The Hopeful Bench project of Creative Arts Class had a donation ceremony at Ilsan Hospital.

11th November, Paradise Welfare Foundation donated two Hopeful Benches for the National Health Insurance Corporation’s Iisan Hospital at the Red Toolbox located in Goyang city.

The Hopeful Bench was made by 13 disabled students in the creative arts class along with the Public Art Prism over 10 weeks as a result of the project.

About 40 officials were attended at this event including Seong-Tae Yun, the chairman of Paradise Welfare Foundation and Jung-Gu Kang, the chief of National Health Insurance Corporation’s Iisan Hospital. The students introduced their work in front of parents and teachers hoping that it could be useful for the people in need.

In the , students wrote “I hope many doctors, nurses and patients to get more strength resting on this bench.” and “Every visitor of the hospital also would rest on the bench with their family and friends. We poured our hearts into this so I want them to cherish it.”

Jung-Gu Kang, the chief of Iisan Hospital expressed his gratitude for donating the benches, saying “I truly appreciate to the students for donating their work of art. It could be very meaningful to our patients too. And I’ll assure this precious benches to be in a great use.”

A student said this project makes herself very proud thinking of all the patients who would sit and relax on the bench although there was a lot of difficulties in the process of making it. And all the parents were proud of their children too.

Many parents thought that their kids were always on the side of receiving help from the others but they felt this time it was reversed. They said this project was extremely important to their children cause it meant that they could give a help to the others too. A parent said “It literally is a hopeful bench and means so much to me. All the efforts of students are melt into this bench and it’s one and only. I’d like to praise all the participated children.”

Seong-Tae Yun, the chairman of Paradise Welfare Foundation gave the certificates to the students encouraging them to take this opportunity to become a respected grown up.

The Hopeful Bench project was started to provide an experience for the disabilities to share with the others and volunteer as a member of society. Through this woodworking arts curriculum students with disabilities were able to grow their self-esteem.

Paradise Welfare Foundation will continue improving the cultural well-being of disabilities by helping them to be more involved in the art educational activities.