Gwangmyeong City to Provide Fruit Baskets to Elderly Living Alone on Basic Living Allowance

Worth 30,000 Won Per Quarter... First Case Among Local Governments Nationwide
Direct Home Delivery Also Helps Check on Residents' Well-Being

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on May 29 that, starting next month, it will launch the "Gwangmyeong Fruit Basket" program, providing seasonal fruit to approximately 2,000 elderly residents aged 65 and older who live alone and receive basic living allowances.

The basic living allowance is a social security program that provides living expenses to low-income households whose income falls below the minimum cost of living. The city explained that it decided to implement this program because elderly individuals living alone who receive the basic living allowance are likely to fall into blind spots in health management, not only due to financial difficulties but also because of mobility issues, and therefore require careful care. The city added that this is the first time any local government in the country is providing fruit baskets to all elderly individuals living alone who receive the basic living allowance.

The city will allocate a budget of 198 million won to deliver fruit baskets worth 30,000 won each directly to the homes of elderly residents living alone, three times a year on a quarterly basis. The fruit baskets will be filled with seasonal fruit, which the city expects will help the elderly maintain a balanced intake of nutrients and develop healthy eating habits. The regular home delivery visits will also allow the city to check on the well-being of elderly residents living alone, which is expected to play an effective role in preventing solitary deaths.

Park Seungwon, Mayor of Gwangmyeong, stated, "I hope this project will be a small beginning in protecting the health of our elderly residents," adding, "We will continue to build a comprehensive care system to ensure that no one falls through the cracks of the welfare network."

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