Hwaseong's 'Geunyang Dream' Warms the Welfare Margins... A Miracle Sparked by a Few Apples

Hwaseong City Expands ‘Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream’ to All 29 Districts

A Virtuous Cycle of Sharing — From Anonymous Donors to Businesses, Hospitals, and Public Officials

Abundant Holiday Giving Reaches Vulnerable Neighbors, Warming the Community

Mayor Myungkeun Jung: “We Will Use Shared Refrigerators to Reach Those Overlooked by the Welfare System”

In one corner of the Hyangnam-eup Administrative Welfare Center in Hwaseong Special City, Gyeonggi Province, an unnamed gift box was quietly placed in front of a large shared refrigerator. When the box was opened, it was filled with a variety of seasonal groceries, including apples and kim (seaweed). This was a gift left by a so-called "faceless angel," who, as they do every year around this time, made an anonymous donation ahead of Chuseok this year. The donor never revealed their identity, leaving only a short note wishing that "no neighbors in need would feel left out and that everyone would enjoy a warm holiday."

Myeonggeun Jeong, Special Mayor of Hwaseong. Provided by Hwaseong City

According to Hwaseong City on September 26, the combined efforts of residents, officials, and unnamed neighbors are spreading warmth throughout the city. The 'Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream' shared refrigerator, which enables vulnerable members of society to take food without hesitation, is evolving beyond simply being a distribution point for relief supplies and is now establishing itself as a “welfare hub” that connects the entire community.

The spirit of sharing is rapidly spreading across Hwaseong. Since the official launch of the 'Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream' shared refrigerator in Dongtan 5-dong on July 7, support from the local community has poured in like a torrent.

Saessakdongsan Cheongnyeo Training Center generously donated foodstuffs worth 5 million won, while Dongtan City Hospital provided 100 sacks of rice. Members from ten local social organization councils also pooled together donations. Additionally, public officials in Hwaseong joined forces, agreeing to continuously donate daily necessities purchased through public airline mileage, thus adding the warmth of the public sector to the initiative.

Lee Myeongrim, chairman of Saessakdongsan Cheongnyeo Training Center, said, "It is very meaningful to be able to participate in a mutually supportive welfare program led by the private sector," adding, "We will continue our social contribution activities to provide practical help to local neighbors."

On August 26, Hyosan-dong, Byeongjeom-gu, Hwaseong Special City held the opening ceremony of the Hwaseong-style Just Give Shared Refrigerator at the Hyosan-dong Community Center and took a commemorative photo with the attendees. Provided by Hwaseong City

Fighting Hunger, Saving Those at the Edge of the Social Safety Net

The 'Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream' initiative promoted by Hwaseong City goes beyond merely providing food. It functions as an essential “first point of contact” to proactively identify households in crisis that have fallen through the cracks of the welfare system.

The most significant feature of the 'Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream' is its low barrier to access. On one’s first visit, there is no requirement to provide income or eligibility documentation; anyone can receive groceries and daily necessities. This approach is designed to help those facing urgent crises of basic livelihood, giving priority to their immediate needs over bureaucratic procedures.

The real welfare support begins upon a return visit. Through in-depth consultations, the actual crisis faced by the user is identified, and they are then connected to tailored welfare services. In fact, in Dongtan 9-dong, consultation with a shared refrigerator user led to the discovery of a household suffering from medical and living expenses following a spouse’s sudden cerebral hemorrhage. Through a collection drive in the local community newsletter, an emergency donation of 1.37 million won was swiftly arranged for the family.

On July 7, a commemorative photo was taken to celebrate the opening ceremony of the Hwaseong-type Geunyang Dream Shared Refrigerator in Dongtan 5-dong. Provided by Hwaseong City

Hwaseong City Expands Initiative to 29 Locations... Strengthening the Welfare Safety Net

Thanks to the success of these pilot projects, Hwaseong City expanded the 'Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream' from 16 locations, including Byeongjeom 1-dong in April, to all 29 towns, villages, and districts from August. Now, any Hwaseong citizen can access a shared refrigerator at their nearest administrative welfare center.

Hwaseong City's shared refrigerator program, which combines voluntary resident donations and meticulous administration, is evolving into the community’s warmest “welfare safety net” — addressing hunger among the marginalized and rescuing those in despair.

Myungkeun Jung, Special Mayor of Hwaseong, said, “By making Geunyang Dream accessible in all 29 towns, villages, and districts, the distance between citizens and welfare services has become much closer. We will further build a robust collaborative network with the local community so that food support can serve as the very first link in reaching neighbors on the fringe of the welfare system.”

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