Second winter in temporary housing ... Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association supports Yeongyang wildfire victims

[Financial News] Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association is stepping in to help residents of Yeongyang County, North Gyeongsang Province, prepare for their second winter since the wildfire.
Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association said on the 2nd that it had held the third session of “Hope Ieum” in Yeongyang County on the 31st of last month to help residents affected by the disaster return to their daily lives.
It has been 1 year and 7 months since a wildfire broke out in Yeongyang County last year, but some residents are still living in temporary housing. Most of the residents are older adults. In June, North Gyeongsang Province said that the period of use for temporary modular homes in four cities and counties, including Yeongyang County, had been extended through the first half of next year.
Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association visited 83 households, including those living in temporary housing and those who had returned to their homes, to check on residents and deliver winter relief packages. Based on on-site surveys of their needs, the packages included rice, easy-to-prepare foods, microfiber blankets and loess heat packs.
At Hwamae Regional Center, a psychological support program was run with the Yeongyang County Mental Health Welfare Center to help residents recover emotionally. Residents decorated a “Tree of Hope” with their wishes and took part in activities such as making Christmas wreaths and stringing mixed-grain gulbi.
In the afternoon, “Jeongseo Maeumkkun,” a group comprising psychologist Professor Jin-seok and four traditional Korean musicians, presented “Path to Healing,” a concert for emotional healing. Accompanied by performances on the piri, taepyeongso, haegeum and gayageum, the concert addressed loss and mourning, as well as restoring relationships.
A resident who took part said, “I tried hard to put it behind me because it was all in the past, but pain and anxiety still lingered in a corner of my heart,” adding, “Thanks to Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association not forgetting us throughout this year, continuing to visit, ask how we were and stay by our side, I feel much more at ease.”
In July, Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association provided supplies to help residents cope with the heat wave and made repairs to the homes of vulnerable households. In September, it delivered holiday food packages and offered medical and psychological counseling. In early December, volunteers are scheduled to dress as Santa Claus, visit disaster-affected families and deliver year-end relief packages.
Shin Hoon, secretary-general of Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association, said, “Emergency response at a disaster site is only the beginning. The wounds suffered by people affected by disasters, and their recovery, take a long time,” adding, “Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association will not stop at one-off assistance; it will keep the thread of recovery unbroken so that people can return to life as it was before the disaster.”
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter