'Compassionate Tet' in the Year of the Horse: Striving to provide 1.5 million gift packages.

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society has just issued a plan to implement the "Compassionate Tet" program for the Spring of the Year of the Horse 2026, aiming to mobilize resources to care for vulnerable groups during Tet, ensuring that everyone has a joyful and warm Tet holiday.

Presenting gifts and visiting disabled people in Vinh Long city, Vinh Long province to wish them a Happy New Year. Photo courtesy of Le Thuy Hang/TTXVN.

According to the plan, the entire Association system aims to provide 1.5 million Tet gifts, each valued at at least 500,000 VND (including cash and goods), to people with disabilities, elderly people without family support, orphaned children, people in extremely difficult circumstances, and people affected by natural disasters. The total value of the support is expected to reach at least 750 billion VND.

At the central level, the Association will organize at least 10 "Tet of Compassion" programs, each distributing 1,000 gift packages, worth at least 1 million VND each, in localities heavily affected by natural disasters in 2025, including: Da Nang, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh , Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa, Hue, Ninh Binh, Quang Ngai and Lam Dong.

At the provincial and city levels, each locality will organize at least one "Compassionate Tet" program, distributing 500 gift packages, each worth at least 500,000 VND. Notably, in 2026, the "Compassionate Tet" week will be implemented for the first time at the commune level, contributing to bringing Tet care activities closer to people at the grassroots level. The Association aims for 100% of the beneficiaries it cares for to receive Tet gifts; of which, 34 provincial and city associations have fully met their assigned targets.

The "Compassionate Tet" program for the Spring of the Year of the Horse 2026 will be implemented from January 15th to February 10th, 2026 (corresponding to the 27th to 23rd of the 12th lunar month). The "Compassionate Tet" week at the commune level will take place from February 2nd to 9th, 2026 (from the 15th to 22nd of the 12th lunar month), with activities such as gift giving, New Year greetings, a Compassionate Tet Market, Tet celebrations, folk games, making banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), and Tet painting…

In terms of organization, the Central Committee of the Association implemented a fundraising campaign through both direct and online methods. This included two online campaigns: "A Million Gifts for a Compassionate Tet" and "Tet for Flood-Affected People," conducted through designated accounts and digital platforms to broaden the participation of the community, businesses, and philanthropists.

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society will coordinate with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and relevant units to facilitate visits and gift-giving activities by Party and State leaders in localities; and at the same time, guide and support provincial and city Red Cross branches in implementing communication, mobilizing resources, and organizing programs according to plan.

Provincial and city-level associations are responsible for developing specific plans, proactively advising local Party committees and authorities on directing implementation; coordinating with the Fatherland Front, departments, agencies, mass organizations, and businesses to mobilize resources, accurately identify target groups, avoid duplication, and ensure transparency, openness, and effectiveness. Localities must submit quick reports before February 2, 2026, and final reports before March 4, 2026, to the Central Association.

According to a report by the Vietnam Red Cross Central Committee, the "Compassionate Tet" campaign in the Spring of 2025 supported over 2.6 million poor and disadvantaged people (achieving 192% of the target), with a total value of over 1,346 billion VND. The entire system organized 1,714 "Compassionate Tet" programs following the "Fair - Gift Giving - Celebrating Tet" model, 2.6 times more than in 2024. The cluster of centrally-governed cities mobilized over 600,000 gift packages, worth nearly 354 billion VND, exceeding the targets set by the Central Committee.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/tet-nhan-ai-xuan-binh-ngo-phan-dau-ho-tro-15-trieu-phan-qua-20251219203441450.htm