My Tho City Charity Association: A place to spread love

Established in 1990, after more than 35 years, My Tho City Charity Association has become a prestigious social organization, operating effectively in humanitarian charity work. With the motto "Joining hands for the community", the Association has constantly innovated its content and methods of operation, diversifying its support forms to suit actual needs and bring practical values to the people.

Patients and their relatives come to receive meals from My Tho City Charity Association at Tien Giang Provincial General Hospital.

My Tho City Charity Association currently has 19 charity groups, with a total of 951 members, spread across 17 wards and communes in My Tho City. Each member is not only a volunteer, but also a "humanitarian bridge" connecting resources inside and outside the city. In addition, the Association also receives strong support from benefactors, organizations, businesses and individuals who love charity work inside and outside Tien Giang province.

In the past time, the Association has well implemented all policies and directions of the superiors; at the same time, actively responded and participated in the activities of departments, branches and organizations. The Association has well participated in implementing 5 key programs of the Association including: Bowls of rice, bowls of porridge of love; helping poor students; helping the poor, lonely elderly, disabled people; charity medical examination and support for patients in difficulty; charity ambulance activities...

One of the regular and special activities of the Association is the program "Bowl of rice, bowl of porridge of love". In 2024, the Association distributed over 44,572 porridge portions, over 179,316 charity meals to support inpatients and their families in difficult circumstances at Tien Giang General Hospital and Tien Giang Traditional Medicine Hospital, with a budget of over 3 billion VND.

Every day, from early morning, members are present at the volunteer kitchen, personally preparing hot, nutritious meals, and handing them to patients and their relatives being treated at the hospitals. The food is prepared to ensure nutrition and food safety.

The quality of meals is always improved and diversified with lots of meat, fish, eggs and drinks such as: sweet soup, soy milk, pennywort smoothies... Each time, 400 meals are distributed to patients and their families in difficult circumstances, mainly in the hospital.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thoi, one of the people who has been involved in the kitchen for a long time, said: In the past, when we first established it, we had to cook in the hospital hallway; having rice and food to cook was a blessing because it was very difficult to mobilize in the past. Later, our work was supported by many people, both financially and in terms of effort, so the kitchen was lit three times a day, with more than 1,200 meals given out.

The number of members in the kitchen has also increased. We have many teams, taking care of shopping, cooking, etc. The kitchen we have today is thanks to the care of the hospital's Board of Directors and benefactors.

Ms. Nguyen Thi My Anh shared: “Even though I am retired, I still want to do something useful. Seeing the smiles of the elderly and children when receiving meals and gifts, I feel extremely relieved and warm in my heart.”

CONNECTING COMMUNITY, SPREADING LOVE

The highlight of the Association's activities is its effective coordination with social organizations, unions, and local authorities. The Association does not operate alone but always proactively connects and promotes combined strength to support the right people at the right time.

Every year, the Association coordinates with Tien Giang Television Station, the Provincial Association for Promotion of Education... to organize meaningful social security programs such as: "Step up to school", "Light up dreams", "Support exam season"... along with other activities to care for poor students, with a total value of over 600 million VND.

Vice President of My Tho City Charity Association Le Mong Thuy said that in order to help the poor, the lonely elderly, the disabled, and the terminally ill to reduce some of their difficulties, every month, the Association sponsors and periodically provides rice to the poor in My Tho City; each household receives 10 kg of rice and has so far distributed 3,543 portions. On holidays and Tet, the Association gives over 1,000 gifts to poor households, lonely elderly, and disabled people, and carries out other activities, with a value of over 1 billion VND.

The Association also coordinated to examine, treat and provide free medicine for the elderly in difficult circumstances; gave over 856 gifts to patients in difficult circumstances being treated at hospitals..., with a total value of over 952 million VND.

At the same time, the City Charity Association carries out programs to support associations and camps, carry out social charity work inside and outside the province; implements a charity ambulance program to transfer and discharge poor patients free of charge...

My Tho City Charity Association is not only a social organization but also a symbol of humanity, of the spirit of “mutual love” in the new era. In each meal, each scholarship, each charity house is a heart, a bridge connecting strangers closer together.

SONG AN

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/xa-hoi/202505/hoi-tu-thien-tp-my-tho-noi-lan-toa-yeu-thuong-1043554/