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Airmen help make kimchi for charity

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Benjamin Rojek
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  'Tis the season for eggnog, cookies ... and kimchi? 

Airmen here recently worked with the American and Korean Red Cross to help make several hundred pounds of the Korean dish during the Sharing Kimchi with Love event Dec. 4. 

The 15-year-old program allows volunteers to make and deliver kimchi to local orphanages, homes for the elderly and to families in need. 

"We made 3,000 cabbage heads into kimchi, with several hundreds of pounds of chili paste and garlic," said Mr. Wilfredo Solis, station manager for the Osan American Red Cross. "Our Korean neighbors were fascinated with the idea of having our Osan Airmen get their hands into making kimchi. The Koreans were great teachers and very impressed with the support we provided." 

When Mr. Solis put out the request for volunteers a few weeks ago, he was overwhelmed by Team Osan's quick response. 

"I got about 50 emails back and about 20 phone calls in two days," he said. "I knew that we could count on our Osan servicemembers, families and civilians alike when it came to extending our hand to help the needy in our extended community." 

He had 34 volunteers by the day of the event. Each person was given gloves, hats and smocks to don while they made the spicy dish, Koreans and Americans in matching gear working for charity side by side. 

"Our Korean counterparts are great hosts with the same goals ... giving of ourselves to help those less fortunate," said Master Sgt. Ricardo Ramirez, who works the 607th Air Communications Group. "We are extremely blessed both as Americans and U.S. military members. Volunteering is just one way of giving back a small portion of what we have been blessed with." 

Through volunteer programs like this, Mr. Solis said he hopes people learn that charity doesn't have to be left at the border. 

"I hope that these volunteers will learn that you don't have to learn another language to help someone, that we all speak the same language when it comes to helping members of another community," he said. "Our actions will leave a lasting impression on our close neighbors from Songtan."