Hwan-gyu Kim, head of Sadeung township, Geoje city, South Gyeongsang province, repeatedly expressed his gratitude to the volunteers after seeing the new murals that once again brought vitality to Cheonggok Village.

The Geoje branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group carried out mural painting volunteer work in Cheonggok Village with about 160 volunteers for 50 days from June 16th to August 4th.

Cheonggok Village had previously painted murals to change the atmosphere of the village, but as time passed, many of the murals painted at that time had worn out. Additionally, the area around the fishing village was not organised, so the overall village had a dirty and dark atmosphere. After hearing this news, Shincheonji Volunteer Group communicated frequently with the village head, promised to volunteer for mural painting, and began volunteering in earnest in mid-June.

The Geoje branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group painted the existing mural white again and renovated it under the theme of ‘Hometown Family Memories.’ The painting depicts the sea and sky, representative of the time when families were united, and contains a touching message that this place where their parents are is their hometown.

The head of Cheonggok Village said, “The elderly residents spoke of how good it is to feel nostalgia for their hometown,” and added, “Every time I go to the government office, I actively promote the activities of Shincheonji Volunteer Group, who did a great job finishing the work in this hot weather.” “Thank you so much for volunteering for the murals,” he said.

One village resident said, “It was really great to see them volunteering hard in this hot weather,” and another resident expressing their gratitude said, “Because of these murals, the roads to and from the village have become brighter and the neighbourhood has become brighter than before.”

A volunteer who participated in the activity said, “Every time I added a stroke of the brush, pretty flowers in red, pink, and yellow were drawn, and it was so beautiful that I felt like I was the main character in a magical fairy tale.” The volunteer added, “As the painting was completed, the residents also seemed to be happy. It was a most rewarding volunteer service.”

An official from Shincheonji Volunteer Group said, “We would like to express our gratitude to the volunteers who worked hard despite the scorching heat and to the village residents who provided cool water and snacks every time the volunteers went out,” and emphasised, “We will continue to actively engage in activities to become a volunteer group that contributes to the development of the local community.”