These days, it seems that the time has come when you must pay at least 8,000 won on average for lunch. In that sense, the student cafeteria in school seems to be the biggest advantage for students who are burdened with food expenses. It is said that volunteer work has resumed at the student cafeteria during school hours, in which food tickets can be purchased in return and delivered to vulnerable classmates .......................................Ed
“Tenspoon” is a non-profit, private organization that volunteers at student restaurants during its spare time, and receives wages to purchase food tickets and deliver them to vulnerable students. Currently, 11 universities, including SSU, are implementing such projects in the first half of the year. With the transition from non-face-to-face classes to face-to-face classes, volunteer activities, once stopped due to COVID-19, resumed in earnest at the student cafeteria. In order to publicize this and attract the attention of Soongsilians, ST approached the management team of Tenspoon, and conducted an interview.
Q1. Introduce the management team of Tenspoon
A1. Hello, I am Jung Sang-hyun, majoring in Christianity at SSU, and I am currently the director of Tenspoon.
A2. Hello, I am Seol Soo-jin, majoring in information and sociology at SSU. In 2021, I was the director of Tenspoon, and now I oversee volunteer management.
Q2. What kind of organization is Tenspoon of SSU?
A1. It started at Hanyang University, and expanded to several universities, with SSU also participating in Tenspoon. It is a service that allows students to purchase food tickets during their spare time and have them delivered to students in need. The meal tickets purchased through volunteer work are sent by mail, and such activities are at the forefront of solving youth poverty. It is part of a virtuous cycle of college student volunteerism, Soongsilians who need food tickets, and student cafeterias.
Q3. How did you decide to become a part of the management team of Tenspoon?
A1. While I was thinking about meaningful volunteer activities, I saw a notice looking for a director. I applied because I thought it was an organization that would help young people solve poverty.
A2. While I was looking for volunteer work, I decided to join Tenspoon during my spare time in school. I started first as a volunteer, and not as part of the management team. Then I thought it would be nice to run it together while volunteering, so I applied to join the management team.
Q4. What is most rewarding about running Tenspoon?
A1. If my volunteer work becomes someone‘s precious meal, there is nothing more to be proud of than that, and I feel responsible. I am proud to think that volunteering itself is helpful to others.
A2. I remember a student who received a meal ticket and wrote a thank-you note. We do not know the faces and identity of the students who were receiving help. That is why I felt proud that someone was able to share food tickets through volunteer work, and that this was really having a good influence with a written thank-you note.
Q5. On the contrary, what difficulties do you encounter in running it, if any?
A1. I think there is a growing sense of disconnection from the student community due to the influence of COVID-19. It is a volunteer organization that returns to a virtuous cycle structure. However, since students have not come to school for a long time, there is a problem with the virtuous cycle structure, which led to a decline in interest. Now that it has been activated offline again, the restaurant has contacted us, saying that it needs manpower, and that volunteer work is in progress.
A2. The promotion was limited, so it was difficult because there were few volunteers. Since it was operated as a volunteer organization, and not in the same form as a club, only a few knew about it. It was difficult to find a minimum number of management staff. In fact, there are more food tickets available than volunteers, and I think it was a shame that this number decreased.
Q6. Finally, would you like to say something to Soongsilians?
A1. Tenspoon has a good influence on solving youth poverty, which can happen to everybody, but is not well-known. If anyone wants to join us, please contact us.
A2. People may think helping others is difficult, but I think Tenspoon is a good way of helping people in need indirectly because it is accessible to students. Anyone can do it if they
want to help, so please pay us plenty of attention.
Kim Gyeong-min (ST Reporter)
netencom@soongsil.ac.kr
