Gyeongbuk Province to Deliver 'Dosirak' to 7,500 Elderly at Risk of Food Insecurity This Year... 4.7 Billion Won Invested

Kang Seong-jo, Deputy Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, Participates in Lunchbox Volunteer Activity at Andong City Social Welfare Center

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Gyeongsangbuk-do announced on the 4th that it will invest a budget of 4.7 billion KRW this year to provide free meals to elderly people at risk of food insecurity.

The free meal program targets approximately 7,500 low-income elderly individuals aged 65 and over who are recipients of basic livelihood security or belong to the near-poverty class.

The cost per meal provided to the elderly this year is 3,000 KRW, and Gyeongbuk Province supports the budget for 54 free meal service institutions (as of January).

Eligible institutions for budget support are those with an average daily user count of 20 or more and provide meals at least three times a week. In eup and myeon areas, meal facilities with an average daily user count of 10 or more and providing meals at least once a week are also eligible for support.

Last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread and the operation of free meal centers and group dining in restaurants were restricted, Gyeongsangbuk-do adapted the program according to the circumstances of each city and county by distributing lunch boxes or ready meals on-site or switching to meal delivery services.

On the 4th, Kang Seong-jo, Deputy Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, along with Park Seong-su, Deputy Mayor of Andong City, and Lee Sang-geun, Chairman of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Social Welfare Council, visited the Andong City Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, a free meal provider, and packed and personally delivered lunch boxes to about 250 elderly people together with volunteers.

The Andong City Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, which operates a free meal center for senior citizens, used to provide free meals three times a week, but due to the resurgence of COVID-19, it is currently operating on a reduced schedule of once a week every Monday.

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