'Good Giving' Turns Suwon's Disaster Basic Income into a Seed of Help for Neighbors

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City's disaster basic income is becoming a seed of help for neighbors in need.

Starting from the 9th, the city distributed 100,000 won per person in disaster basic income to all citizens registered as residents of Suwon.

Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young held a press briefing on Suwon-style disaster basic income on the 2nd and proposed 'good giving,' asking citizens to donate their disaster basic income to neighbors in difficult circumstances.

The good giving initiative originated from an inquiry sent to Suwon City on the 24th of last month by a resident identified as A, living in Seryu-dong, Geon-seon Ward.

A explained, "When I saw the news about the disaster basic income being discussed, I thought that 100,000 won was not money I desperately needed, so I posted a message hoping it could be donated through a simple procedure."

A continued, "I was heartbroken to see elderly people standing in line at free meal centers on my way to work early in the morning, but they haven't appeared since the COVID-19 outbreak. I hope that by donating the disaster basic income, elderly people and children who go without meals can have warm meals."

The heads of the residents' autonomous committees in all 44 neighborhoods in the city participated in this donation campaign with one heart and one mind.

Han Chang-seok, president of the Suwon Residents' Autonomous Committee Council, came across the good giving movement through Facebook and convened emergency meetings with heads of each district council. He mobilized all 44 neighborhood committee heads to participate and completed the good giving donation on the 13th.

The Suwon City social welfare community also participates. Yun Hak-su, director of the Paldale Elderly Welfare Center, representing the joint alliance formed by the Suwon Community Security Council, Suwon Social Welfare Council, and Suwon Social Workers Association, pledged, "We will make efforts so that good giving can spread comprehensively throughout the social welfare community."

City civil servants are also actively participating in the disaster basic income donation. In particular, approximately 110 employees from the Department of Welfare and Women's Affairs, which handles social welfare in Suwon, participated in the disaster basic income donation.

Seo Kyung-bo, director of the Department of Welfare and Women's Affairs, said, "As an organization that brings together departments responsible for policies for vulnerable groups including the elderly, disabled, and children, the staff members proposed to make a group donation of disaster basic income first," and expressed gratitude to "the civil servants who voluntarily participated and set an example."

He continued, "Civil servants, who are in relatively better circumstances than self-employed people and freelancers, are taking the lead in good giving, which can become a timely help to vulnerable groups in blind spots that cannot be supported by government budgets."

The good giving campaign, hosted by the Gyeonggi Community Chest of Korea and sponsored by the city, launched on the 9th.

Donations can be made by depositing into a special fundraising account (Nonghyup 317-0003-8354-31, Account holder: Gyeonggi Community Chest of Korea) or by placing money in collection boxes set up at each neighborhood administrative welfare center.

Donors can submit an application form via email (suw@chest.or.kr), fax (0303-3261-2113), or at the nearest neighborhood administrative welfare center to receive a donation receipt.

Donations are rapidly distributed to vulnerable groups and citizens affected by COVID-19.

Donors can also designate and contribute to specific areas they wish to support, such as small business owners, the unemployed, and low-income individuals and blind spots.

Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young said, "The active participation of citizens living stable lives can create new miracles," and added, "I hope that we will join forces in response to this urgent appeal to overcome the COVID-19 crisis."