Our vision is a community where children are accepted, valued and unconditionally loved so they can grow into adults who will contribute positively to our society | | |
Greetings!
As I write this introduction, I am looking through all the pictures of our programs through the summer. I am blown away, as is often the case when I stop to appreciate and contemplate. The sheer amount we accomplish through the dedication of our volunteers, the generosity of our community, and the enthusiasm of our kids and welfare center partners, is inspiring and energizing.
After a short break for summer in July, we came back with a bang to full schedules of programs and special events. Our kids have engaged in multiple meaningful activities through our programs, from describing themselves and their interests in English, learning about different countries (France and Morocco), creating new friends for our mascot HaNeul, to cooking skills (French toast and crèpes).
We continue to build momentum with new and existing community partners. At Seoul Foreign School, the kids have explored rock climbing and science experiments. The SFS English Club is a beautiful, developing model of mutual enrichment between families and our kids. At Dulwich College, we piloted our first middle-school cohort, and they had fun running obstacle races and playing varied sports. Our sessions with our favorite furry partners, Fur All Dogs, are always a huge hit! The kids made Chuseok gift boxes for Korea Legacy Kitchen and went on special field trips to Land Rover and to watch Wicked, the musical. We also participated in AWC's Charity Bazaar. Our alumni community stays strong and engaged - this summer they sent our kids postcards from the various countries they now live in, showing that the bond continues across the distance.
As we look ahead to Fall, along with our programs, we are looking forward to engaging more with the community through the various holiday markets so please come find us! Our volunteers will also have the opportunity to mingle and connect in our Volunteer Workshop in October, hosted graciously by the British Embassy. We had to postpone our fall fundraiser which was a biking challenge, originally scheduled for Sept 6, themed on the concept of Everesting. However, we are actively working on a new date with several interested biking groups in Seoul and more information about the event will be shared soon.
It is truly gratifying to see Open Arms Magic spread through our growing volunteer base, as well as the support and interest we continue to receive from our wider community. Jane Goodall, one of my personal heroes who recently passed into the next realm, said "Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference". Certainly, as a volunteer run organization, this is exactly what gives us flight.
I am humbled, grateful, and excitedly looking forward to what is planned ahead.
Onward,
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yolekha
Executive Director 2025
Volunteer since 2024- present
| | | Your commitment and love for the organization and our kids is what keeps us moving and growing. Looking ahead, here’s the schedule for Fall/Winter and a few key things to plan for. Please also watch out for updated announcements in our Signal Social group chat. | | |
October
Volunteer sign-up for winter sessions
Volunteer Workshop - October 26
We have a really great session planned for our next volunteer workshop. It will be held at Aston Hall in the British Embassy, and our key speaker is a young adult who grew up in a welfare home and represents the perspective of the children in our programs. It will be an important and powerful session and we hope many of you will be able to attend. Members, please check Signal chats for details and registration.
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November
Thanksgiving Event (TBC)
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December
OA/Dulwich 9th Annual Holiday Gift Drive
Social Club: Holiday Mingle - December 5
Dulwich Holiday Market - December 5
SFS Holiday Market - December 6
Dwight Holiday Market - December 15
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January
Programs Evaluations
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Everesting Fundraiser - POSTPONED
We postponed our biking challenge for a very special reason. Our fundraising director, Justin, and his wife Luann, recently welcomed their first baby. Along with Eric Seo, Justin is one of the main organizers and participants of the challenge. We have decided to postpone it to a later date. More exciting news to come on that soon!
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Landrover Career Immersion Day
August 23, 2025
In August, our children had the incredible opportunity to spend a day at the Jaguar Land Rover Training Academy, thanks to our dedicated volunteer Robin and the generous Land Rover team. The day began with a “Client Journey” demonstration, where the kids explored a real Land Rover and learned about its different features—from the trunk and horn to the fridge and GPS—just like real customers in a showroom. Next, they became “Service Advisors,” matching pictures of common car problems, like oil leaks and flat tires, with the right solutions. The adventure continued in the workshop, where the children were introduced to the world of technicians. They got to see the safety suits worn by staff working with high-voltage batteries, watch how specialists are carefully unhooked with special equipment, and even try out the diagnostic screens used to scan vehicles for problems. After an active morning, everyone enjoyed a delicious burger lunch with plenty of snacks (and even a round of jump rope fun using cables!). To top off an already unforgettable day, each child went home with a Land Rover/Jaguar duffle bag, a Lego set, and a Polo shirt. The experience left a lasting impression—some children even shared that they now dream of working with cars when they grow up. We are deeply grateful to Robin and the entire Land Rover team for making learning so inspiring and for giving our children memories they’ll carry with them for years to come. - ERICA
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Wicked
September 18, 2025
A heartfelt thank you to Crossroads Live Australia for generously sending 20 of our Dream Tree and Cheongwon girls to experience the magic of the Wicked musical in VIP seats.
For many of the girls, this was their very first time attending a live Broadway-style show, and the excitement and inspiration they felt will stay with them for a long time. Moments like these create memories that open doors to new dreams and possibilities.
We are so grateful to Crossroads Live Australia for providing our girls with such an exciting experience! - AMETHYST
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OA Social Picnic
September 20, 2025
Open Arms volunteers, together with their partners and pets, spent a beautiful sunny afternoon at Yongsan Family Park. The picnic was a wonderful opportunity to relax, chat and enjoy each other’s company in a warm and friendly atmosphere. - IRENE
Many thanks to Irene for organizing such a lovely event and to everyone who joined in to celebrate our community. - YOLEKHA
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Seoul Foreign Seoul
We are grateful for the ongoing support of the SFS community. 561,000 KW was raised from a Bake Sale at the Elementary School and another 3mil KW from the Second Hand book Sale organised by the school librarians! We value our partnership that has evolved throughout the years from hosting OA meetings to the unbelievable opportunity of our kids learning, cooking and playing at SFS with the community of SFS teachers, students and families. It takes a village!
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American Women's Club Charity Bazaar
September 14, 2025
Open Arms once again experienced the power of our community. Our wonderful supporters and friends from the American Women’s Club hosted their annual Charity Bazaar in Itaewon. Many great vendors came together to support the cause, and the day was a lively mix of charities, local arts, and crafts. All proceeds went to support NGOs like us and our great colleagues at Korea Legacy and Planting Love
For Open Arms, this was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the Seoul community and share our work – we are certain new volunteers will be joining us.
Our mascot HaNeul was, of course, there, charming the crowd. Our favorite furry guest teacher, Sir Remington from Fur All Dogs, was also present and equally stole everyone’s hearts. Who can resist a cuddle?
A big thank you to AWC for always supporting us, and to everyone who stopped by to say hello. This fall, we will once again be at the different school fairs – we look forward to seeing you there! - INGER
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Open Arms provides play and activity-based English education for children living at welfare homes.
We meet the children as young as possible because we know early childhood education gives children the best start in life. Then we grow with the children following their life journey learning English. The ambition is to follow the kids even as they move away from the welfare homes and into young adulthood.
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Volunteer Sign Up
Every quarter we send out our ROTA to sign up for program attendance for the volunteers. It is very important that you let us know if and when you can join so we can plan accordingly.
| | CW Toddlers Our toddlers have graduated and moved on to the Early Years Program! No new Toddler Program for the time being. | | CW Early Years & Primary Tuesday/weekly 5:30-6:15 pm | | Thank you to our dedicated CW volunteers EARLY YEARS: Kathrine (liaison), Dee Dee (coordinator), Lola, Marta (coordinator), Irene, Veronica, Murray PRIMARY: Katy (coordinator), Silvia, Amethyst, Sanjana, Joseph, Lauren, Alicia, Sejung | | |
Dream Tree Village Primary
Thursday/weekly 5:30-7:00pm
We are currently looking for more volunteers to ensure individual attention for each child. New volunteers please fill out Volunteer Form or ROTA for registered volunteers.
| | Thank you to our DT volunteers: Nancy (liaison), Katy (coordinator), Amethyst, Heena, Gaby, Tash, Emily, Nourin, Niki | | |
Fur All Dogs/Korea Legacy Project Partnership Program Monthly/rotating programs
On behalf of the seniors and Korea Legacy, we extend our deepest gratitude to the young girls at Dream Tree and volunteers for the beautiful hand-drawn hankies adorned with our proud Korean flags. These heartfelt hankies were gifted to the descendants of the brave independence protesters, whom we had the honor of hosting for a very special dinner on August 15th, Gwangbokjul.
Before, during, and after preparing these hankies, we shared with the girls the stories of courage, sacrifice, and love for our nation that these families represent. Through this act of remembrance, your young artists learned that freedom was not free, and that we all have a role in carrying forward the legacy of our history.
When the families received these hankies, they were so deeply moved that tears of gratitude and joy filled their eyes. They felt not only honored but embraced by the love of a younger generation who remembered their ancestors’ sacrifice.
Please know that girl’s thoughtful gifts have left a lasting mark — a reminder that even the smallest hands can create great meaning, and that love and gratitude travel across generations. - JEENA
| | Myeongjin Primary Early Teens Sat/monthly 10:00-12:00pm | | Thank you to our MJ volunteers: Joohee (liaison), Louisa (coordinator), Sophie (coordinator), Darine, Alice, Nikki, Cate, Lindsay, Suyeon, Brooke, Emma, Jake, Sanjana, Elaine, Anna, Jake, Tiffany, Iunia and Diana | | Dulwich Early Teens Saturday/monthly 10:00-12:00pm | | Thank you to our Dulwich volunteers: Chris (liaison), Joseph (coordinator), Sophie, Kelly, Lindsay, Elaine (coordinator), Christine, David, Rita, Lavinia, Beatrice, Isabelle, Suyeon, Emma, Claire, Carolina, Brooke, Laura, Jake, Heather, Tiffany, Iunia, Niki, Lenka, Kat, Hannah, Diana | | Shinmangwon Primary Early Teens Saturday/monthly 10:00-12:00pm | | Thank you to our SMW PRIMARY volunteers: Amethyst (liaison, coordinator), Erica (liaison, coordinator), Sophia, Agnes EARLY TEENS volunteers: Amethyst (liaison, coordinator), Erica (liaison, coordinator), Arya, Robin | | 'They all enjoy every time and they always look forward to having the OA class^^' - Director Park, SMW | | |
SFS/OA English Club Friday/weekly 4:30-6:00 pm
Currently not open to new volunteers
The SFS Open Arms English Club program is a fun, activity based way of learning English. Activities such as treasure hunts in the forest, games and reading time are set in the inspiring atmosphere of the SFS learning environment, The participating children are a mix from SDW and SFS with volunteers from Open Arms who plan and facilitate the activities.
| | Thank you to our SFS/OA PRIMARY volunteers: Lee family, Johnson family, Jeon family, Cuello-Federighi family, Yoon family, Katy | | Community, connection, kids and fun are some of the key words our volunteers use to describe what they love about Open Arms. We are proud of our community, that every week and weekend show up to give the kids magical memories while practicing their English. We celebrated more than 1800 volunteer hours with the kids in 2024. If you want to join our community as a volunteer, check out the opportunities on our website: www.theopenarms.org | | |
I first discovered Open Arms shortly after moving to Seoul from a friend, Nicole Gorman. As a mother of 3 daughters, I was interested in finding some way to volunteer to help support local children. She introduced me to the Executive Director at the time, Inger Johannsen. Inger was a passionate supporter of the organization and encouraged me to help out in any way I could.
I experimented with volunteering in the Toddlers, Early Years and Primary program. Then, this extended to attending some special weekend programs at Seoul Foreign School, bringing my youngest daughter along to help out. That led to her joining a monthly SFS Middle School/Open Arms volunteer program and to me helping out with special events and fundraising including a wine tasting evening, a Thanksgiving party, and most recently a backyard music festival.
Each time I volunteered, I was impressed by the love and energy of the volunteers to help support the children. From Dee, who is all heart with the little ones, to Katy’s endless enthusiast teaching, to Amethyst’s rapport with the children, to Yolekha’s leadership acumen, to Erika’s culinary confidence, to Barbara’s caring month-long visits, to Justin’s fundraising ideas, to Robin’s follow through…it goes on and on.
I think the magic of Open Arms is not only in the wonderful work it does with the children, but also in it how it does it. The people involved have fostered a diverse and caring community of volunteers and been open to testing and learning new ideas to continually build a stronger support program for the children.
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colleen
Fundraising
Nationality: American
Volunteer since 2023
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I was introduced to Open Arms when I had first moved to Korea and was in need of community and purpose. As a foreigner, settling into a different country is exciting, but can also leave you feeling a bit aimless and isolated. I had come to work as a teacher and always enjoyed working with kids, but it wasn’t until I met Sally McEachen one Sunday morning at church that I learned of this special group, which had helping the lives of children and connecting with others at the center of its mission. Ever since then, I got to spend time with the children at the Myeongjin children’s welfare center in Seoul each month. We enjoyed playing group games and activities, all of which the kids got more exposure to English and we got to laugh and follow their lead. During my time in Korea, Open Arms has been one of the greatest highlights! Every member, from Inger, and now Yolekha, to Katy and Sophie who help lead the sessions at Myeongjin, and all the hardworking, endlessly kind men and women who give this organization life is truly special. The passion and dedication for making the children’s week (and life) a joyful one is infectious. I feel so much more motivated to give what I can to help others and make the world a better place- no matter where expat life takes me in the future. I will miss the kids and group members so much but can’t wait to see all the updates and memories they make in the sessions to come.
I 100% recommend anyone interested in helping children to offer their efforts to Open Arms and look forward to supporting its growth in the future!
Thank you once again for giving people like me a place to belong in Korea as a home away from home, and the privilege of surrounding children with that same love and belonging.
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cate
Nationality: American
MJ Volunteer since 2023
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thank you & goodbye
잘 가, 친구
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At Open Arms, we believe in nurturing the emotional well-being of the children in our programs, and our newly established advisory group—comprised of insightful young adults who have transitioned out of welfare homes—has been instrumental in enhancing our approach. One of their invaluable suggestions was to introduce a 'goodbye' ritual for our parting volunteers, allowing the volunteers and children to express their feelings and say farewell in a meaningful way. This initiative includes personalized Hanuel cards written by the volunteers and given to the children as a keepsake. As well, volunteers have an opportunity to give a presentation on the country where they will be going to. The children definitely appreciate this new ritual!
To the parting volunteers, thank you for your dedication and sacrifice of time. Your presence and kindness made a difference and have created lasting memories for the children. We wish you the best in your next chapter and invite you to continue this meaningful journey with us by joining our Alumni Association. This is a wonderful opportunity to remain connected and support the ongoing growth and development of the children you have touched so deeply and to help create a global network.
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maya
Volunteer since 2019 (CW/DT)
I first met Maya when I joined OA in 2019, volunteering at CW. Although she only joined a few weeks before me, she immediately made an impression as someone who knew what she was doing, cared deeply for the children and wanted to engage with the mission of OA. We were all so sad when she moved away from Korea a few months later. BUT! She came back to go to university and rejoined, volunteering not only at CW but also DT on a regular basis. Now we are sad to see her go again ... but can she stay away from Korea for ever? Good luck with your next adventure, Maya, and come back soon! 😘 - SALLY
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ash
DT Volunteer
I had the privilege of working with Ash at DT after she started at the end of 2023. She was always a pleasure to have around, patient, reliable and caring with the girls. She had saved up for her 30th birthday and decided to give this whole fund to OA so that we could start a birthday present program for the girls at DT. It was a hugely generous and thoughtful gift and so consistent with her character. Ash, we are so sorry that you are leaving and wish you a happy and blessed new start.❤️🔥
- SALLY
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shevanti
CW Volunteer
We’re sad to say goodbye to Shevanti! Volunteers and kids alike will especially miss your signature bedazzled hair and the laughter and silliness you brought into every moment. Thank you for all the joy and dedication you’ve shared, we wish you the very best in your next adventure! - AMETHYST
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cate & cheyenne
MJ Volunteers
A big thank you, and very best wishes to Cate and Cheyenne who volunteered with MJ. Thank you both for giving your time and energy to be with the Myeongjin children for many sessions. They loved your company, kindness, and care. They and we will miss you. - SOPHIE, LOUISA & the MJ TEAM xo
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jean
CW/Dulwich Volunteer
Open Arms wishes all the best to one of our devoted volunteers, Jean Park, as she relocates out of Seoul. Since joining our program in 2023, Jean has been a joyful presence, bringing smiles and meaningful teaching moments to the children. Thank you, Jean, for your dedication and love, you will be deeply missed and we look forward to staying in touch! - DEE DEE
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Postcard Project
As a follow up to the launch of OA’s newest friend, Hanuel, our Alumni’s inaugural project was sending postcards to the children. With the addition of a Hanuel sticker, they showed that he travelled to the US, Canada and Kazakhstan to visit our Alumni. THANK YOU for your participation and being part of this incredible growing global community. Stay tuned for our next project!
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Open Arms is a Volunteer-Driven Organisation
Thank you to our passionate and dedicated leaders who work behind the scenes to build our small but beautiful organisation.
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Representative Director
ALICIA CHUNG
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Executive Director
YOLEKHA MALLIER
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Educational Director
KATY FREEMAN
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Finance Director
ERIKA LEE
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Volunteer Director
AMETHYST ETESSAM
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Welfare Home Liaison
KATHRINE NEILSEN
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I’m really excited to have joined Open Arms as Program Director and to be part of its mission of empowering children in South Korean welfare homes through English education, community and care. It’s such a privilege to work alongside so many passionate and dedicated people, and I truly enjoy the teamwork that makes our programs possible.
I moved to Seoul from Denmark about a year ago with my husband and our youngest child. We’re an active family who loves being outdoors, exploring nature, and staying active. These days, I’m especially enjoying playing tennis at a local club and going hiking in the mountains around Seoul.
In my role at Open Arms, I focus on keeping our programs running well and aligned with our mission. I support the program coordinators, curriculum team, and volunteers, help bring new ideas to life, and make sure our teams and management stay connected.
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Fundraising
COLLEEN ALLAN
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Child Protection Officer
DELASI OSEI
| | The Administration Team tracks our finances, plans events, ensures our volunteers have a great experience, and our programs run efficiently | | | | |
CONTACT US
#2173, 20th Fl, 149, Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03186 South Korea
info@theopenarms.org
| | Thank you to all the volunteers for contributing photos and reports. If you have any questions or ideas for upcoming newsletters, please DM or email Barbara at info@theopenarms.org. It's a joy to bring you the latest news! | | | | |
