As year-end cold waves swept across southern Korea, a different kind of warmth spread through neighborhoods in Busan and Gyeongnam—one built through steady, hands-on service.
Throughout December, branches of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group in the Busan–Gyeongnam region carried out a series of community-focused activities, ranging from large-scale kimchi sharing for veterans’ families to small-business support, senior care, and environmental campaigns.
Rather than a single event, the efforts formed a connected “relay of care”, responding to different needs across communities during the coldest time of the year.
Sharing Kimchi with Veterans’ Families
One of the central activities this winter was a large-scale kimjang (kimchi-making) service for veterans and bereaved families.
In early December, volunteers from the Busan–Gyeongnam regional coalition and affiliated branches prepared and delivered 2.2 tons of kimchi (400 boxes) to 16 veterans’ organizations across Busan and Masan. The recipients included disabled veterans’ associations and widows’ groups of fallen soldiers.
Later in the month, volunteers in Masan continued the effort, preparing an additional 1.2 tons of kimchi, which was delivered to veterans’ groups and seniors living alone. In recognition of this sustained support, the local veterans’ association presented the Masan branch with a certificate of appreciation.
Veterans’ representatives shared that the service was meaningful not only for the food itself, but for the respect and remembrance it conveyed.
Supporting Local Markets and Small Businesses
With local economies facing continued pressure, volunteers also focused on revitalizing neighborhood commerce.
In Geoje, around 70 volunteers visited the Okpo traditional market as part of a shopping-support campaign. Volunteers purchased goods directly from merchants and distributed over 100 hand warmers, offering encouragement through both action and conversation.
In Busan’s Saha District, another group of volunteers took a more playful approach. Dressed as “secret Santas,” they visited 42 local shops, delivering small gifts such as towels and offering words of appreciation for business owners who had endured a difficult year.
Merchants shared that the visits provided emotional encouragement at a time when foot traffic and sales were declining.
Caring for Seniors and Promoting Environmental Awareness
In Yangsan, volunteer activities focused on senior care and environmental responsibility.
At a local community center, volunteers hosted a year-end gathering for seniors as part of the “Baekse Manse” program. The event included music, games, and small gifts, creating a festive atmosphere ahead of the holidays.
Earlier in the month, the same branch held a carbon-neutral awareness campaign in recognition of International Mountain Day. Volunteers encouraged residents to adopt small, practical actions to reduce environmental impact, emphasizing that sustainability begins with daily choices.
Service Shaped by Local Needs
What connected these varied activities was not scale alone, but attention to context. Each branch focused on needs specific to its community—veterans, seniors, shop owners, or environmental awareness—rather than applying a single, uniform program.
Volunteers emphasized that their goal was not short-term visibility, but continuity: returning to the same neighborhoods, listening to local voices, and responding with care that fits the situation.
A Different Kind of Year-End Warmth
As the year came to a close, the Busan–Gyeongnam volunteer efforts showed how community trust is built through repetition, presence, and sincerity.
In cold weather and uncertain economic conditions, the warmth that reached these communities did not come from grand gestures, but from practical help delivered at the right time—one box of kimchi, one market visit, one conversation at a time.
Source: https://vo.la/4hVtZiO
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