By Grace Lee | Executive Director
KKOOM’s story began with a simple wish - to bring Christmas cheer to children at Samsungwon Children’s Home. This vision started with Aimee Jachym, Erika Senneseth, Leanne Stein, and other Fulbright Korea English Teachers who wanted to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in South Korea.
Since 2004, we have provided over 1,500 Christmas gifts to hundreds of children at six children’s homes in Seoul, Sejong, Gumi, Gimcheon, and Daegu.
What KKOOM is providing at the Christmas parties are traditions - memories of building gingerbread houses from scratch, pinning the nose on reindeer, taking a photo with Santa, or enjoying a Korean BBQ dinner with volunteers from the United States and South Korea.
These traditions help the children feel like they are a part of something bigger and help create a sense of belonging and community.
This December, we are providing gifts, meals, and hosting parties for 150 children at three children’s homes in South Korea. The first party, an annual talent show, will take place on December 21, 2024. The next Christmas party will take place on Christmas Eve, on December 24, 2024 at Samsungwon Children’s Home.
Due to inflation and wanting to increase the joy we provide Korean children, we increased the gift amount from $40 to $50. We have exponentially seen an increase in the number of gifts children now request with the larger budget we have for each individual gift. It’s now more common to see the children asking for two, even three items now.
Follow KKOOM on Facebook or Instagram to see all of our updates from the holiday season! Or you can visit www.kkoom.org and sign up for a monthly newsletter, which you can do at the bottom of the website.
May you continue to stay safe, healthy, and blessed this holiday season. Thank you for being a blessing to the children we serve and happy holidays!
With gratitude,
-Grace Lee
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