A warm meal will be delivered each month to neighbors who, due to financial hardship, rarely get to dine out with their families. The Yeongjong 1-dong Community Social Security Council (Co-Chairs Lee Cheol-ho and Kim Sang-gwon) in Jung-gu District, Incheon, signed a business agreement on the 24th with the local restaurant Sumuntong Jjamppong (CEO Kim Nam-su) to support dining out for vulnerable residents.
 [The Korean Today] Business agreement ceremony for meal sharing with vulnerable residents of Yeongjong 1-dong © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
Under the agreement, Sumuntong Jjamppong will select two vulnerable households each month and provide them with free meals, while the Yeongjong 1-dong council takes on the role of directly identifying and recommending households in need of support. In this arrangement, a private business owner contributes resources and the local council connects the recipients, ensuring that help reaches those who genuinely need it.
Dining out is meaningful in that it goes beyond simply solving the matter of a meal and offers families an opportunity to spend time together. Families that have had few chances to eat out because of financial difficulties are expected to be able to gather at a restaurant, share a meal and build memories together.
Kim Nam-su, the CEO who stepped forward to share, cited his own experience as the reason for taking part in the agreement. "I once visited a restaurant with friends, and I felt sorry seeing students who could not eat because of their financial circumstances," Kim said.
 [The Korean Today] Signing of the agreement between Sumuntong Jjamppong and the Yeongjong 1-dong Community Social Security Council © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
"That experience led to the thought that I wanted to offer a warm meal to neighbors in difficulty," he added. "I decided to take part in this sharing with the hope that children and families from vulnerable groups can share a meal and create happy memories together."
The council also attached significance to the agreement. Kim Sang-gwon, the private-sector co-chair, said, "I am grateful to CEO Kim Nam-su for readily joining in this act of sharing for our community," adding, "I hope this agreement becomes a precious opportunity for neighbors in difficulty to dine out, and a catalyst for further spreading a culture of sharing in our community."
Lee Cheol-ho, head of Yeongjong 1-dong, said, "This agreement is a meaningful example of how the warm interest and sharing of the community have been linked into welfare resources for neighbors in need," adding, "We will continue to do our best to identify and connect various private resources to build a tightly woven welfare safety net for neighbors in difficulty." This collaboration, which draws private goodwill into the public welfare network, is expected to take root as a community-based welfare model that complements limited administrative resources.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
Become a Local Ambassador Apply as Branch Director The Korean Today — Nam-Incheon
 |
<저작권자 ⓒ 코리안투데이(The Korean Today) 무단전재 및 재배포 금지>
