Shincheonji Volunteer Group Seoul Eastern Branch (Manager Young-joo Yoo) held the '9th Visiting Health Doctor' programme with the Seoul Association of Persons with Disabilities at Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon on the 25th March.

The 'Visiting Health Doctor' programme, which marks its 9th year this year, provides free medical services to foreign workers, who are often caught in the medical 'blind spot', the elderly living alone, and the underprivileged. This particular programme was conducted with the 'Five Senses Tour' project, which is purposed to remove the societal barriers between people with disabilities and people without and establishes a support structure for increased communication, understanding and the overcoming of physical and mental barriers.

In order to help people with disabilities find an escape from the grind of everyday life, various activities were prepared and conducted, including taekwondo breaking, dalgona (drawings), coffee making, journalling, walks around the lake, and a tour of the zoo at Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon. In particular this year, a professional Taekwondoin provided coaching to the beneficiaries to help them overcome their physical limitations.

Thirteen people with disabilities who participated in the programme were delighted with the experience and said, “It felt very special just to get out of my residence for the first time in a long while, visit the zoo and take a walk.”

Soon-gi Cheon (Nowon district), who participated in the event, said, “It was nice to be back at the zoo after 15 years. It's a pity that it's only now that such a programme exists,” and added, “The drawing and coffee-making activities were memorable.”

Seung-gi Park (Nowon district) expressed his gratitude to the volunteers, saying, “It was worth participating because the people who came with us were also comfortable and glad to be there.”

Volunteer Young-seok Kim (pseudonym, male) said, “I am grateful to be able to serve in a meaningful way,” and expressed his feelings, “Seeing the beneficiaries and our members become one through an experience of the five senses and the sports programme was memorable.”

Volunteer Shi-yeon Bang (pseudonym, female) expressed her desire to continue to make time for regular communication, saying, “It was rewarding to hear from the participants that it was so nice to be properly outside after a long time.”

Meanwhile, Shincheonji Volunteer Group Seoul East Branch continues to conduct various activities for society, including the 'Wall Story' programme for the rejuvenation of dilapidated murals, 'Beautiful Seniors!' programme to provide cultural activities for seniors' overall wellbeing, 'Green Nature' programme for environmental protection, 'More the Better' programme for the promotion of emotional wellbeing through the sharing of companion plants, and a COVID-19 sanitisation service.