Ahead of the traditional Chuseok holiday, local volunteer initiatives play an essential role in preserving cultural heritage while supporting senior citizens. On September 10, the Shincheonji Volunteer Group Dongdaemun branch organized a community outreach event at the Anamgol Byuksan Apartment Senior Center located in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. This effort was specifically arranged to help elderly residents relive fond holiday memories through the preparation of traditional foods while promoting emotional connection across different generations. By gathering community members around a shared task, the group aimed to provide both practical engagement and social companionship to local seniors during a holiday period that often emphasizes family togetherness.
Event Overview
Key Details of the Senior Outreach Activity
The event took place on September 10 at the senior center inside the Anamgol Byuksan Apartment complex in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Managed directly by the Shincheonji Volunteer Group Dongdaemun branch, the session was designed around Chuseok, one of the most important traditional holidays in Korea. The primary purpose was to afford elderly residents an opportunity to participate in hands-on holiday preparation, enabling them to share personal histories and enjoy collective festivities.
To ensure a seamless experience for all participants, members of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group handled every logistical detail prior to arrival. Volunteers prepared all necessary cooking ingredients alongside essential serving items, including plates and trays. This careful preparation allowed the seniors to participate immediately without any physical burden or setup effort, creating a welcoming atmosphere right inside their regular meeting space.
Main Activities
Making Songpyeon and Intergenerational Interaction
The central program of the day was the collaborative making of Songpyeon, the half-moon-shaped rice cakes traditionally prepared for Chuseok. Volunteers and elderly residents gathered in small groups around tables to shape the rice dough together. For many attending seniors, this activity served as a return to cultural practices they had not engaged in directly for many years.
Once the Songpyeon was crafted and cooked, the participants shared the finished food together. The shared task created a natural environment for conversation, allowing participants to exchange stories about past Chuseok celebrations. The interaction bridged age differences, as younger volunteers and elderly participants discussed family traditions, past memories, and the practical skills involved in preparing traditional holiday dishes.
Key Messages and Responses
Participant Reflections and Volunteer Feedback
The hands-on activity evoked meaningful reflections from the participating senior citizens. Lee Hae-yeon (pseudonym, 91, female, residing in Anam-dong) shared her thoughts while shaping the dough. She recalled her childhood days spent crafting Songpyeon with her family, noting that the activity brought back memories of her deceased parents. Although she initially worried that she would no longer know how to shape the rice cakes due to the passage of time, she expressed that the process came back naturally once she started.
Another resident, Song Mi-ja (pseudonym, 87, female, residing in Anam-dong), pointed out how holiday preparation has changed over time. She mentioned that because making Songpyeon at home can be inconvenient, she had grown accustomed to purchasing it ready-made in recent years. She expressed appreciation toward the Shincheonji Volunteer Group for bringing all the supplies—including plates and trays—and noted that making the food collectively helped recreate an authentic holiday environment.
The volunteers also derived value from the experience. A female volunteer in her 30s remarked that sharing warmth with the seniors reminded her of her own grandmother, adding that the interaction gave her energy and expressing a desire to participate in similar community efforts in the future.
Meaning of the Event
Sustaining Emotional Support and Senior Wellness
A representative from the Dongdaemun branch of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group stated that the event was planned to restore warm holiday memories for elderly community members while bringing different age groups closer together. Beyond holiday-specific programs, the representative highlighted that the group intends to continue developing tailored support initiatives for senior center residents. These upcoming activities will focus on light physical movement and emotional vitality designed to assist with dementia prevention based on the specific health characteristics of the elderly participants.
The Chuseok activity organized by the Shincheonji Volunteer Group Dongdaemun branch successfully integrated cultural heritage with community welfare. By preparing Songpyeon together, senior residents and local volunteers built meaningful connections and preserved traditional holiday customs.
Would you like to learn more about community outreach programs for senior welfare in local neighborhoods? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Local Community Senior Support Programs
Volunteer Activities by Shincheonji Volunteer Group
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