"I hope this activity becomes an opportunity to look back on the precious neighbors around us and make our community a warmer place."
Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Sung-su made the remarks Saturday at the district office's second-floor auditorium, where about 90 family members gathered for the family volunteer program "Neighborhood Hero Heatwave Rescue Squad."
Organized by the Seocho-gu Volunteer Center, the program was designed as a hands-on volunteer experience for families during the summer vacation period, encouraging participants to reflect on the diverse neighbors who make up their community and to share support with residents most vulnerable to extreme heat.
Participants made hanji clam-shaped fans and wrote words of encouragement with sanitation workers, bus drivers and school security guards in mind — the "neighborhood heroes" who quietly keep daily life running even amid scorching heat. The finished fans are to be delivered by the families themselves to community members in the area.
The event was also designed to let family members of all ages connect with one another while discovering the joy of volunteering, and to help families naturally engage with pressing social issues such as heatwaves and climate vulnerability.
The Seocho-gu Volunteer Center said it plans to continue expanding citizen-led volunteer programs that allow families — including children and teenagers — to participate together, turning awareness of everyday social issues into direct action.
"It was a wonderful opportunity for families to create meaningful memories together by taking part in volunteer activities during the summer vacation," Jeon said. "I hope this activity becomes a chance to look back on the precious neighbors around us and, through small acts of kindness, make our community an even warmer place."
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