Warm Shelter Opens Doors to Homeless
(Published December 14, 2011)

–Homeless shelter ‘Kkumteo’ opens next to Suwon Station Maesan Office
–Houses 30 homeless, free access at night 365 days/year

– Gyeonggi Province, Suwon City, and the Recovery Support Center held an opening ceremony for Kkumteo, a temporary shelter for the homeless next to the Maesan Office south of Suwon Station, on December 14^th. Kkumteo has an area of 211 square meter (64 py) and can accommodate 30 homeless people. Participants at the opening ceremony pose for a commemorative photo. (G-News Plus Heo Seon-ryang)

There’s now a sanctuary for the homeless at Suwon Station.

On the morning of December 14^th, Gyeonggi Province, Suwon City, and the Recovery Support Center held an opening ceremony for Kkumteo, a temporary shelter for the homeless next to Maesan Office to the south of Suwon Station.

With an area of 211 square meter (64py), Kkumteo can accommodate up to 30 homeless people. The shelter is equipped with a protection room, women’s protection room, lounge, medical room, bathroom, shower/washer room, and kitchen.

Homeless people who avoid entering official facilities such as homeless rest areas can freely use the shelter at night anytime. An emergency room is also open to any citizen in crisis who experiences difficulty finding lodging.

Mr. Seong, a homeless man who participated in the opening ceremony of Kkumteo, said, “It’s great that a rest area has been opened right next to Suwon Station. It’s good news for those of us who have nowhere to go at night during the cold winter.”

Another homeless person, Mr. Won, said, “I entered one facility before and lived under an empty bottle collection team, but people there were very unkind, telling me I smelt. So I left after one month.” He continued, “Kkumteo looks different. I stayed there for a few days after the facility opened, before the ceremony. Everyone is kind there.”

– On this day, personnel of the provincial Health and Welfare Bureau donated KRW 1 million, which they were awarded for their exceptional Moohan Dolbom Scholar Club activities in the 2011 Gyeonggi Province Scholar Club Activity Achievement Competition. (G-News Plus Heo Seon-ryang)

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo ordered the establishment of Kkumteo after learning about the plight of local homeless people during a visit to Suwon Station last February. The governor’s policy execution fund covered the entire KRW 200 million used to set up Kkumteo, which will be run by the Anglican Church of Korea and the Recovery Support Center with the support of Suwon City.

The province and Suwon City will provide comprehensive life support including lodging, bathing, and laundry services to homeless people in need of emergency protection through Kkumteo. They also plan to focus on establishing an environment for independent living by supporting medical assistance, introducing a rest area, and providing instruction on independent life solutions.

In addition, the province and city decided to implement a systematic recovery project including emergency relief to help the homeless return to the community.

At the opening ceremony, Governor Kim Moon-soo said, “There are many organizations offering food, but there are few warm places where homeless can rest. We set up the resting place at Suwon Station to ensure ease of accessibility. Kkumteo will be a warm, cozy shelter for the homeless.”

Around 50 people participated in the opening ceremony including Governor Kim, Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young, Suwon Recovery Support Center President Father Kim Dae-sul, the director of Suwon Station, a representative of the Aekyung station building, and support personnel for the homeless.

The participants celebrated the opening of Kkumteo by lighting a sign to symbolize hope, love, sharing, and independence. They also personally wrote messages of hope and hung them on the tree to boost the morale of homeless people, while Mr. Kim, a representative of the homeless, delivered a letter of appreciation to Governor Kim.

Staff members of the provincial Health and Welfare Bureau donated KRW 1 million, which they had received as an award for their exceptional activities with the Moohan Dolbom Scholar Club in the 2011 Gyeonggi Province Scholar Club Activity Achievement Competition.

After the opening ceremony, the participants including Governor Kim and Mayor Yeom distributed warm food to the homeless.
– Governor Kim distributes food to the homeless people after the opening of Kkumteo. (G-News Plus Heo Seon-Ryang)

– G-News Plus News | Noh Sun-ik rohsoon45@naver.com

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