“Came for a Meal, Escaped the Brink of Despair” The Miracle of Hwaseong’s Just Give

Hwaseong City Combines “Welfare + Local Food”
Full-Scale Launch of “Hwaseong-Style Just Give”

From Voice Phishing to Multiple Debts—Comprehensive Solutions Provided

Bankruptcy Relief Process Supported Through Counseling

Local Agricultural Products Supplied to "Just Give" in Hwaseong

Stories have been circulating about citizens who escaped the brink of despair after stopping by a place simply to satisfy their hunger, drawing significant public attention. Hwaseong Special City’s food support platform, “Just Give,” which opened in December last year, is proving to be more than just a provider of food supplies. It is playing a crucial role as a “social mattress,” identifying welfare blind spots and offering practical solutions to real-life problems.

Hwaseonghyeong Geunjang Dream logo. Provided by Hwaseong City

70-something Victim A, Who Lost All Assets, Resolves Both Police Report and Basic Livelihood Support Application at Once

According to Hwaseong Special City on March 30, a man in his 70s, referred to as Mr. A, hesitated for a long time in front of the “Just Give” sign outside the Naraeul Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in Hwaseong.

Having lost all the assets he had accumulated over a lifetime to a voice phishing scam in an instant, Mr. A felt as if he had been pushed off a cold cliff. Paralyzed by guilt and fear, he was unable to ask anyone for help and was suffering an extreme crisis where he could not even afford a meal.

In the end, the last place Mr. A turned to was “Just Give,” which provides food without any conditions.

A social worker at Just Give gently began a consultation with Mr. A, who was silently trembling, saying, “Sir, this is a place where anyone can take a break when things are difficult. There’s no need to feel sorry.” Moved by the social worker’s genuine empathy, Mr. A slowly opened up, sharing how the voice phishing incident had almost led him to lose the will to live.

In particular, during the consultation, the social worker confirmed the details of Mr. A’s situation and guided him through the police reporting procedure, ensuring that the voice phishing case was officially investigated.

At the same time, the Naraeul Comprehensive Social Welfare Center immediately verified Mr. A’s living crisis and quickly connected him to the nearby administrative welfare center, where they facilitated his application for basic livelihood support and emergency welfare assistance.

In this way, “Just Give” functions as an integrated response system that connects food provision with crisis identification and welfare support in a single process.

Mr. A expressed his gratitude to Hwaseong Special City’s Just Give, saying, “Not only did I find comfort for my body and mind at a place I visited because of hunger, but I was also able to resolve things I never dared to report. I have found hope to live again.”

On the 25th, a working meeting was held at Hwaseong City Dongtan Eoulrim Comprehensive Social Welfare Center to promote the 'Hwaseong-style Just Give' project. Provided by Hwaseong City

Multi-Debtor B Supported Through Bankruptcy Relief Process...“Solved the Painful Problem of Aggressive Debt Collection”

To B, a single-person household shouldering the burden of debt alone, the world felt like a towering cliff. Repeated business failures and unforeseen misfortunes caused his multiple debts to snowball, and the relentless daily pressure from creditors led him into an extreme crisis where he could barely afford food.

In desperation, B turned to “Just Give” for food support. However, “Just Give” did not stop at simply providing groceries. During the consultation, the social worker assessed B’s debt situation and immediately connected the case to the Hwaseong City Financial Welfare Counseling Support Center through the Hwaseong Southern Comprehensive Social Welfare Center.

The Financial Welfare Counseling Support Center thoroughly reviewed B’s debts and assisted him with the bankruptcy relief process. As a result, B was able to escape the persistent debt collection that had plagued him for so long. B said, “If it weren’t for the help from Just Give, the painful debt collection would still be ongoing.”

In this way, “Just Give” serves as a welfare platform closely linked to daily life, identifying citizens who might otherwise fall through the cracks of existing welfare systems and providing practical solutions beyond food aid. As the number of users grows, the platform is expected to expand its reach, discovering and supporting more citizens hidden in welfare blind spots—ultimately creating a virtuous cycle that benefits society as a whole.

Logo of Naraeul Welfare Center Janggeumdream Workplace in Hwaseong Special City. Provided by Hwaseong City

Hwaseong Special City Breaks Down Departmental Barriers and Fully Launches “Hwaseong-Style Just Give”

Building on these achievements, Hwaseong Special City is set to fully launch the “Hwaseong-Style Just Give” model, an expanded version of “Just Give.”

“Hwaseong-Style Just Give” is a tailored welfare service that makes it easier for any citizen facing difficulties to receive necessary food support without hesitation. The core of this initiative is the close collaboration between the Integrated Care Division and the Agricultural Food Distribution Division, combining the function of “care” for identifying welfare blind spots with the function of “distribution” for promptly supplying local produce.

On the 25th, Hwaseong City held a working meeting at the Hwaseong City Dongtan Eoullim Comprehensive Social Welfare Center to promote the “Hwaseong-Style Just Give” project. The meeting included participants from the Integrated Care Division, Agricultural Food Distribution Division, Dongtan 4-dong and Dongtan 7-dong Administrative Welfare Centers, Dongtan Eoullim Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Dongtan Senior Welfare Center, and Hwaseong Food Integrated Support Center.

During the meeting, key agenda items were discussed in depth, including division of roles by institution, identification and management of eligible users, and establishing a local food ingredient supply system. The direction of project operation and detailed implementation framework were also refined.

Ji-hyun, head of the Integrated Care Division, stated, “This working meeting marks an important starting point for increasing the efficiency of welfare administration through interdepartmental cooperation. By organically linking the local community with local food direct sales stores, we will ensure that food grown in our land warms the hearts of our neighbors and create a Hwaseong Special City where no citizen suffers from hunger.”

Meanwhile, Hwaseong Special City plans to formalize interdepartmental cooperation systems starting with this working meeting and will continue to incorporate feedback from the field to gradually expand the “Hwaseong-Style Just Give” project.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.