Old me - new you - love remains forever

The model was initiated by the Volunteer Group “Giving is Forever” in coordination with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ham Rong Commune. Ms. Vo Hong Cam, Group Leader, shared about the birth of the group: “Witnessing the difficult circumstances of many households, children lacking clothes, being a mother myself, I felt sorry. I shared the idea of ​​setting up a volunteer group and received the attention of the sisters. Everyone agreed, sharing the desire to spread love through practical actions. From there, the Volunteer Group “Giving is Forever” was born”.

Starting from February 19, 2019, the first free stall was spontaneously established. Although still simple, the model quickly attracted the attention of local people. After only one month of operation, with support from the government and the community, the Volunteer Group "Giving is Forever" was officially launched. The ceremony was warm with hundreds of attendees, more than 400 kg of rice and hundreds of sets of clothes were donated.

Any clothes with torn threads or broken buttons are carefully repaired by the seamstresses.

700m from Dam Cung bridge towards Nam Can, the 0 Dong stall was set up right on the roadside, creating convenient conditions for people to choose. Ms. Vo Thi Ut, Kinh Tac hamlet, a group member, shared: “I joined the group from the beginning. At first, we cooked charity meals every full moon and 30th of every month, gathering at Cam's house to cook. Cam prepared everything, from necessities to necessary items. We contributed whatever we had, and if we didn't have anything, we contributed our efforts, Cam was still very happy. When we switched to the 0 Dong stall, Cam was in charge of all the expenses, from needles, threads, elastic bands, washing powder, laundry detergent, electricity... she even provided meals for us every time we came here to work.”

They work 10 hours a day to sort things.

The zero-dong stall is organized with respect and love. Not only the poor, but anyone in need can come and find the right item for themselves. Running the group to keep the “store” full of items requires persistent effort and a high sense of responsibility from the 11 group members. From collecting clothes, transporting, to washing, sorting, sewing..., all are done voluntarily and wholeheartedly.

Ms. Cam’s group is always meticulous in its organization, which is demonstrated through the thoughtfulness in every small detail: torn clothes are sewn, broken zippers are replaced, clean, neat clothes are hung up. Because they understand that people in need need not only material things, but also respect and the feeling of being cared for and shared.

After being sorted, the clothes are washed, dried, and then packed into bags for shipping, according to size.

Pointing to dozens of neatly arranged bags of clothes, Ms. Cam smiled gently: "These are the clothes that need to have their elastic bands replaced and their seams re-sewn. Because they are new, the group has them ready. When they have free time, they will take them out to do it. If they are torn, have broken threads, or have broken buttons... they won't be able to be worn."

Not only in the local commune, the group also organizes reception points in many localities such as Vien An commune, Ca Mau city. At the same time, Ms. Cam also has close relationships with many volunteer groups across the country, regularly mobilizing free trucks to transport goods.

According to Ms. Cam, on average each year the group receives about 15 tons of clothes from donors and transfers them to support people in need. After more than 6 years of operation, the group has supported many localities in the country with more than 80 tons of clothes, more than 35,000 sets of clothes for Tet, over 3,000 sets of school uniforms, and thousands of essential gifts for people in remote areas. "Typhoon Yagi had a significant impact on the northern provinces. Faced with that difficulty, the group mobilized more than 15 tons of clothes from many localities. The group worked hard day and night to transport them in time to support people there," Ms. Cam shared her memories.

What makes the “Giving is Forever” Volunteer Group special is not only the amount of goods or the number of people supported, but also the spreading value of the model. Thanks to active communication through social networks, the images of the charity stalls have touched the hearts of many people, from local people to donors everywhere, more and more hearts are connected in harmony to do good things in life.

Zero-dong booth in Dat Moi commune during "National Border Guard Day", at Nam Can Border Guard Station.

The stall not only gives clothes and necessities, but also gives warmth and arouses the spirit of mutual love between people. The story of “old for us - new for others” has become the motivation for thousands of individuals and organizations to contribute and share, no matter how little or much. Ms. Cam informed: “There are many things, but the warehouse that the commune lends is not enough to gather them. Faced with that difficulty, I discussed with my husband to buy land and build more houses to use as a warehouse to store things. At the same time, I built more rooms for the women who come to work to have a place to rest”. Currently, Ms. Cam's new warehouse has been completed, with a total construction cost of over 250 million VND.

With the heart and noble gesture of Ms. Vo Hong Cam and the members, the Volunteer Group "Giving is Forever" is continuing to bring love to the disadvantaged, connecting hearts and joining hands to preserve humane values ​​in the community./.

Diamond

Source: https://baocamau.vn/cu-ta-moi-nguoi-nghia-tinh-con-mai-a39054.html