Mud, Sweat, and Solidarity: Shincheonji Volunteers Help Asan Recover After Devastating Floods

 Mud, Sweat, and Solidarity: Shincheonji Volunteers Help Asan Recover After Devastating Floods

When heavy rain doesn't stop for three days straight, the damage it leaves behind isn't something a family can clean up alone. That was the reality facing residents of Yeongin-myeon, in Asan City, South Chungcheong Province, after torrential rainfall from July 20 through the early hours of July 22 left homes and roads underwater. Furniture soaked through, appliances ruined, streets turned into rivers of mud.

Into that mess stepped the Asan branch of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group, led by branch head Cho Seong-guk, with a simple goal: help these families get their lives back on track as quickly as possible.

Showing Up When It Matters Most

On July 22, just as the floodwaters were beginning to recede, 22 volunteers arrived at the hardest-hit sites in Yeongin-myeon. They worked directly with 17 residents whose homes had taken on water, focusing on the unglamorous but essential work of disaster recovery: clearing out ruined belongings, hauling away flood-damaged appliances and household items, and sorting through debris.

By the end of the day, the volunteers had collected roughly 2,250 liters of waste — a number that says a lot about just how much a flooded home leaves behind, and how much labor it takes to clear it away.

More Than Just the Inside of a House

The volunteers didn't stop at cleaning out flooded interiors. They also worked on the surrounding areas around each home, helping restore not just individual houses but the broader living environment residents would need to feel safe returning to their normal routines. It's a detail that reflects an understanding that recovery isn't just about a single room — it's about a whole neighborhood being livable again.

Working Through the Heat

None of this happened in comfortable conditions. Summer heat in Chungcheong Province in late July is no joke, and volunteers spent the day moving waterlogged furniture and debris under a hot sun. A representative from the Asan branch explained that the volunteers came together with one shared hope: that their effort could offer even a small measure of relief to residents facing unexpected hardship. The representative added that the group intends to keep showing up at disaster sites going forward, standing alongside neighbors who need help and supporting faster recovery for affected communities.

Part of an Ongoing Commitment

This wasn't a one-off gesture. The Asan branch of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group regularly takes part in a range of community service activities — environmental cleanups, blood donation drives, support for vulnerable populations, and disaster recovery work. When floods, storms, or other emergencies strike, the group's approach is consistently the same: get to the site, do the hands-on work that needs doing, and help the local community get back to everyday life as fast as possible.

Stories like this one are a reminder that disaster recovery isn't only about infrastructure and emergency services — it's also about ordinary volunteers willing to show up with gloves on, ready to do the physically demanding work that makes a real difference for families trying to put their lives back together.

Source: 천지일보 (Newscj)