'Homeless People's Hope Ground', Suwon Fresh Start Homeless Comprehensive Support Center Celebrates 20th Anniversary

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] The 20th anniversary commemoration ceremony for the Suwon Fresh Start Homeless Comprehensive Support Center was held on the 17th at Suwon Station Plaza. A completion ceremony for the remodeled homeless temporary shelter (Dream House) was also held.

The Suwon Fresh Start Homeless Comprehensive Support Center opened on August 1, 2005, under the name 'Suwon Fresh Start Counseling Center,' and changed its name to 'Suwon Fresh Start Homeless Comprehensive Support Center' in 2012. It is operated under trust by the Korean Anglican Church Foundation for Preservation.

The center provides counseling and medical support, housing assistance, job placement support, homeless self-sufficiency projects, temporary shelter, and free meals to homeless people, protecting them and helping them achieve self-reliance. As of September this year, approximately 6,000 homeless people have used the facility, and approximately 7,800 people have received support such as counseling.

The 'Dream House,' a homeless temporary shelter at Suwon Station, opened in June 2011. With a size of 211 square meters on one floor, it provides temporary accommodations for homeless people and guides them to free meals, functioning as a temporary shelter. The remodeling work, which replaced walls, floors, and tiles, has made the facility much more pleasant.

The commemoration ceremony was attended by Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun, Seoul Diocese Archbishop Kim Jang-hwan of the Korean Anglican Church, Lee Hee-seung, Chairman of the Suwon City Council Health and Welfare Committee and city council members, Lee Jun-mo, President of the National Homeless Facilities Association, center users, and sponsors.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun said, "I am grateful to all those who have extended their hands to homeless people and cared for them like family despite difficulties," and added, "Suwon City will also make more efforts so homeless people can stand up again."