By Sora | Director, Fundraising Team
Hello, this is DDing Dong LGBTIQ Youth Support Center (Rainbow Teen Safe Place).
Thank you sincerely for your generous support of DDing Dong’s urgent relocation project. DDing Dong provides counseling and crisis support services for LGBTIQ youth in Korea. Despite the fact that there is no government funding allocated to support LGBTIQ youth, we operate our space and all services entirely through donations.
Over a four-month period, 19 donors and community groups took part in this fundraising effort, raising a total of USD 4,324. This amount was used exclusively to cover the labor costs for constructing a gender-neutral bathroom, one of several renovation works carried out in our new space. This gender-neutral bathroom has made a meaningful impact, particularly for transgender youth in Korea, who often face difficulties using gender-segregated public restrooms. Thanks to your support, DDing Dong can now provide a safer and more comfortable environment where they can use the bathroom with dignity and peace of mind.
To make the most thoughtful and responsible use of your donations, our staff and volunteers came together to prepare the new center ourselves. From painting the walls to carefully smoothing the finishes on new furniture so that LGBTIQ youth would not hurt their hands, our hands are present throughout the entire space.
Now that the move has finally been completed, LGBTIQ youth are beginning to find their way into our new space. As the youth—who are the true owners of the DDing Dong space—naturally fill the rooms with their presence, the unfamiliarity of the new center slowly fades away. Watching the space come back to life after the dusty days of unpacking has been both moving and inspiring for all of us.
With this, we are fully resuming our core mission of providing counseling and support for LGBTIQ youth in Korea. Thanks to the donations you contributed, we were able to build a safe space where LGBTIQ youth can receive counseling and meet peers in a supportive environment.
However, covering the high rental costs in Seoul, Korea solely through donations remains a challenge. If you would like to continue supporting the work of DDing Dong—the only LGBTIQ youth support center in Korea—we invite you to join us as an ongoing supporter. Regular donations are used entirely to provide counseling and crisis support (including medical and legal support) for LGBTIQ youth who have experienced violence or harm at home or at school due to discrimination and prejudice in Korean society.
Once again, thank you very much for standing with us and supporting this project.
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