Every Friday at 12 a.m., you can easily see elderly people flocking to the restaurant in front of Exit 5 of Horse Racing Park Station on Subway Line 4. This is because Pastor Oh Sang-sik, chairman of the Disabled Culture and Arts Council, and Light and Love Community Sharing a Table of Love, provide a free lunch. The event promotes the health of seniors, helps them remain independent in their homes, and enables them to live as active members of their communities. 

Be genuine from the heart, not what you show someone

The Disabled Culture and Arts Council is an organization that is truly doing service in an age where we habitually talk about welfare, and at the center of it all is Pastor Sang-sik Oh. Oh’s slogan is “Care & Share,” which means that he actively engages in practices that can be felt by looking at and talking to the friend next to him. His focus is on how to protect and share with the elderly in Korea, a country with an ultra-elderly population. He runs a happy rice car with ‘light and love’. “We were taught from a young age that we should protect the weak and give to the needy, but we are still in the early stages of practicing it. I started this business to help my neighbors in need” says Oh. He has been active as a believer for over 30 years, healing the mind and body of marginalized and neglected people with disabilities through prayer and praise. He played in a band in the 8th U.S. Army from the 1970s to the early 1980s, and then performed as a singer on stage in theater shows under the stage name Hwani Boy. He suffered from Buerger’s disease in 1987, and after 10 surgeries, he is now a grade 1 physically disabled person without both hands and legs. Nevertheless, he is respected by many people for his unwavering faith, generosity, and just ideas for the nation. In line with these brilliant moves by The Disabled Culture and Arts Council, many businesspeople are also providing their support. In particular, Yoo Chun-bong, president of the Citizens’ Solidarity for Defense of Freedom, is providing meaningful help by participating in the rice sharing event. There’s a saying that service is not something you do for anyone, but something you do for yourself. This is what people who dream of success but are awkward at sharing should listen to.

Unhwan Park, Director of The Disabled Culture and Arts Council, who helped write this article, says ““There are many people who participate in volunteer work that comes from the heart and empathizes with the feelings of neighbors in need, rather than volunteering to be seen by others. The small sincerity of those who read this will soon become a spark of hope for underprivileged neighbors. Anyone who would like to participate in the meaningful rice sharing event held every Friday is always welcome.”