Church members in Korea help 2 children’s centers with food, building upgrades

In two cities in Korea this year, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have worked to help strengthen children in their communities through helping to provide healthy food and improving physical buildings.

Food on the table in Naju

The Ihwa Young Children’s Home, in Naju, Korea, is a place where children stay when their families are not able to provide for them. According to the Korea Newsroom, the Church members in the city of Naju consistently support the Ihwa Center over the years by delivering gifts at Christmas, improving the center’s facilities with fences and donating essentials like food and soap.

The Church’s welfare department representatives in Korea and the Ihwa Center leaders signed an agreement in February for food to be delivered year-round, reported the Church’s Korea Newsroom.

“I am very happy and glad that this support will be of great help to the children’s growth,” said Ki Se-soon, Ihwa Young Children’s Home Center director. “I would also be grateful if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would pray for the healthy growth and bright future of the children.”

Roof over their heads in Gwangju

Geon-guk Community Children’s Center is a day center for children whose parents work. While their parents work, the center provides a variety of educational opportunities for the children and meals during the work day.

Members of the Gwangju Korea Stake worked with the center to install a heating and cooling system at the center from December 2024 to January 2025. While working on the building, the involved members shared their joy of sharing their blessings, according to the Korea Newsroom.

Kim Hyeon-yeong, director of the Geon-guk Regional Children’s Center, said, “I am deeply grateful for the support of this environmental improvement project, which has created a more pleasant and comfortable environment for children to use the center.”

Both of these were not one-off activities. The local members have built relationships with the centers’ leaders as they have served.

When Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson discussed the results of service projects around the world in 2024, she expressed deep appreciation for those who worked to improve the well-being of women and children. She said, “When we invest in our children, we invest in the future.”