From Christmas Express 2024

When young adults age out of the childcare system, it marks the beginning of a new journey in their lives. However, this new beginning doesn’t automatically mean freedom or hope. Many of them face the harsh reality of having to stand alone in an unfamiliar world and often experience even greater hardship and loneliness than during their time in the facility.

In this context, seeing young adults return to their former childcare homes to volunteer alongside YANA gave me a deep reflection. These young adults endured difficult lives in the facilities and longed for the day they could leave. But the world did not welcome them with open arms—it greeted them with cold reality. The weight of independence and the pain of standing alone are unimaginable.

As a volunteer, what I realized from watching them return is this: Their return is not a sign of weakness or failure. The childcare home is not merely a place that holds their past but can become a launching pad for a new beginning.

Watching these young adults, I learned that our role is not just to help them become independent but to be a “safe place” they can always return to, no matter what happens in life. Through volunteering, I came to reflect on what kind of meaning I might have left with them.

Ultimately, the love and care we share together will be like seeds planted in their lives—one day, I believe those seeds will bloom again in their hearts.

Written with heartfelt love and reflections from volunteer Jang Hyun-Ah