Gwangjin-gu Continues Practicing Neighborly Love in Celebration of Family Month

Gwangjin-gu, Warm Hands Extended to Marginalized Neighbors Across the Region... Family-Friendly Contests and Art Performances Also Held

On the 6th, in celebration of Parents' Day, Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin District, visited Jayang Comprehensive Social Welfare Center to convey his regards to the elderly.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) is continuing various neighborly love practices with the local community in celebration of Family Month amid the COVID-19 situation, which has made family gatherings difficult.

First, Mayor Kim Seon-gap visited communal living homes and the Gwangjin-gu Our Neighborhood Care Center to commemorate Children's Day, encouraging the staff and spending time communicating with the children.

Additionally, gift packages including school supplies and assignment sets were given to low-income elementary school students in Neungdong, and Onnuri gift certificates were distributed to basic livelihood recipients and children from single-parent families in Junggok 3-dong. Gift packages containing drinks and snacks were delivered to low-income children in Junggok 2-dong, and “Sprout Support Packages” containing medical supplies, school supplies, and other items requested by children were provided to children at child welfare facilities in Guui 2-dong.

Moreover, in celebration of Parents' Day, gratitude events expressing respect and thanks to the elderly were held in various locations. Mayor Kim visited the Gwangjin Senior Welfare Center, Jayang Comprehensive Social Welfare Center’s senior dining hall, and the Korea Senior Citizens Association Gwangjin Branch to convey appreciation to the elderly. Along with the existing alternative meals, special meals were additionally provided, and COVID-19 prevention kits containing masks and hand sanitizers were distributed.

From the 3rd to the 7th, Junggok Comprehensive Social Welfare Center visited users’ homes to pin carnations and deliver food kits, and from the 4th to the 7th, Gwangjang Comprehensive Social Welfare Center also made individual visits to elderly households.

For low-income middle-aged single-person households in Junggok 2-dong, the Volunteer Camp prepared individually packaged songpyeon (rice cakes) and beverages for delivery. In Junggok 4-dong, carnations were pinned on elderly people aged 75 and older living alone, along with the delivery of healthy food and handwritten cards by children. For elderly people living alone in Gwangjang-dong, companion plant pots were given to revitalize their bodies and minds exhausted by COVID-19.

Next, for low-income elderly with mobility difficulties in Guui 1-dong, seaweed soup, ox knee soup, and spicy beef soup were distributed while checking on their well-being. Neighborly love among residents also continued: the Saemaul Women’s Association in Jayang 1-dong visited elderly people living alone and socially marginalized seniors to deliver side dishes, and the Seonhwa Mind Volunteer Group, composed of students from Jayang 2-dong, made eco-bags and filled them with daily necessities to deliver to elderly people living alone and middle-aged single-person households.

Furthermore, the district is holding various contests for families to participate in together during Family Month. First, the “Our Home Stay-at-Home Play All-PICK” contest, where participants share videos of play activities they enjoy at home and want to share with friends, is ongoing until the 17th. Also, the Gwangjin-gu Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center is hosting a “Couple Photo and Couple Acrostic Poem Contest” themed “Our Moments Together” and “Bungeoppang Couple” until the 21st in celebration of Couple’s Day, and a non-face-to-face “Couple Special Lecture” will be held on June 11.

In addition, the Gwangjin Cultural Foundation is promoting the “2021 Healing Project” to provide residents, exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, with time to heal with their families. The “2021 Healing Project” consists of a guerrilla performance called “Commute Performance” held at crosswalks during commuting hours and “A Walk Around the Neighborhood,” where local artists perform throughout the neighborhood. Notably, on the 13th, the family-themed film “Minari” will be screened at the outdoor parking lot of the Children’s Hall.

Meanwhile, Mayor Kim Seon-gap of Gwangjin-gu produced video messages for each commemorative day such as Children’s Day, Parents’ Day, Teachers’ Day, Coming-of-Age Day, and Couple’s Day to convey congratulations and gratitude to residents.

Mayor Kim said, “Although it is Family Month in May, everyone’s body and mind must be exhausted due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation. Still, I hope this month will be a time to look after marginalized neighbors, express gratitude to family members we haven’t seen often, and care for those around us.” He added, “The only way to stop COVID-19 is vaccination. We are promoting vaccination safely and swiftly to protect residents’ health and restore daily life, so I hope everyone will participate in vaccination with peace of mind.”

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