Shincheonji Volunteer Gwangmyeong Branch Leads Flood Prevention Cleanup Ahead of Rainy Season

 "No More Flood Nightmares" — Shincheonji Volunteer Clears the Way for a Safer Summer

Before the rainy season hits, someone has to do the unglamorous work. And more often than not, it's volunteers who show up first.

Earlier this month, around 30 members of the Shincheonji Volunteer Gwangmyeong Branch headed out to the area around Haan Intersection in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, for a hands-on flood prevention cleanup. Armed with tools and a clear sense of purpose, they spent the morning inspecting and clearing out the city's storm drains — pulling out fallen leaves, cigarette butts, plastic bags, and accumulated sediment that had quietly been building up over time. When the day was done, they had collected roughly 300 liters of waste from the drainage inlets alone.

It might not sound glamorous, but clogged drains are one of the leading causes of urban flooding. A sudden downpour — the kind that hits without warning in the middle of summer — can turn a blocked drain into a disaster within minutes. That's exactly why the team didn't just clean; they also ran an awareness campaign on-site, talking with passersby about why proactive drain maintenance matters and what residents can do to help.

What makes this effort especially meaningful is where it came from.

Back in August 2022, when heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in Gwangmyeong, the Shincheonji Volunteer Gwangmyeong Branch responded to a call from the local volunteer center and joined the recovery effort at Haan Welfare Center. The volunteers who were there that day saw firsthand what floodwater can do to a neighborhood — and they didn't forget. This year's cleanup grew directly out of that experience: a group of people who witnessed the damage deciding they'd rather prevent it than clean it up again.

One volunteer, Noh Gyeong-hak (61, Gwangmyeong-dong), put it simply: "When I heard about how much residents had suffered from the flooding, I felt a weight on my heart — and I knew I had to be here. Seeing the drains go from completely blocked to clean, I thought, 'Now even if it rains, people will be safe.' That feeling made everything worth it."

The branch coordinator echoed that sentiment: "Having gone through flood recovery firsthand, we felt a real responsibility to act before summer arrived. We want to keep being an organization that genuinely improves life in this community."

This kind of work is part of a broader pattern for the Gwangmyeong Branch. Their ongoing programs include "Nature, Stay Green" (자연아 푸르자), an environmental conservation campaign focused on protecting the local urban ecosystem, and "A Hundred Years of Wellness" (백세만세), a community initiative supporting the health and wellbeing of elderly residents. Across all of it, the throughline is the same: showing up consistently, doing the work that doesn't always make headlines, and being a team that the neighborhood can actually rely on.

Summer is coming. The drains are clear. And when the rain does fall, at least one neighborhood in Gwangmyeong will be a little better prepared — thanks to the people who showed up before anyone else thought to.

📰 Source

"침수 악몽 되풀이 없게"…신천지자원봉사단 광명지부, 배수로 정비 나서, 부천타임즈, 2026.04.17 

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