{"id":13075,"date":"2026-02-25T04:31:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T04:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/?p=13075"},"modified":"2026-02-25T05:55:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T05:55:43","slug":"12-days-of-kkoom-mika-amanda-and-declans-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/2026\/02\/25\/12-days-of-kkoom-mika-amanda-and-declans-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Days of KKOOM: Mika, Amanda, and Declan’s Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For our <\/span>12 Days of KKOOM<\/b>, we\u2019re sharing the voices of our volunteers and Board members. Their reflections remind us why community matters and how meaningful moments\u2014big and small\u2014can transform a child\u2019s year.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mika and her sister during the holidays.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Importance of Community: Mika's Story<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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What is your favorite holiday song?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas\u201d \u2013 Frank Sinatra<\/span><\/p>\n

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I love the vintage Christmas sound. It feels very warm.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is the most meaningful gift you\u2019ve ever received, and why?<\/b><\/p>\n

The most meaningful gift I\u2019ve ever received was a bouquet of flowers from my parents. It came at a time when I was living alone and having a hard time. They looked up a local flower shop near me and surprised me with a beautiful bouquet. Their effort touched my heart and made me feel so much better.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What motivated you to give your time and energy to support KKOOM\u2019s programs?<\/b><\/p>\n

As someone who has moved around my whole life, I understand the importance of contributing to the community around you. I\u2019m always looking for ways to get involved. KKOOM felt like a wonderful opportunity to give what I could to support these children, and I hope I have been a positive influence. I believe special events and positive experiences can create memories that last forever. It has been such a privilege to be part of those moments.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is your favorite memory from volunteering with KKOOM?<\/b><\/p>\n

My favorite memory was sharing a laugh with the children at this year\u2019s GEM Event. All the conversations and inside jokes we created made the day so memorable and allowed me to see the impact of KKOOM firsthand.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you met the children in person, how has meeting them impacted your perspective on KKOOM\u2019s work? If you haven\u2019t, how do you think KKOOM\u2019s work makes a direct impact on the children\u2019s homes we serve?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cMeeting the children in person was wonderful because I could directly see the impact KKOOM has. I saw how their faces lit up during the events, how much fun they had, and how much they learned. Planning an event and then participating in it is incredibly special, and I\u2019m grateful I was able to see both sides.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s one thing you\u2019ve learned through your volunteer experience?<\/b><\/p>\n

I learned how KKOOM events are built and come together over the course of a few months. It was fascinating to see how quickly everything takes shape\u2014and to witness KKOOM\u2019s impact up close.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s one of your favorite holiday traditions or memories?<\/b><\/p>\n

My favorite holiday memories will always be spending time with my family. Having moved around so much, my family is the one constant in my life. Whether it\u2019s dinners together, holiday outings, or just sharing jokes and conversations, spending time with loved ones will always mean the most to me.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Amanda and other Board Members during our 2024 Board Retreat in NYC.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Helping to Make the Holidays Special: Amanda's Story<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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What is your favorite holiday song?<\/b><\/p>\n

“Rockin Around the Christmas Tree”<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is the most meaningful gift you\u2019ve ever received, and why?<\/b><\/p>\n

Life – Every new day is a meaningful gift!<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s one of your favorite holiday traditions or memories?<\/b><\/p>\n

As a child, my family watched “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” together every Christmas.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u200b\u200bWhat does KKOOM\u2019s annual holiday campaign mean to you personally?<\/b><\/p>\n

As a Korean Adoptee, KKOOM’s annual holiday campaign feels personal in many ways and helping to make the holidays special for the kids means everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s one memory from a KKOOM event that stands out the most?<\/b><\/p>\n

I attended KKOOM’s Dream Big Gala in May 2023 and listened to TaeHyeon and Nahyeon tell their incredible stories. I was blown away by them and the endless love and support they receive from the KKOOM community.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How do you see KKOOM creating long-term change for children in Korea\u2019s social welfare system?<\/b><\/p>\n

The opportunities that KKOOM supports for the kids will create valuable experiences and precious memories they will carry into adulthood.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What hopes do you have for KKOOM\u2019s future and the children we serve?<\/b><\/p>\n

I hope KKOOM will continue to do all it can do to enhance and empower Korean children.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Declan in Korea.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Beauty of Long-term Impact: Declan's Story<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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What is your favorite holiday song?<\/b><\/p>\n

“Frosty the Snowman” \u2013 The Ronettes!<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is the most meaningful gift you\u2019ve ever received, and why?<\/b><\/p>\n

My mother gave me a black and silver bracelet with three bands wrapped around it, writing “love”, “courage”, and “health”. It was partly a “Declan is colorblind” joke and also a piece of my mother I can wear with me everywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What motivated you to give your time and energy to support KKOOM\u2019s programs?<\/b><\/p>\n

My cousins were adopted 25 years ago, and, after growing up alongside them and listening to their experiences, I’ve been searching for opportunities to support young people navigating different welfare systems, children’s homes, and personal identity.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is your favorite memory from volunteering with KKOOM?<\/b><\/p>\n

Speaking to fellow Fulbrighters during our fall conference in 2024 was a major highlight. Advertising for our playground grant while showing everyone pictures of KKOOM volunteers and kids really reminds me that the work I’m doing behind a computer will impact some really amazing people.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s one thing you\u2019ve learned through your volunteer experience?<\/b><\/p>\n

Impact is a slow, often background process! We hear of younger generations worldwide being more accustomed to instant gratification; however, volunteering with KKOOM reminds me the beauty of long-term impact. A firework can light up a stadium, but a candle can both light and warm us for days on end.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s one of your favorite holiday traditions or memories?<\/b><\/p>\n

Making homemade hot chocolate with my brother. All the traditional ingredients, plus cinnamon and bits of Biscoff cookie if we’re feeling bougie!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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For our 12 Days of KKOOM, we\u2019re sharing the voices of our volunteers and Board members. Their reflections remind us why community matters and how meaningful moments\u2014big and small\u2014can transform a child\u2019s year. Mika and her sister during the holidays. The Importance of Community: Mika’s Story What is your favorite holiday song? \u201cHave Yourself a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13112,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"author_post_stories":[77],"class_list":["post-13075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holiday-parties","author_post_stories-leah-garlock"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13075"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13124,"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13075\/revisions\/13124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13075"},{"taxonomy":"author_post_stories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kkoom.org\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/author_post_stories?post=13075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}