Gyeonggi-do to Recruit 10,000 'Hope Embracers' to Identify Neighbors in Welfare Blind Spots

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province is recruiting 10,000 "Hope Boddeumi" volunteers by the end of this year to identify neighbors in welfare blind spots.

Hope Boddeumi volunteers play a role in reporting residents in welfare blind spots through the emergency welfare hotline (010-4419-7722), emergency welfare call center (120-0), Gyeonggi Bok G Talk (KakaoTalk channel), and the emergency welfare call center website.

Unlike "Honorary Social Welfare Officers," who are neighbor-centered such as community leaders frequently in contact with local residents, this program is independently operated by Gyeonggi Province.

The core is to establish a dense public-private cooperation network focusing on welfare organization workers, public institutions, mandatory reporters of emergency welfare, and workers in daily life industries. General residents can also participate.

Gyeonggi Province plans to expand the number of Hope Boddeumi volunteers from 10,000 this year to 50,000 by 2025.

Hope Boddeumi volunteers will serve two-year terms with unlimited renewals after appointment. Online training that can assist their activities will be provided.

Gyeonggi Province plans to support difficult neighbors reported by Hope Boddeumi volunteers through the emergency welfare crisis counseling hotline with livelihood, housing, and medical expenses if they qualify for existing welfare programs such as basic livelihood security, lower-income classes, and emergency welfare. Even if they do not receive welfare benefits, private sponsorship welfare services will be linked as needed to resolve crisis situations.

Kim Neungsik, Director of the Welfare Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, "Although Gyeonggi Province operates a support system to discover welfare blind spots through cooperation with related organizations and groups, there are limits to public organizations alone, so the interest and cooperation of neighbors are essential." He urged, "If you discover neighbors in crisis, please actively participate in 'Gyeonggi Province Hope Boddeumi' by reporting to the Gyeonggi Province emergency welfare crisis counseling hotline."

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