Three Yangnim Churches and Yangji Welfare Center Volunteer for Elderly Living Alone During the Holidays

Youth from Different Denominations Gather for Emotional Connection

The youth groups of the three Yanglim Churches (Presbyterian Church of Korea, Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, and the Presbyterian Church of Korea - Hapdong) and Yangji Comprehensive Social Welfare Center conducted holiday sharing activities. Provided by the Gwangju Nam-gu Community Security Council

The Gwangju Namgu Community Security Council announced on March 4 that the youth groups from three Yangnim Churches (Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kijang), Presbyterian Church in Korea (Yesang), and Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap)) and the Yangji Comprehensive Social Welfare Center had carried out holiday sharing activities.

This initiative was organized through the joint efforts of the youth ministries of the three Yangnim Churches and the Yangji Comprehensive Social Welfare Center. It targeted 60 elderly residents in the local community who live alone or are considered vulnerable, as they are at higher risk of emotional isolation during the holiday season.

In particular, the event was made more meaningful as young people from the three different Presbyterian denominations—Kijang, Yesang, and Tonghap—gathered to prepare food together. On the day of the event, the youth personally prepared five kinds of jeon (Korean savory pancakes) and sliced rice cakes for tteokguk, wrote heartfelt letters, and delivered them to the homes of each senior recipient, offering not only food support but also warm greetings and emotional comfort.

The elderly recipients could not hide their joy at the visit from the youth. One senior said, "I tend to feel even lonelier during the holidays, but receiving carefully prepared food and reading the handwritten letter brought me great comfort," expressing deep gratitude. Ryu Jaejoong, Director of the Yangji Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, stated, "The warm participation of the youth became a precious opportunity for the elderly to feel the spirit of the holiday," and added, "We plan to continue sharing activities in connection with the local community in the future."

This holiday sharing activity combined the voluntary participation of local youth with the support role of the welfare center, helping to bridge the emotional gap between generations and bringing warmth to the community. The participating organizations plan to maintain these collaborative efforts with local resources and continue sharing activities for vulnerable groups.

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