Seoul distributes W370m in chuseok care kits for vulnerable residents

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is distributing 370 million won ($272,000) worth of "Hope Sharing Kits" and preferred goods to housing-vulnerable residents — including homeless shelter residents and those living in cramped single-room housing — for the chuseok holiday. The kits contain food items such as multigrain rice, abalone porridge, beef seaweed soup and ramyun.

The city said Friday that the Seoul Homeless Facility Association, through a designated donation from the Community Chest of Korea Seoul chapter, delivered 2,860 Hope Sharing Kits — each valued at 60,000 won — to residents of single-room housing, temporary housing, purchased rental housing and supported housing units.

Some 2,875 residents across 35 homeless facilities will each receive 55,000 won worth of preferred goods. Facilities will also receive between 500,000 won and 1.3 million won, depending on their size, to cover the cost of holiday programs such as setting up a shared ancestral rite table.

The city is also expanding support for homeless people and single-room housing residents during the holiday period. It will provide 10,000 won worth of special holiday meals to 32 homeless service and residential facilities, while five single-room housing counseling centers will hold cultural events including traditional games and holiday cooking.

In particular, 25 facilities — including comprehensive homeless support centers, temporary shelter facilities and self-sufficiency centers — will increase daily meals from two to three for three days through Saturday, reducing gaps in meal service during the holiday.

Jang Gyeong-hwan, chairman of the Seoul Homeless Facility Association, said he hoped "the carefully prepared goods will bring a small measure of joy to housing-vulnerable residents."

Kim Jong-su, the city's welfare planning officer, said the city would "provide attentive support so that neighbors around us are not left out during the holidays, in keeping with our commitment to walking alongside the vulnerable."