We met Ms. Hong Hyun-sook (82, Sangok-dong), who received the Volunteer Service Award at the 20th Incheon Social Welfare Awards ceremony held on October 30, 2025. Her accumulated volunteer hours total 20,275 hours, a record created by over 40 years of continuous service.

# Reporter Kim Hye-sook

Ms. Hong Hyun-sook has already received volunteer service awards multiple times. She received the Prime Minister's Award twice in 2013 and 2021. After receiving the Volunteer Service Award last October; her exceptional volunteer history became known and was featured in various media outlets. Me Hong smiled brightly, saying,"I didn't even know what it was about and just went because they told me to come, and they gave me an award. I volunteered simply because it was enjoyable and made me happier" His sincerity about volunteering comes through in his calm manner of speaking. In 2017, he had to take a year off from volunteering while undergoing a 14-hour major surgery and chemotherapy for a malignant tumor Although he has not yet received a complete recovery diagnosis, he said,"The harder my body feels, the more I feel I need to move," adding,"Meeting people makes me happy and energized, so I cannot stop volunteering."

Her volunteer activities have been diverse. Representative examples indude sharing side dishes with elderly people living alone, volunteer work at the Miracle Library, and sharing hand-knitted winter hats for the elderly She has knitted about 700 hats herself. In addition, she has steadily continued volunteer work for the local community, including park cleanup activi社es and serving as a neighborhood leader.

Recently, she has been serving as the president of the apartment senior center for seven years, collecting used clothes to share with neighbors, and using the proceeds to make sock yarn crafts to share again, continuing volunteer work that utilizes her handicraft skills.

Her volunteer work at the Miracle Library began when the library first opened. The 'Ureongaksi' (Helpful Maiden) volunteer service, which received book loan number 1, continues to this day.

Ms. Park Hyung-sook (78, Sangok-dong), a neighbor at the senior center; said," She has a truly generous heart and embraces everything," adding," Her lifelong volunteer work is so remarkable that it's impossible to follow."

Ms. Hong said," My husband's support has been there in all volunteer work, from cultivating the garden to sharing," adding,"I'm grateful and reassured by my husband who has always been with me. I want to stay healthy and volunteer for a longer time."

Ms. Hong Hyun-sook's volunteer work shines not because of her award history, but as a gem-like story that shines even more through the life itself of embracing neighbors with love over many years.