Breathing New Hope into an Old House: A Look into Heemang Studio’s “Heemang House” Volunteer Activity 2024-12-11

In late October, Smilegate employees teamed up with Heemang Studio to participate in the “Heemang House” volunteer initiative. 

Heemang House aims to improve the living conditions of children in underprivileged housing, helping them grow up in a clean, safe environment where they can pursue their dreams.

This Heemang House project focused on a child from a multicultural single-parent household in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The home, which was in urgent need of renovation due to ageing facilities and safety concerns, was selected for improvement.

How did this deteriorated home transform through Heemang House? The Newsroom team accompanied the volunteers to capture the heartfelt efforts of employees delivering hope.

Transforming a Gloomy Home into a Bright Space

For this Heemang House activity, Heemang Studio joined hands with the organization “Warm Companionship.” During the orientation, its representatives shared valuable insights and best practices gained from years of experience in spatial welfare with Smilegate employees.

The home selected for this project was occupied by a mother and her two children. Despite the mother’s health issues and one child’s intellectual disability, the family worked hard to maintain their home. However, the lack of storage and space separation made the environment cramped and unsuitable, negatively affecting the child’s health and ability to study.

Taking these conditions into account, Smilegate’s Heemang Studio and Warm Companionship replaced old window frames and renovated the old bathroom. Before applying fresh wallpaper, employees carefully removed the old layers. The project particularly focused on creating safe and practical storage spaces for the mother and child.

Employees performed their respective roles with dedication. One team removed wallpaper, another cleaned up the waste, and a third prepared adhesive for new applications. Their teamwork was seamless, and the process went smoothly. After two to three hours, the once-gloomy home looked bright and revitalized with new wallpaper—it turned out like an entirely different place. 

Jeon Seong-yoon, Team Lead of Heemang Studio’s CSR Support Team, shared, “While planning this activity, we felt it was essential to understand exactly what the child and mother needed. They wanted their own private spaces, so we made sure to include spatial separation in the design.”  

Creating a Space Where a Child Can Dream

Once the clutter had been cleared and wallpapering finished, the volunteers began furnishing the child’s room. They arranged a bed, desk, and bookshelf while carefully considering how to make the layout comfortable and accessible for the child.  

To make the transformed space feel familiar, the volunteers decorated it with newly purchased bedding, accessories, and framed artwork created together with the child. The room, once cold during winter, was now filled with the warmth and care of the volunteers—truly becoming a cozy dream haven.

Lee Seo-yeon (alias) said, “I feel so happy that our house became clean. I want to be a chef, so I’ll study hard in my room and make that dream come true.” Her mother also shared, “I’ve always felt sorry toward my daughter, but I’m so grateful that she now has a new room. I truly hope she can freely dream in her own space.”

The Smilegate employees who participated also found the experience meaningful. Lee Yoon-won, Executive Director at Smilegate Megaport, shared, “I was moved by the sight of the child’s joyful back as she walked into the newly transformed home. She seemed truly happy to have her own space. Seeing her face made me think, ‘I have to come volunteer again.’”

A total of 25 Smilegate employees joined forces for one day of Heemang House volunteering. Thanks to their efforts, the mother and child can now live in a warmer and cleaner environment than before.

Going forward, Heemang Studio plans to continue providing structured, long-term support for marginalized groups in overlooked areas through multi-stakeholder partnerships with various organizations, institutions, and companies.