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Busan Enhances Accessibility to Welfare Services as Busan Community Chest Delivers “Wheels of Hope” to Social Welfare Facilities

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the “Busan Community Chest Vehicle Support Program Donation Ceremony,” jointly hosted with the Busan Community Chest (hereinafter referred to as “the Community Chest”), will be held today (the 17th) at 11:00 a.m. in the gravel plaza in front of the Busan International Finance Center (BIFC).

Attending the ceremony will be the Director General of the City’s Social Welfare Bureau and Lee Soo-tae, Chair of the Community Chest, along with representatives of beneficiary organizations, including Kim Yo-seok, Head of the Busan Branch of the Single-Parent Family Facilities Association, and Kim Yang-hee, Director of the Dongnae Tteunteuni Community Child Center.

The ceremony will proceed in the following order: opening and project progress report, welcome remarks and congratulatory addresses, expressions of gratitude, vehicle handover, commemorative photo session, and a vehicle send-off parade.

At the ceremony, the Community Chest will deliver 28 vans, valued at KRW 11.4 billion, to 28 social welfare facilities selected through this year’s Busan Community Chest Vehicle Support Program.

In April, the Community Chest launched an open call for the vehicle support program as part of its planned initiatives, targeting social welfare institutions and facilities across Busan. A total of 142 organizations applied. Following preliminary screening, document review, on-site evaluations, and final deliberations, the Community Chest confirmed support for a total of 28 vehicles, comprising 16 standard vans and 12 child protection vehicles.

The vehicles delivered today were funded through general donations contributed by citizens. They are expected to enhance convenience for service users in the social welfare field and significantly improve access to welfare services.

Specifically, the vehicles will be used in a wide range of welfare programs: facilitating access to facilities for users with limited mobility, such as seniors and persons with disabilities attending day care centers; delivering warm meals and care services to vulnerable neighbors through welfare centers; and providing safe transportation for children commuting to and from community child centers. Through these uses, the vehicles are expected to contribute to improved service accessibility for vulnerable populations.

The Busan Community Chest Vehicle Support Program provides social welfare institutions across Busan with vehicles most urgently needed to enhance access to welfare services for vulnerable groups. In particular, the program focuses on establishing a practical foundation for service delivery by reflecting on-the-ground demand for mobility support in welfare facilities. In 2023, the Community Chest also implemented the program, supporting 21 institutions with 14 vans and 7 compact cars.

Meanwhile, Busan Metropolitan City is making multifaceted efforts to improve access to welfare services in the field. The City has secured 22 vehicles for its Hospital Companion Service, which supports single-person households experiencing care gaps and difficulties in hospital visits and mobility. Through this service, companion managers and vehicles provide end-to-end assistance—from departure to hospital registration, consultation, payment, pharmacy visits, and return home.

In addition, in partnership with the Community Chest, Busan became the first metropolitan government in Korea to establish a 100 percent fleet of dedicated vehicles (17 vehicles) for Emergency Safety and Security Services operated by 17 agencies serving elderly people living alone and persons with severe disabilities. This enables rapid response in emergency situations for households requiring constant protection.

Jeong Tae-gi, Director General of the City’s Social Welfare Bureau, stated, “The vehicles delivered today are both the ‘fruits of sharing’ made possible by the voluntary and noble contributions of our citizens and truly ‘wheels of hope.’ By bringing together the warmth of our citizens’ hearts, Busan Metropolitan City will continue to expand the culture of sharing and work to build a caring and inclusive community in Busan.”