Good Steps

Friendly, approachable and always full of positive energy, that is our first impression of Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Hien, in Duc Xuan ward, a typical face in the voluntary blood donation movement and charity activities in the locality. For her, doing charity work is not something big, but simply "living to share, living to love".

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Hien during a voluntary blood donation.

39 times of voluntary blood donation

Ever since she was a student, Hoang Thi Thu Hien has been accustomed to saving her breakfast money or lucky money to help her friends in need. Every time she went to the market with her mother, she often saw disabled people or old people selling goods on the roadside, she would shyly ask her mother for some change to help them.

Growing up with such simple lessons about kindness, Hien seemed to have an early "destiny" for the path of charity.

As a student, she became more active in community activities: donating to support flood victims, helping children in highland areas, participating in "Green Summer" campaigns in Lang Son, Bac Giang , Hai Duong...

Trips to faraway lands and stories about hard-working people have given Hien more experiences, and also planted in her a simple belief: giving is the way to keep your heart warm.

Up to now, Hien has donated blood 39 times, a number that many people admire. The opportunity to participate in this activity is also very natural. In the first year of university, after being informed about the meaning of blood donation, Hien boldly signed up to participate.

The first time she stepped onto the mobile blood donation vehicle at the school gate, the young student was both nervous and emotional. And since that day, Hien has become one of the active members of the 27/2 Association, the Hanoi City Volunteer Youth Association for Blood Donation.

Hoang Thi Thu Hien confided: At first, I only thought of donating blood to save people. But when I came to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, holding the tiny hands of sick babies, I truly understood the profound meaning of the drops of blood I gave. Therefore, I only hope to be able to contribute a small part, giving more hope to the less fortunate.

After graduating and returning to work in her locality, Hien still maintained that enthusiasm. During her years as Secretary of the Youth Union of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Ward (now merged into Duc Xuan Ward), she proactively proposed organizing humanitarian blood donation activities, and established a Youth Volunteer Team to mobilize blood donations with 11 members in 2014.

Not only waiting for the programs launched by superiors, she and her team members directly propagated and mobilized union members and youths to proactively go to Bac Kan Provincial General Hospital (old) to register to donate blood when someone needed it urgently.

Up to now, the Youth Volunteer Team “Humanitarian Blood Donation Campaign” has maintained regular activities with 30 members. Every year, the team coordinates to organize blood donation festivals, raise funds to support patients and call for emergency blood donations when necessary.

Many team members have become shining examples in voluntary blood donation, including one person who donated blood more than 30 times, 4 people who donated more than 10 times and 7 people who donated 5-9 times.

Not only contributing to spreading the message “Every drop of blood given - a life saved”, Ms. Hien and her volunteers also silently sow the seeds of love in the community through simple actions, lasting over the years. For them, every drop of blood given is a heartbeat of love sent back to life.

Tireless wings

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Hien in the green volunteer shirt, always enthusiastic about community activities.

Hoang Thi Thu Hien continues to find joy in volunteering. From her first volunteer trips as a youth, she began to call on everyone to join hands to support clothes, warm blankets, cash, and school supplies to send to children in remote areas.

Many times, she organized cultural exchange programs to raise funds, clean, cut hair, and give gifts to children at the Center for Education for Children with Disabilities (now the Center for Supporting the Development of Inclusive Education in Bac Kan).

Hoang Thi Thu Hien modestly shared: I think my work is still very small. I just hope I can do something more to help them. I also hope that there will be more young people joining in volunteer work and donating blood. How great that would be…

From 2020 to now, she and the youth union members have taken charge of parking lots to raise funds with a total gift value of nearly 20 million VND; presided over the construction of 15 youth projects including roads, field ditches, playgrounds, book libraries, handwashing sinks, roofs, donated to families in difficult circumstances... with a total value of more than 220 million VND.

The activities attracted hundreds of union members and young people to participate. In addition, she also coordinated with other units to carry out 5 civil works - building bridges, pulling electricity, planting trees, pouring concrete yards, and replacing the roof of the cultural house - contributing to changing the appearance of the countryside.

Not only stopping at specific projects, Ms. Hien also inspires youth with creative ideas. Establishing the Minh Khai Lion Dance Team is one of those ideas, creating a playground and income for young people, and becoming a "bridge of love", bringing joy to children in difficult circumstances every Mid-Autumn Festival or Lunar New Year.

As the Captain of the Provincial Red Cross Volunteer Team, Ms. Hien directly participated in propaganda, assigned and coordinated 40-60 volunteers to contribute to humanitarian relief activities and voluntary blood donation launched by the Provincial Red Cross. During the period 2020-2025, she and the volunteers propagated and mobilized nearly 1,000 people to donate blood. In addition, she is also an active volunteer of the provincial food bank, participating in supporting food distribution to the poor and disadvantaged.

With such persistent contributions, Hoang Thi Thu Hien has been awarded many certificates of merit by the Provincial Youth Union and the Bac Kan Provincial Red Cross Society; in 2020, she was honored at the 5th National Patriotic Emulation Congress of the Vietnam Red Cross Society. In 2025, Hoang Thi Thu Hien was recommended by the Provincial Red Cross Society for commendation by the Chairman of the Thai Nguyen Provincial People's Committee.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202510/nhung-buoc-chan-thien-lanh-b356f4c/