Community Meal Program

[Anchor Lead]

In the heart of rural Korea, there is a village where all of the residents gather together for meals during the busy farming months. This communal meal project is spreading to more and more communities every year.

[Pkg]

This rural village in Naju, Jeollanam-do Province is comprised of about 100 households. Around lunch time village residents begin to show up at the senior citizens' center, one after another. They all pitch in to set the tables and enjoy food prepared by members of the village women's association.

[Soundbite] Shin Bok-nam(79-year-old Resident) : "We talk, laugh, cook, and eat. We also drink coffee and have a good time."

It was back in 2007 when the city of Naju in Jeollanam-do Province became the first local government to launch a community lunch program during the busy farming season. To ease the burden of cooking meals individually, the local government started subsidizing the cost of labor and food ingredients needed for communal meals. Senior citizens who live alone are the key beneficiaries.

[Soundbite] Jeong Sam-sun(Head of Village Women's Association) : "At least 17 or 18 people come to eat, or up to about 25. We get an average of 20 people."

The number of subsidized villages continues to grow every year.

[Soundbite] Kim Seong-gi(Naju City Gov't Official) : "We assisted 14 villages at first. The response was so positive that we extended subsidies to 350 villages last year and 400 this year."

The community lunch program helps strengthen community ties by having farmers busy with farm work and other village residents come together to share lunch and engage in conversations.