Gyeongbuk Nonghyup Delivers 500 Sets of Side Dishes to Vulnerable Residents and Wildfire Victims

Gyeongbuk Nonghyup, in collaboration with the Housewife Association's Gyeongbuk Provincial Federation, has delivered 500 sets of homemade side dishes to vulnerable individuals and wildfire victims in the Yeongdeok region. The initiative also included essential goods for those residing in temporary housing after last year's devastating wildfires.

The "Chanchanchhan" side dish sharing event took place on July 10 at the Bukyeongdeok Nonghyup agricultural product collection center. The event saw participation from over 100 volunteers, including Gyeongbuk Nonghyup branch head Kim Ju-won, local agricultural cooperative heads, and national and provincial leaders of the Housewife Association. Local government officials and representatives also joined the volunteer efforts.

Participants prepared three types of side dishes – water kimchi, stir-fried squid, and seasoned garlic stems – which were then packaged and delivered to approximately 500 households. Recipients included elderly individuals living alone and other vulnerable groups in the Yeongdeok area. The support extended to residents in temporary housing who lost their homes in a major wildfire last year.

This event was organized following the Housewife Association's selection as a "Rural Elder Life Protection Center" by the government's Inter-ministerial Task Force for Life Protection, as part of a broader suicide prevention strategy targeting seven key demographics. Gyeongbuk Nonghyup highlighted the organization's unique position, working closely with rural residents, to identify vulnerable individuals like the elderly living alone and to foster a culture of life respect within rural communities.

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The helping hands of the Housewife Association members are a great force that brightens rural communities and society. We will expand our social contribution activities that coexist with the local community.

The name "Chanchanchhan" is a play on words, combining "chan" (full), "chan" (side dish), and "chan" (to help). It represents the social contribution project of delivering homemade side dishes prepared by Housewife Association members to the elderly and marginalized in rural areas.

"The helping hands of the Housewife Association members are a great force that brightens rural communities and society," said Kim Ju-won, Gyeongbuk Nonghyup branch head. "We will expand our social contribution activities that coexist with the local community." Kim Myung-ran, head of the Housewife Association's Gyeongbuk Provincial Federation, expressed hope that the prepared side dishes would offer some comfort to the elderly and wildfire victims during the hot summer months.

The Hope Dream Volunteer Group, supported by Gyeongbuk Nonghyup, is actively involved in community-focused social contribution activities. These include assisting with farm labor during peak seasons, supporting disaster recovery efforts, sharing homemade meals, and collecting agricultural waste.

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We hope that the side dishes prepared with sincerity will be of some help to the rural elderly and wildfire victims in getting through the hot summer.