Dongdaemun-gu Bodeumnuri Blooms as the Seed of Hope and Flower of Love on Its 10th Anniversary

2011 Launch of Dongdaemun-gu Bodeumnuri Project: Residents and Private Groups Strengthen Neighbor Care System... 9.975 Billion KRW Supported Over 10 Years, Plans Focused on Achievements and Improvements for Second Leap

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun District, is visiting a one-on-one partnership participant and having a conversation in 2019.

In 2020, the International Lions 354c District held a business agreement event to promote community contribution projects.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The Bodeumnuri Project in Dongdaemun-gu, launched in 2011 as a welfare safety net for marginalized groups not legally protected, is preparing for a new leap forward on its 10th anniversary.

The Dongdaemun-gu Bodeumnuri Project consists of the ‘Hope Partnership Project,’ where Dongdaemun-gu Office employees, the general public, and private organizations form one-on-one partnerships with marginalized groups to donate and support cash, goods, and talents, and the ‘Dong Hope Welfare Committee,’ which is organized in each of the 14 neighborhoods to solve neighbors’ welfare issues through resident-led initiatives and operates specialized projects.

Through the ‘Hope Partnership Project,’ 3,312 Dongdaemun-gu Office employees, general citizens, and private organizations have formed one-on-one partnerships with low-income groups who do not receive legal support, checking on their well-being and welfare needs and connecting them to welfare services. Over 10 years, this has provided cash, goods, and talent donations amounting to 7.924 billion KRW.

Since its inception in 2013, the 14 neighborhood Dong Hope Welfare Committees have raised 2.051 billion KRW and supported 1.971 billion KRW over approximately nine years.

The 1,594 residents serving as committee members in the 14 neighborhood Dong Hope Welfare Committees utilize their individual specialties to provide various support services such as hairdressing, side dish support, laundry services, preparing birthday meals for elderly living alone, bath coupon support, and beverage delivery.

Despite the difficulties caused by COVID-19 last year, the Dong Hope Welfare Committees raised 275 million KRW to address local welfare issues, carried out 139 different projects, and provided 375 million KRW in support.

The Dongdaemun-style welfare community Bodeumnuri Project has been a model for establishing neighbor care systems, winning awards such as the Grand Prize in the Senior Volunteer Service category at the 2nd Korea Sharing Volunteer Awards in 2013, the Grand Prize in Local Government Administration at the 2013 Proud Korean People Awards, the Grand Prize in Local Government Welfare at the 1st Seoul Social Welfare Awards, the Excellence Award in Welfare Blind Spot Discovery at the Welfare Administration Awards in 2014, the Excellence Award in Resident Participation at the 2016 National Manifesto Best Practice Competition, the Grand Prize in Welfare Service at the 2018 Seoul Social Welfare Awards, the Grand Prize in Visiting Health and Welfare Services at the 2019 Welfare Administration Awards, and the Grand Prize in Local Government Administration at the 1st Korea Constitutional Awards in 2020.

This year, as the Bodeumnuri Project enters its 10th year, the district office is making solid plans for a new leap forward.

To this end, meetings were recently held in each of the 14 neighborhoods, and an overall discussion forum hosted by the Welfare Policy Division was held to analyze past achievements and devise improvement measures.

The Dong Hope Welfare Committees highlighted the discovery of middle-aged single-person households and low-income elderly living alone in welfare blind spots, continuing contact to prevent solitary deaths through meal and side dish support projects as major achievements. However, they expressed regret that support projects conducted face-to-face have been curtailed recently due to COVID-19.

Based on the meeting discussions, the district plans to establish the 2021 Bodeumnuri revitalization plan reflecting various improvement measures such as expanding private cooperation projects, revising agreements with partner organizations and their contents, enhancing the treatment of Hope Welfare Committee members, operating neighborhood welfare colleges, holding a 10th anniversary performance report meeting, boosting participant morale, and strengthening promotional activities using Band and KakaoTalk chat rooms, aiming to develop a more substantial project.

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, “The resident-led welfare service ‘Dongdaemun-style welfare community Bodeumnuri Project,’ where neighbors provide various welfare services needed in daily life to each other, has reached its 10th anniversary. We are very grateful to the residents and private organizations who participated in the project, enabling us to discover and support many neighbors in welfare blind spots over the past 10 years. Based on 10 years of experience, Dongdaemun-gu will continue beautiful efforts with residents and private organizations to provide life-centered welfare services necessary for neighbors in need.”

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