Spreading love through the Tet of Compassion movement.

Following the success of the "Tet for the Poor and Victims of Agent Orange" movement launched by the Vietnam Red Cross Central Committee in 1999, the "Compassionate Tet" movement, implemented since 2023, has created a widespread impact in the community, becoming a beautiful expression of compassion and social responsibility, generating material resources to support the poor, policy beneficiary families, and vulnerable groups... enabling them to celebrate the traditional Tet holiday warmly and joyfully.

In preparation for the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Dragon, the Nho Quan District Red Cross Society is striving to mobilize 1,000 gift packages to distribute to disadvantaged households. To achieve this goal, the District Red Cross Society has assigned targets to each commune, while also intensifying its propaganda and mobilization efforts targeting businesses in the area, and people from the district working far from home.

Mr. Tran Van Thuy, Chairman of the Nho Quan District Red Cross Society, said: "Although life is not yet truly prosperous, the people of Nho Quan are inherently compassionate and ready to share to support the poor and those in difficult circumstances, especially during the Lunar New Year."

Many organizations and individuals have consistently supported and contributed to the Red Cross Society of the district in activities to care for the poor, families entitled to preferential policies, and people in difficult circumstances during Tet (Lunar New Year). A prime example is Quang Hung Gold and Silver Enterprise.

Participating in the "Tet of Compassion" program for the Year of the Dragon 2024, Quang Hung Gold and Silver Enterprise donated 100 million VND, providing 250 gift packages to people in difficult circumstances. Ms. Dam Ngoc Yen, owner of Quang Hung Gold and Silver Enterprise, expressed her emotion: "The 'Tet for the Poor and Victims of Agent Orange' program, now known as the 'Tet of Compassion,' is a very meaningful activity, organized during the traditional Lunar New Year."

The gifts given reflect the affection, mutual support, and solidarity within the community. Currently, in addition to the company's funding, we are also actively connecting with and calling on friends to join hands in preparing meaningful gifts to personally deliver to the poor and families receiving government assistance as the New Year approaches.

For many years, once a month, Mr. Vu Duc Tho, owner of Ba Nhat restaurant in Ninh An commune (Hoa Lu district), has consistently organized a cooking event, preparing hundreds of meals to donate to patients being treated at the Provincial General Hospital. The dishes prepared for the patients are carefully planned by Mr. Tho and his colleagues to ensure nutrition, food safety, and a fresh, delicious taste.

Mr. Tho shared: "To be able to cook hundreds of meals, I had to rely on the support of local people and friends who shared the same desire to do charity work. Gradually, the activity became well-established. Everyone has their own job to make a living, but on the day we organize the cooking, they proactively arrange their schedules to participate. Many of my friends, out of appreciation for this meaningful activity, are also willing to contribute funds or food to help me maintain the kitchen. I also bought an electric rice cooker and a car to transport the meals to the hospital. Cooking meals for patients, especially poor patients, will be an activity I strive to maintain for the long term."

In preparation for the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Year of the Dragon, Mr. Tho and his friends have also made specific plans to organize this meaningful activity to donate to poor patients receiving treatment at the Provincial General Hospital. Mr. Tho said emotionally: "The lives of the poor are already difficult, and they become even more burdened when they or their loved ones fall ill and have to be hospitalized for a long time."

To encourage and alleviate the difficulties faced by patients, the charity kitchen organized by the restaurant has been operating continuously over the years. This Lunar New Year, the restaurant will prepare 500 meals of rice and porridge, worth 15 million VND, for patients in difficult circumstances. This small gift serves as a New Year's greeting, hoping to give patients more motivation and faith to overcome their illnesses.

The "Tet of Compassion" program is a continuation of the "Tet for the Poor and Victims of Agent Orange" movement launched by the Vietnam Red Cross Central Committee in 1999. This is a very meaningful program, deeply humane and widely impactful. After more than 20 years of implementing the movement, Red Cross branches at all levels have mobilized tens of thousands of gifts for the poor, people with disabilities, orphans, victims of Agent Orange, and families of policy beneficiaries.

During the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit 2023 alone, Red Cross branches at all levels in the province coordinated with philanthropists to donate over 10,000 Tet gifts with a total value of nearly 6 billion VND.

The "Compassionate Tet" campaign in 2024 will run from January 20th to February 4th, 2024, with the peak period from January 25th to February 3rd, 2024. To prepare for the "Compassionate Tet" campaign in the Year of the Dragon 2024, the Provincial Red Cross Society has directed its branches and volunteers to disseminate information about the campaign's activities. Simultaneously, they are proactively surveying and assessing the situation of disadvantaged households; identifying potential donors; understanding the concerns and aspirations of benefactors; and directing activities towards grassroots levels, through the reception and coordination of Red Cross branches at all levels.

The Provincial Association has also sent out a letter appealing for support for the "Compassionate Tet" campaign in 2024 to agencies, organizations, and businesses in the province. The goal is to mobilize resources to donate 8,000 gift packages to disadvantaged individuals, with each package valued at least 300,000 VND.

Mr. Bui Quang Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Red Cross Society, said: The Provincial Red Cross Society has also assigned targets to the city and district Red Cross branches. To achieve this goal, the Red Cross at all levels has been proactive, flexible, and creative in its fundraising methods, thereby spreading the spirit of "mutual support and compassion" in the community.

Based on the actual conditions in each locality, it is possible to mobilize and widely connect the participation and contributions of the community to organize activities such as: organizing "Fairs - Gift Giving - Celebrating Tet" models to provide material and spiritual assistance so that the poor, those in difficult circumstances, and vulnerable people can enjoy the spring and celebrate Tet; giving gifts and wishing Tet greetings; organizing "Compassionate Tet Markets" following the guidelines of the Central Association's "Humanitarian Market" model, ensuring the diversity of goods with groups such as: necessities, food, cakes, candies, etc.; organizing the "Celebrating Tet with Patients" program with the content of giving Tet meals and lucky money to patients; supporting painting, cleaning, and decorating houses, etc., contributing to supporting the disadvantaged and vulnerable people to celebrate Tet and enjoy the spring.

At the launch ceremony of the "Compassionate Tet" campaign for the Year of the Dragon 2024, the Vietnamese Running Association in San Jose, USA, donated 20 bicycles worth 40 million VND to students in difficult circumstances; the Red Cross branches in districts and cities; and philanthropists registered to donate 1,360 compassionate Tet gift packages with a total value of over 2 billion VND.

Dao Hang-Minh Quang

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/lan-toa-yeu-thuong-tu-phong-trao-tet-nhan-ai-/d20240119082629737.htm