Donation of grocery sets to 1,412 underprivileged households

“May things be just like Chuseok, no more, no less.”

In Korea, Chuseok is a major mid-autumn festival and a three-day holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is the most abundant time of the food in a year. Families gather together in a long time, ask after one another, and play fun games with their neighbors. So, long ago, people would say, “May things be just like Chuseok, no more, no less.” Their wish to have good meals, have much fun, and stay healthy is contained in this saying.

When a national holiday is approaching, the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation members become busy encouraging and supporting their neighbors who cannot afford to enjoy a quality national holiday due to financial difficulties. In the year of 2021 too, they wholeheartedly prepared grocery sets for underprivileged neighbors.

From September 9 to September 16, grocery sets were delivered to 1,412 underprivileged households through 61 local governments such as city halls, district offices, and welfare offices. Their neighborly love reached out to every place in Korea: Metropolitan Cities of Seoul and Incheon, and the Provinces of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong, Jeolla, Gyeongsang, and Jeju, hoping their efforts would be of a help to their neighbors who were going through difficulties due to COVID-19.

It is the best to share love with family and neighbors during Chuseok

Especially during Chuseok, there are people who become busy. They are mothers. Mothers prepare food ingredients for a few days, and cook warm, delicious meals with newly milled rice. They wholeheartedly prepare Chuseok for their loving children and family. The WeLoveU wants to share such love of mothers with their neighbors. This is the very reason they prepare groceries every Chuseok. Although they do not offer warm, delicious meals to their neighbors, they want to abundantly share love with them.

Some WeLoveU chapters visited households with the grocery sets and asked after them. One senior citizen living alone brightly smiled after receiving the grocery set filled with various, essential food ingredients like sesame oil and frying powder, and healthy convenience foods like mushroom porridge, braised kimchi with pork, beef and rice soup, beef bone soup, and dried pollack soup. She said, “I really enjoyed them last year, too. Everyone is going through tough times, but I’m really thankful to Chairwoman and the members for preparing this great gift for people.” The members said, “Our gift is small, but we are happy to see senior citizens joyful. We hope they will spend Chuseok in abundance.”

On September 13, it was so windy that it was difficult to deliver the gifts to Gwangan 2-dong welfare office in Suyeong-gu, Busan. However, the WeLoveU members joyfully carried out the gift sets, saying, “We feel truly rewarding and joyful to be of a help to our neighbors.” The staff of the welfare office, who were watching the WeLoveU members help out, heartwarmingly joined them. The head of Gwangan 2-dong office greeted and said, “We will make sure to safely deliver these grocery sets to our neighbors by visiting them one by one. Thank you so much for your help every year.”

Heads of local governments expressed gratitude to the WeLoveU for sharing love with neighbors every national holiday. On September 9, when the WeLoveU donated 20 grocery sets to the welfare office in Nonhyeon 2-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, the head of the office said, “Many other volunteer groups visited us to give a helping hand before, but there was none like the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation who sincerely carry out volunteer services. I’m truly thankful to all the members of the organization for holding such a meaningful event.” The head of Hwigyeong 2-dong office in Seoul bowed down to greet and say, “Once again, I truly want to thank the WeLoveU for sharing love with our underprivileged neighbors. I also want to thank the Chairwoman of the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation Zahng Gil-jah, and the members for making every effort for the happiness of humankind and taking the lead in carrying out volunteer services to create a world where everyone is respected.”

The head of Saman-dong office in Gimhae also expressed gratitude and said, “The WeLoveU’s help reaches out even to the neighbors whom the district office cannot take care of, which is helping us greatly.” The head of Ido 2-dong office in Jeju said, “I’m very thankful to the organization for donating the items with love especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone is going through tough times.”

It is the best to share love with family and neighbors during a national festival. The WeLoveU members wish every neighbor will spend their time in happiness as the saying goes, “May things be just like Chuseok, no more, no less.” They feel the greatest joy when they share love with the world with the heart of a mother. The WeLoveU plans to continue to provide grocery sets to their neighbors in difficulties, wishing that more people will spend national festivals meaningfully by sharing love.