![\"\uae40\ub178\uc544(\uc67c\ucabd)\"](\"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/image\/2026\/05\/CP-2023-0083\/image-3f5b4d80-4dc6-49b7-8001-6bb51cd443ba.jpeg\")
\u201cI really thought there was nobody back then.\u201d<\/p>\nTranslation result \u201cI really thought there was nobody back then.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the 13th, I met Kim Noah, the owner of Noah House, a cozy bagel shop in Incheon\u2019s Gyeyang District. As she remembered her childhood, she fell quiet for a moment. Under warm lights, the shop smelled of fresh bagels and felt inviting, but her past had been anything but. Today she donates bread to a local children\u2019s center and provides ongoing support, but at one point her family couldn\u2019t have made it without help.<\/p>\n
Noah House opened last May and just celebrated its first anniversary. Noah runs it with her mother, Kim Gwang-ae. Her mother spent decades as a childcare teacher, while Noah has experience running an online clothing shop and a small brand. Neither studied baking, but together they embarked on a new chapter driven by one simple goal: to create a welcoming space.<\/p>\n
She started doing what her mother loves<\/b><\/p>\n
The idea for Noah House came from Noah. She wanted her mom to finally do something she loved after years of sacrifice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom worked as a childcare teacher for years while raising four daughters. She went through so much, and I wanted her to have a chance to enjoy what she does,\u201d Noah said.<\/p>\n
Opening a bakery wasn\u2019t the plan at first. Noah spent most of her twenties in fashion. Financial hardship forced her to leave high school, she worked briefly at Incheon Airport as a teen, and later ran an online mall and a clothing label. She\u2019d always been more drawn to building her own thing than joining someone else\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
Gwang-ae used a government training card to take night baking classes just for fun. Noah says it was the first time she\u2019d seen her mother truly light up learning something new. By chance, a sibling in Busan ran a bagel shop and became their baking mentor. They failed dozens of times while developing the menu, but they loved the process. Their signature \u201csand bagel\u201d was born after many tries. The name Noah House carries their hopes: Noah is a name she adopted to mark a fresh start \u2014 a deliberate nod to the biblical figure \u2014 and \u201cHouse\u201d signals a place that feels like home.<\/p>\n
What 100,000 KRW (about $75) meant to four sisters renting a small room<\/b><\/p>\n
The \u201ctough times\u201d Noah refers to were about survival for the whole family. About a decade ago, Gwang-ae separated from her husband and raised four daughters alone. Her childcare salary barely covered rent, bills, and school costs. As the oldest, Noah took on adult responsibilities early.<\/p>\n
Noah remembers childhood as a constant scramble to get by. Her mother said, \u201cThe kids must have had a hard time, but we tried to stay grateful.\u201d Faith helped them endure, she added. Their biggest lifeline then was support arranged through the neighborhood welfare office. A local church sent monthly aid \u2014 100,000 KRW (about $75) a month for about two years \u2014 along with occasional treats like pizza and chicken. For single mom Gwang-ae, that 100,000 KRW (about $75) meant far more than money.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t even order delivery for the kids. When people sent food or rice, it made a huge difference,\u201d she said. \u201cI always hoped my kids would grow up to help others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Giving back didn\u2019t wait until they were comfortable. Even during hard times, Gwang-ae donated what she could. She began sponsoring the UN Refugee Agency through a street campaign, starting at 30,000 KRW (about $22.50) a month and later reducing it to 10,000 KRW (about $7.50) when budgets were tight. She\u2019s kept that regular contribution for over seven years.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven small amounts add up and can save a life,\u201d she said. \u201cThe heart behind it matters more than the size of the gift.\u201d Noah House\u2019s commitment to giving started before they even opened. Right after registering the business, they signed up for Save the Children\u2019s \u201cWeSave\u201d campaign and pledged 50,000 KRW (about $37.50) a month.<\/p>\n
Their support for a local children\u2019s center began by chance. Earlier this year, a baker mismeasured sugar, leaving them with dough they couldn\u2019t sell. Rather than wasting it, Noah thought of a neighborhood children\u2019s center she\u2019d passed and turned the dough into red-bean and chocolate buns to send along.<\/p>\n
The center loved them. The kids gobbled the breads, and since then Noah House sends surplus bread to the center about twice a month, timed to arrive at 8 p.m. for the children\u2019s evening snack.<\/p>\n
Noah explained, \u201cMost of the kids are in lower elementary grades, and some stay until 10 p.m. while their parents work late. If we bring trendy items, they go crazy for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes Noah and her mother deliver the boxes themselves. When staff can\u2019t leave, they pack up and bring the bread in person. They don\u2019t stay long, but those short visits are deeply rewarding. \u201cI haven\u2019t properly watched the kids eat it yet,\u201d Noah said. \u201cI want to go and see them soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah House has plans. They recently set up a test kitchen for new menu development and are preparing a pop-up at Yongsan I\u2019Park Mall. They\u2019re focused on building a stronger business while keeping charity at the core. \u201cWe don\u2019t give because we have extra \u2014 we give because we have the heart to do it,\u201d Noah said. \u201cGiving makes you feel like you get more back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving takes courage, too\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWarmth spreads,\u201d the mother and daughter agreed. \u201cWounds may heal in time, but warmth lingers and keeps moving forward.\u201d To them, warmth is more than a kind act \u2014 it\u2019s a force that sticks. Noah wants children going through hard times to hear this:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was little, I truly thought there was nobody. But looking back, that wasn\u2019t the case. I hope kids believe someone is cheering for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gwang-ae, listening beside her, wiped at her eyes. \u201cGiving is about the heart,\u201d she said softly. \u201cWhen your heart leads, material help follows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah House aims to be more than a bakery. They\u2019re preparing one-day baking classes and hands-on sessions. Noah dreams of a space where kids can make bread themselves \u2014 and she can\u2019t wait to watch her mother teach them.<\/p>\n
After watching her mother explain the value of giving, Noah paused and left one last thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cSharing warmth takes courage. I felt shy and embarrassed at first, but I think anyone can find that courage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Incheon = Reporter Jeong Joo-wonn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Noah House, run by Kim Noah and her mother, creates a warm space for community support, despite their challenging past.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/thumbnail\/2026\/05\/CP-2023-0083\/thumb-5b7cd53d-746e-458b-98d0-c926c4e4dfeb.jpg","footnotes":""},"categories":[278098],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-263002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"yoast_head":"\n