Dear KKOOM Community,
What a year it’s been of creating new dreams and making new possibilities possible. In 2024, we received the largest donation to date of $219,000 to launch a girl’s empowerment and mentorship (GEM) program. We also raised $10,000 during our birthday fundraiser to launch a new college scholarship program to support talented and motivated Korean students to pursue a college education in the United States.
While it truly has been an incredible year for KKOOM, I wanted to share the little moments I have experienced this holiday season while spending time with the children in South Korea. The little moments of walking some elementary students to school every day. While there were days I could not feel my face or fingers due to walking 1 mile round trip with the children in 20 degree weather, it was all worth it. One morning, I realized how many opportunities KKOOM has provided three of the six children I was walking to school.
H.J., who is now 9-years-old, arrived at a KKOOM-supported children’s home when he was 2-years-old in 2017. Without KKOOM, he would not have had access to a preschool education. While he was malnourished and underweight when he first arrived, he is now a healthy boy in 3rd grade, who loves to skip to school, or play musical instruments/paint drawings on his phone while walking to school.
For a 5th grade girl, I asked her during our daily walk, “What was your favorite thing about the S.T.E.M. Camp this year?” She said, “staying on the second floor of the bunk beds. It was my first time. It was also fun to walk around Seoul holding Grace Teacher’s hand.”
One of the elementary school boys, who asked me every few seconds, “What time is it?” is excited to be able to attend the soccer camp again next year in summer 2025. When he attended the camp in 2023, he won the “Sportsmanship Award,” for having the best attitude on this team out of 10+ boys at a camp solely designated for boys living in Korea’s social welfare system. He told me one of his favorite things he did in Seoul was going to the CoEx Aquarium. Hopefully, we can take him and the other boys again next year.
One other beautiful moment I wanted to share was after one of the the Christmas parties ended. It was Christmas Eve at 7:00pm and all the volunteers had left. But the fun just began for the children as they stayed up to make gingerbread houses from scratch. I watched 8 girls, all aged from 7 to 17 years old, diligently create a gingerbread house masterpiece for four hours long. From hot glue guns of gluing graham crackers on their house foundation, to making snowmen and candyland marshmallows from icing gel, it was beautiful to watch the girls have a Christmas tradition, thanks to your generosity. This house is called “Peace House” at the children’s home and they ended up winning first place for the gingerbread house competition! You can see their creation and more here.
As a proud Korean-American, I have realized more than ever before how it is the little moments that make life truly precious. In 2024, you gifted so many moments of love and joy. You made dreams more possible for young girls to have greater access to career readiness and for young adults to study in the United States. Without your love, children like H.J. could not attend preschool. Without your joy to give to Korean children for summer camp activities, the elementary school boy would not have the memory of winning the “Best Sportsmanship Award.” And without your steadfast support, the 5th grade girl would have never had the experience of sleeping on the 2nd floor of bunk beds while at the S.T.E.M. Camp in Seoul.
With gratitude and love,
Grace Lee, KKOOM’s Executive Director
