Gokseong County Exceeds Fundraising Target for 'Village Laundry Project'
"It’s said that a place to wash blankets will be established in our village. I can't express how grateful I am. Thank you very much for creating the blanket laundry in our village. Thanks to all of you, I can live comfortably until my time comes. I'm really thankful."
"It’s said that a place to wash blankets will be established in our village. I can't express how grateful I am. Thank you very much for creating the blanket laundry in our village. Thanks to all of you, I can live comfortably until my time comes. I'm really thankful."
"It’s said that a place to wash blankets will be established in our village. I can't express how grateful I am. Thank you very much for creating the blanket laundry in our village. Thanks to all of you, I can live comfortably until my time comes. I'm really thankful."
On the 15th, Gokseong County announced that it has exceeded its fundraising target for the 'Village Laundry Project for Elderly Care', which is its third designated donation project utilizing the hometown love donation program.
According to the county, a total of 188.6 million won has been raised for this project, which will be used to install village laundry facilities in two areas with high aging rates.
Classified as a region facing a population extinction crisis, Gokseong County began fundraising for the village laundry project on July 25 last year to address the inconveniences faced by elderly residents due to aging and to foster social empathy.
In particular, this project is the third designated donation initiative following "Please Gift Pediatrics to Gokseong" Season 1 (Visiting Medical Service) and Season 2 (Resident Physician Consultation).
Gokseong County chose a unique method of gaining the empathy of urban youth for the project by having a grandmother residing in Gokseong write hand-written letters that encouraged donations.
The grandmother sent heartfelt thank-you letters written by hand to the donors, sharing her life stories and sincere feelings.
The grandmother's hand-written letters became a sensation on social media, moving the hearts of many.
One donor commented, "I was only planning to donate money, but why are you making me cry too? Grandma, please stay healthy. And use the laundry facility ten, a hundred, a thousand times!"
Another donor expressed, "The emotional impact of the grandmother's hand-written letter is greater than the benefits I receive from year-end tax adjustment."
Thanks to this sincere communication method, donations from urban youth and former residents continued to pour in, resulting in the project exceeding its fundraising target just nine months after the campaign began.
Gokseong County Mayor Jo Sang-rae expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the over 1,500 donors who participated in the village laundry project, stating, "I will deeply engrave the sincerity of support for Gokseong in my heart, and I will promptly push forward with the project so that the elderly in the region can comfortably sleep under clean blankets."
Meanwhile, Gokseong County is continuing to raise funds for various donation projects aimed at solving local issues, including "Please Gift Pediatrics to Gokseong – Season 2" and "Support Project for Animal Protection Center" through the hometown love donation program, WigiB, and four other banks.
These designated donation projects are attracting attention as a new model to address the challenges faced by small local cities suffering from population decline and aging.
Image source: Provided by Gokseong County Office, reference photos for understanding the article / Photo = Insight, Gokseong County Mayor Jo Sang-rae / Photo provided by Gokseong County Office
