A warm kitchen in the cold winter
As usual, on the first Sunday of each month, the small kitchen of the Youth Solidarity Volunteer Group becomes bustling with activity.
From early morning, all the members were present, some busily preparing ingredients, others tending to the broth, and still others diligently picking vegetables and slicing meat… Each person had a task, all working together towards the goal of completing 400 bowls of Quang noodles to donate to patients being treated at the Da Nang City Mental Health Rehabilitation Center.
For the members of the Youth Solidarity group, bowls of Quang noodles are not just a weekend meal, but also a way for them to spread love and add a little warmth to the lives of those less fortunate.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tu Uyen, the group leader, shared that although each member is busy with different jobs and professions, they have consistently maintained their charitable cooking activities for the past three years. The group has delivered thousands of meals to mental health care centers, hospitals, and orphanages in the city.
“What keeps people coming back isn’t the number of meals cooked or the thank-yous, but the joy of seeing the emotional eyes of mental patients, whether they are lucid or delirious. Just one meal to warm their hearts makes all the hard work worthwhile. Thanks to that connection, 'Chung Suc Tre' (Youth Together) has become a pillar of love, silently spreading kindness in everyday life,” Ms. Uyen said emotionally.
Mr. Tan Thanh Vu, Director of the Da Nang Mental Health Rehabilitation Center, expressed: “The 'Chung Suc Tre' volunteer group has visited and supported the center many times with practical activities. Not only have they brought heartwarming meals, but they have also donated gifts, cakes, and milk to the patients. We greatly appreciate the group for always being there for the mental health patients.”
Spreading the love of porridge
This past weekend, the grounds of Quang Nam General Hospital and Quang Nam Traditional Medicine Hospital were more bustling than usual. Lines of people neatly queued, waiting to receive hot bowls of porridge from the "Loving Porridge Pot" charity group (Tam Ky ward).
In just two hours, over 1,500 free bowls of porridge were delivered directly to patients and their families. Besides distributing the porridge, the volunteers also attentively inquired about the health of the patients and helped the elderly and infirm carry their meals back to their rooms. The warmth emanating from the pots of porridge seemed to spread to the smiles of both recipients and givers, adding positive energy to the patients as they battle their illnesses day by day.
Holding a bowl of steaming hot porridge, 65-year-old patient Nguyen Thi Lanh (from Thang Dien commune) emotionally shared: “It’s a small gift, but given with much love. Every week I receive porridge from this charity group. This dish not only warms my stomach but also warms my heart, making me feel more cared for during my treatment.”
According to the members, every Sunday, the two main kitchens located on Tran Phu and Nguyen Hoang streets (Tam Ky ward) operate at full capacity to prepare for the afternoon porridge distribution at the two hospitals.
The rice washers, the pot stirrs, the transporters… everyone works together seamlessly. Thanks to the collective efforts of the members, thousands of bowls of porridge are prepared on schedule, ensuring they are hot, nutritious, and ready to reach the patients.
Some contributed financially, others contributed their time and effort; dozens of kind hearts joined forces. Among them were not only philanthropists, retired officials, and local small business owners, but also students from many high schools in the area. It is this collective effort that has created the strength to sustain the "Soup of Love" program throughout this time.
Huynh Van Luy, a member of the group, shared: “For me, delivering each pot of porridge to the patients is a weekend joy. Seeing the patients receive their meals with emotional eyes, all the hardships disappear. We always try to make this small gift truly a source of warmth and motivation for those battling illness.”
Source: https://baodanang.vn/am-long-bua-an-mien-phi-cho-benh-nhan-3314502.html
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