Korean Saints celebrate 40 years of volunteering for the elderly community

In 2007, Sister Kim Do-young, who had been called as the Relief Society president of the Suwon Stake, visited Suwon City Hall with fellow Relief Society leaders Sister Kim Won-kyung (currently of Gokbanjeong Ward) and Sister Choi Mi-kyung (currently residing in the United States) to find volunteer opportunities. Most organizations were already working with other groups, leaving only one option: assisting elderly residents with bathing at the Cheongsol Welfare Center. The three sisters gladly accepted the work.

Sister Kim Do-young recalled, “We were young then and served with great joy and dedication. As we scrubbed the backs of the elderly amid the steamy baths, I thought, ‘These people are like our mothers and our future selves.’ Each time the grandmothers smiled brightly after the service, I felt happiness and deeply understood the gospel principle that as we give, we also receive.”

The tradition of service in the Gyeonggi Stake dates back about 40 years, to the 1980s in Yeonmu-dong, Suwon. At that time, sisters Han In-ja, Jeong In-ja, Ahn Soon-an, and Kim Young-ae from the Sinpung and Yuljeon Wards of the Suwon Stake visited local welfare centers to assist with meals for the elderly. Under the guidance of nutritionists, they prepared food, washed dishes in cold water, and served the elderly with love for about five years.

The volunteer work that restarted at the Cheongsol Welfare Center in 2007 has continued steadily, even after the Suwon and Yeongdong Stakes merged into the Gyeonggi Stake. Currently, on the second Tuesday of every month, eight members from two wards visit the center to serve lunch to the elderly. The program has grown to include not only Relief Society members but also their families and friends who are not church members, expanding the circle of service.

Sister Park Eun-mi of Suji Ward in the Gyeonggi Stake has participated in this service for nine years and now continues the work alongside her husband and a couple of friends. She said, “Seeing the elderly say ‘thank you’ while receiving their meals makes you forget the summer heat. The lunch we share after cleaning and washing dishes tastes better than any other. The faces of the elderly remind me of my late mother, and I am grateful to be able to serve in good health.”

Through her service, Sister Park testified, “Service is the path to becoming like the Lord. Learning the Lord’s attributes is living the gospel, and serving others is the surest way to express love.” She described the Cheongsol Welfare Center as a place where Jesus Christ’s words are practiced: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Citing Elder Marion G. Romney, she added, “Service is the foundation for living a kingdom-centered life. Through service, we learn the Lord’s character and experience a foretaste of heaven on earth.”

The continuity of this volunteer work over the past 40 years has been possible because of the dedication and prayers of countless brothers and sisters. What began as the efforts of a few hands continues monthly, bringing warm changes to the local community.

The history of this service is more than simple volunteer work. It is a story of loving God and neighbors, a journey of faith in which the sisters become the Lord’s hands and feet, bringing light to the world. This legacy of service will continue to set an example for new generations of church members and serve as a channel for sharing Christ’s love with more neighbors in the future.