The event, held Wednesday at Boramae Park, brings together care recipients and volunteer neighbors to share welfare policies and deepen community bonds
Dongjak-gu announced it will hold the "Donghang Network Workshop" to strengthen community care systems and neighborhood bonds.
The Donghang Network is a community-based care program that pairs vulnerable or at-risk households — those at risk of falling through gaps in care — with volunteer neighbors who assist with daily needs such as welfare checks, household chores and companionship. The program designates care recipients as "gyeoryeonin" and volunteer neighbors as "donghaengin," connecting them one-on-one. A total of 1,602 volunteers are currently active.
Organized by the Dongjak Welfare Foundation, the event runs Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Boramae Park, with about 180 participants, including both volunteers and care recipients.
Participants will gather at the Seoul Boramae Youth Center to share information on Dongjak-gu's welfare policies and hold a roundtable discussion. They will then join instructor Lee Mi-kyung — a communication specialist and representative of Haengbok Noriteo — for health exercises and cooperative activities designed to foster interaction.
In the afternoon, participants are scheduled to stroll through Boramae Park and enjoy an autumn outing.
Through the Donghang Network, the district supports a range of activities to facilitate communication among participants and strengthen community-centered care, including one-on-one household assistance, banchan sharing, group cinema outings and neighborhood excursions.
In November, the district plans to hold a capacity-building training session for volunteer neighbors to enhance their caregiving skills and improve the program's overall quality.
In September, the district reorganized its administrative structure to coincide with the launch of the ninth directly elected administration, establishing a new integrated care division. It is also advancing a comprehensive care initiative that links health care, wellness management, long-term care, daily living support and residential services — enabling residents to receive care and maintain independent lives in their own familiar communities rather than in hospitals or institutions.
"This workshop is a place for volunteers and care recipients to share the experiences they have built together and deepen their understanding of one another," Dongjak-gu District Mayor Ryu Sam-young said. "We will consistently support activities that look after neighbors' daily lives and provide the help they need through a tightly woven community care system."
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