As the life expectancy of humans continue to steadily increase, we witness an epidemic of seniors living in poverty. It is an unfortunate situation, one that affects millions across the world in every single country. Seniors living with little means must make do with the small stipend granted to them by the government or family, and they often find themselves seeking assistance from organizations and programs that offer basics and additional resources to seniors and their caregivers. They are vulnerable to isolation, depression, and suicide, as well as a host of other physical, emotional, and mental challenges.
In Macheon-dong, a neighborhood of Seoul, Korea, there is a senior community center that provides meals and fellowship to dozens of seniors every single day. They come from nearing villages, by bus or on foot, where they can get a hot, freshly prepared, healthy meal from the kitchen and spend time with other seniors. For our Team Korea Volunteer Month Activity, Rimini Street colleagues had the pleasure of serving meals and connecting with the many elderly who gathered on a Friday morning for their daily lunch. The warmth of their smiles, the genuine gratitude, and their kind words filled our hearts to the brim. We are grateful to the volunteers of Macheon Senior Community Center for the opportunity to spend time with their wonderful members and to be a part of a massive operation that provide much hope and love to people in need.