Uiryeong County Prioritizes Food and Daily Necessities Through 'Geunyangdeurim' Sharing Refrigerator

Food support without proof of income
Two locations in Uiryeong-eup and Burim-myeon

Uiryeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, is launching its “Geunyangdeurim” program in earnest, providing goods and welfare consultations to residents who urgently need food and daily necessities.

Following a pilot program in September, the county recently began operating the program at two locations: the Uiryeong-eup Office and the Eastern Social Welfare Center in Burim-myeon.

Food and daily necessities are stocked at the Geunyangdeurim site inside the Uiryeong-eup Office. [Photo courtesy of Uiryeong County]

“Geunyangdeurim” provides food and daily necessities to residents facing financial hardship due to circumstances such as sudden unemployment or illness, without requiring proof of income or a prior screening.

In particular, the program has lowered barriers to support so that people do not miss out on help they need immediately because of complicated application procedures.

Uiryeong County is building on its “Sharing Refrigerator” program, which has operated since 2019. Run with voluntary donations from local businesses, organizations, and residents, the Sharing Refrigerator recorded about 13,000 visits in Uiryeong-eup and Burim-myeon last year.

At their first visit to “Geunyangdeurim,” residents are given food and daily necessities. From their second visit onward, they are connected with the existing Sharing Refrigerator service and welfare consultations. Residents who need additional support after a consultation are referred to the welfare officers in the eup or myeon responsible for their area of residence.

The county will also review public welfare benefits, including basic livelihood security, private donations, and community welfare resources. Households facing multiple difficulties will receive ongoing support through integrated case management and other services.

The program operates every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. After filling out an application form on-site, each person can receive three to five food and daily necessity items, such as ramen, canned food, toilet paper, and soap, worth about 20,000 won in total.

As a rule, each person may receive “Geunyangdeurim” support up to three times. However, additional support may be provided after a separate assessment if an emergency situation continues due to a fire, sudden unemployment, illness, or other circumstances.

County Governor Oh Tae-wan said, “What our neighbors in need require is not complicated paperwork but a helping hand they can receive right away. We will pursue a welfare administration that identifies people in need first and continues to look after them, so that no one turns away at the threshold of welfare when they need help.”

We hope Uiryeong County’s “Geunyangdeurim” support program, which offers practical hope to its neighbors, will bring good news to residents and serve as a strong pillar of support.

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