We'll Help Fulfill Grandfather's and Grandmother's Wishes

"We will help fulfill the wishes of lonely grandmothers and grandfathers living alone."

Kim, an 81-year-old grandmother living alone in Guun-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, is such a devoted book lover that staff at the Guun-dong Community Service Center know her well.

As a recipient of basic livelihood assistance, Grandmother Kim visits the Saemaul Library on the first floor of the community service center every week to borrow books she wishes to read. These days, she is deeply absorbed in reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Despite her age, Grandmother Kim has good eyesight and doesn't need glasses to read. However, she disliked reading alone in her home at night with the bright overhead fluorescent light on, and wished to have a reading lamp instead. But given her financial situation, she had never thought of purchasing one.

Learning of her situation, the Guun-dong Community Service Center took Grandmother Kim to E-mart Seosuwon branch on the 16th and purchased the reading lamp she had secretly wished for.

The staff also accompanied her around the store and purchased items she desired, including a heating pad for back pain treatment, a jumper, instant grain cereal, and glutinous rice, worth a total of 200,000 won.

Upon receiving these unexpected gifts, Grandmother Kim shed tears of gratitude, saying, "After living so long, good things like this still happen."

Grandmother Kim was the 15th recipient of the Guun-dong Community Service Center's "Love Volunteer Day" project, which selects one elderly person aged 75 or older living alone among basic livelihood assistance recipients in the district each month on the third Friday to fulfill their long-held wishes or provide desired items.

First launched in January of last year, this project is modeled after the American "Make A Wish" foundation, which visits terminally ill patients to fulfill their wishes. Public officials visit elderly living alone who cannot achieve their desires due to financial constraints and help fulfill their wishes for one day.

E-mart sponsors goods worth 100,000 won, while the Ilwol Sangga Prosperity Association, an organization of merchants in Guun-dong, provides monthly support of 100,000 won.

Most of the elderly's wishes are modest ones that don't require large amounts of money, such as visiting a bathhouse, filling an oil heater, going to an amusement park, eating meat, or visiting a beauty salon. Thus, 200,000 won per month can bring great joy and happiness to the elderly.

Lee Han-jun, head of Guun-dong Community Service Center, said, "Even though it may not seem like much, whenever we buy necessary items for grandmothers and grandfathers, I feel sorry seeing their tears. I will make greater efforts so that more elderly can experience such joy."