individuals who have difficulty visiting the welfare center from July 20 to 24 last month and held a social mental connection Bokdari event called "Health Connection, Mind Connection!"

A Seongbuk-gu official stated, "Although many events providing samgyetang to elderly people using the welfare center were held to mark the beginning of the hottest period, elderly people who have difficulty moving, such as those using the elderly customized care service, were excluded. Therefore, we prepared a visiting Bokdari event targeting them."

Seongbuk-gu has been promoting community-integrated care (community care) where the government, private sector, and residents visit vulnerable groups susceptible to COVID-19 infection where they are, to care for and respond together, rather than isolating them.

"Health Connection, Mind Connection!" involved 20 elderly participants in social activities from Gireum Silver Green (an eco-friendly food manufacturing and sales group of peers) who directly prepared samgyetang, and World Discount Mart in Gireum Market (CEO Kang Jung-gi) sponsored seasonal fruits. Forty life support workers visited elderly living alone, delivering Bokdari packages including samgyetang and shared videos cheering for neighbors' health.

The packages consisted of samgyetang, which is good for restoring energy, seasonal fruits, silk hand fans, and materials on heatwave safety rules to prepare for the upcoming heatwave. For five days, 80 packages were prepared daily, supporting the mental quarantine of a total of 400 elderly individuals.

Among the elderly who received the packages, many requested to record videos expressing their gratitude, which brought great satisfaction to the neighbors who prepared the event.

Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, "Behind Seongbuk-gu’s achievement of having a low number of COVID-19 confirmed cases among Seoul’s autonomous districts was community care, where the entire village acted as a quarantine subject, responding and caring together." He added, "In a situation where participation in social distancing in daily life is more urgent than ever for the safety and health of myself and my neighbors, the inconvenience and loneliness of marginalized neighbors such as elderly living alone who have difficulty moving could increase. I express my respect for the consideration and efforts of Seongbuk-gu members who visit where they are and help with mental quarantine as well."

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