PROVIDING FOOD FOR THOSE IN NEEDS

[Anchor Lead]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been dragging for more than a year, but it is not easy for financially strapped people to receive timely assistance. The Gyeonggi-do provincial government has started a pilot project that provides food to residents with no strings attached in order to help them have proper meals.

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​This lady had to quit her job at a restaurant four months ago when customers dwindled.

[Soundbite] (GYEONGGI-DO RESIDENT) : "I could find work anywhere if not for COVID-19. Nobody’s hiring these days."

Due to financial difficulties, even buying food can be challenging. That's why she comes here.

[Soundbite] "I can have these for a main meal and these for side dishes."

No special requirement for using this free food corner in a food bank. It was set up to provide food to financially vulnerable households. The government allowed easy access to the service by eliminating complex eligibility process. The objective is to prevent people from taking their own lives or committing crime out of hunger. People are allowed to take instant food, household necessities and masks. For now, only one visit is allowed per person. Because of limited budget and sponsorship, people cannot visit the corner repeatedly and its operating hours are still short. It's hard to prevent people from taking advantage of the service, but the Gyeonggi-do government decided to assist everyone regardless.

[Soundbite] LEE JAE-MYUNG(GOVERNOR, GYEONGGI-DO PROV.) : "If we do ID and asset checks to weed out those people, there will be some residents who wouldn’t come here."

The service will have test-runs in three cities – Gwangmyeong, Seongnam, and Pyeongtaek, before expanding to 31 cities and counties.