Service Oak Tree Run, Origins of the SO-GOOD

Strong Showing at Oak Tree Run by SFS

Last November, SFS had 212 participants for the Oak Tree

Run, an event by the Oak Tree Project that raises money to provide college scholarships and a mentoring program for Korean orphans transitioning into adult life. SFS parents in charge of this outreach opportunity worked hard to engage the SFS community, and thanks to their efforts close to 25% of the overall participants for the race were from SFS!

Julie Won, a proud SFS parent who helped organize the school’s participation, said that the event was “a great way to support the local community, be healthy, and a fun way for family and faculty to do something together in a less formal environment.” She also added, “the event was made even more meaningful because we were able to achieve our goal of SFS raising enough money to fund one college scholarship!” Following the Oak Tree Run, Seoul Foreign School leadership and parents met with John-Michael Becker, founder of the Oak Tree Project and Jerusalem Ministry, to discuss support of future events and initiatives, such as their annual soccer camps for boys from children’s homes.

SFS, dedicated to the service of others

Origins of the SO-GOOD Project

The SO-GOOD Project (Serving Others, Giving of Our

Deeds) began in 2015 at SFS as a support project and partnership with the Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS), a nonprofit organization that provides services in Seoul—indeed, its headquarters are just down the street from the school—and at its facilities across the nation. Today, the number of SO-GOOD’s partner organizations has grown to also include Angels’ Haven, Dreambox, Ethel’s Maul and the Seodaemun Jeongdam Food Market. But how did such a project come to be?

In early 2015, Christian Ministries coordinator Jean Kim received a letter from Dr. Jinsook Kim, president and CEO of ESWS, who had a request. As part of its ongoing post-adoption support services, the nonprofit had decided to plan a soccer tournament for adult overseas adoptees who had returned to Korea. Unfortunately, they had been having difficulty securing a location; no one wanted to open their space for an event of this kind. ESWS wondered if SFS might be able to lend its field for the tournament. Kim asked for the weekend to decide.

That Saturday, Kim attended an early morning service at which the pastor read the following verse:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

It was also around this time that Head of School, Colm Flanagan had been pushing to make SFS a community service leader in its home of Seodaemun-gu. To Kim, the timing and convergence of these events—the unexpected request from ESWS, with whom SFS had already been attempting to establish a relationship; the supremely fitting verse read at service; and Flanagan’s larger goals for SFS—were significant.

The Head of School did not just enthusiastically agree; he granted permission to use the field free of charge.

The event that spring was a success, bringing together members of the SFS and ESWS community. Later, Kim received a call from Director Ye Hwan Jun, who worked with post- and domestic adoptees at the time. Director Jun told Kim, through tears, that the returned adult adoptees initially had felt so rejected on their return to Korea that they did not want to print their Korean names on their team jerseys. But, Jun said, for everything that SFS had done to make them feel welcome, the players had changed their minds and chosen to proudly wear their Korean names on that day.

Kim states that this was the turning point for the relationship between Seoul Foreign School and the Eastern Social Welfare Society. Timing, Kim said, and the service-oriented leadership from Colm Flanagan, were key to the creation and success of the SO-GOOD Project that continues to grow and thrive today.

The High School’s Angels’ Haven Partnership was recognized by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards as being a top youth volunteer group.

SO-GOOD Project Partnerships

ANGELS’ HAVEN began in 1959 to aid children orphaned in the Korean War. Today, the organization now aids families and communities throughout Korea and the world. Among its efforts are the Eunpyeong Boys Rehabilitation Home and Joyful House, both of which serve children and adults with disabilities.

DREAMBOX SFS HS student Madeline Lee began the Dreambox toy drive to collect toys and books for the siblings of patients at Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, children who can often be overlooked as attention is given to the child of greatest need. Dreambox donations are delivered every Christmas.

ETHEL’S MAUL was founded by SFS’ first and beloved teacher, Ethel Van Wagoner Underwood. The organization grew out of the efforts of Underwood and her ladies group that would go to Seoul Station to help young women who came to the city to find

Nanumi T he British School has continued to show its commitment to Nanumi, a local homeless shelter.

For more than three years, British School students, faculty and families have provided support by attending the shelter the first and third Thursday of each month, serving more than 400 people in need.

Since September 2019, according to teacher Kim Stuart, more than 70 students, 20 teachers and staff, and 15 parents have volunteered at Nanumi, feeding more than 2,700 homeless people in Seoul. This past December, 700,000 won was raised during the International Fair’s used book sale held by dedicated SFS parents, the Year 9 Bake Sale, and by more SFS staff who, according to Stuart, “are inspired by our compassionate students who service each work. These women were often vulnerable to exploitation, and Underwood sought to help them by offering room and board and other forms of aid. The organization continues to provide its social welfare services today. EASTERN SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY offers support to those in need, which may include children, single parents, people with disabilities and the elderly. ESWS also operates child foster care and adoption services.

SEODAEMUN JEONGDAM FOOD MARKET provides canned food, personal items and household products to the over 2,000 people a year who qualify for its services. The market also delivers food to those who are not physically able to come to one of their two locations.

fortnight.” This donation was used to purchase rice at the shelter.

The British School has been unable to serve at Nanumi since February 6 due to the proactive measures taken by the school to protect the community from COVID-19. But, Stuart says, “Seoul Foreign British School has always honored our commitment to be a Nanumi, a person who shares, and a virus has not stopped our dedication to this service.

We have been able to organize a local restaurant, Han Sot, to deliver bento boxes and a bottle of water for 3,500 won each, which would cost a total of 1.4 million won for 400 homeless people to be fed with no volunteers.”

SFBS, in the giving spirit of the school, is dedicated to helping the shelter in this way until they’re able to attend again in person.