The Noble Sharing of a Grandmother Collecting Scrap Paper
An 89-year-old grandmother has donated a significant scholarship for students in her hometown using the money she collected from her lifelong practice of gathering scrap paper and cans.
On the 8th, Jeongeup City in North Jeolla Province announced that Grandma Park Soon-deok, originally from Chilbo-myeon, has contributed 40 million won in scholarships to foster talent.
This donation was made to share the joy of receiving an award from the Governor of North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province at the "Hope 2025 Campaign Award Ceremony" last month with her hometown.
Born in Sucheong-ri, Grandma Park has already donated 196.5 million won to Chilbo-myeon since 2021. With this latest donation, the total amount contributed for the development of her hometown reaches 236.5 million won.
Total amount: 236.5 million won
Practicing Educational Sharing with Her Lifetime Savings
Although Grandma Park left her hometown at the age of 19, she reflects on her own experience of not receiving a proper education due to her family's financial difficulties as a lifelong regret.
This personal experience led her to wish to help students in her hometown who might have to give up their education due to economic reasons. For decades, she has endured hard work collecting scrap paper and cans to prepare scholarships.
"Jeongeup, where I was born and raised, is always in my heart," she shared. "I wanted to donate this to encourage my younger hometown fellows so they don't lose their dreams."
In response, Mayor Lee Hak-soo of Jeongeup expressed deep gratitude to Grandma Park for her heartfelt donation, saying, "This scholarship will be a solid foundation for local youth to expand their dreams."
Grandma Park's story goes beyond mere donation; it is an inspiring example that highlights the importance of education, love for one's hometown, and the value of sharing, making a significant impact on cultivating talent in the local community and promoting a culture of scholarship donations.
Image source: Grandma Park Soon-deok / photo provided by Jeongeup City, reference material for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank
