Keeping the Flame of Charity Burning for More Than Two Decades
For over 20 years, the charity kitchen located on the grounds of Lam Dong II Hospital has steadily kept its fires burning, providing free meals for patients, helping ease their hardships and offering encouragement to thousands of underprivileged patients.
A Heartwarming Anchor in the Mountain Town of B'Lao
Established in 2004, the charity kitchen at Lam Dong II Hospital is managed and operated by the Red Cross Society in coordination with the hospital's Board of Redirect. The management board and volunteers actively connect with and mobilize organizations, individuals, and charity groups both inside and outside the locality to support essential goods, contributing to nutritious, safe meals filled with compassion for patients.
From Monday to Friday every week, the kitchen provides 600 free meals daily, consisting of warm porridge for breakfast, as well as meals for lunch and dinner. Ba Ka Hai, a resident in Cat Tien 2 Commune and a family member of an inpatient currently undergoing treatment, shared that these free meals significantly reduce household living expenses, allowing her to care for her loved one with peace of mind. According to Le Van Tien, Director of Lam Dong II Hospital, the companionship of the kitchen serves as a precious source of spiritual encouragement, giving patients the fortitude to overcome hardships.
Alongside maintaining free meals, the charity kitchen actively participates in Humanitarian Month and Humanitarian Tet movements, organizing zero-dong stalls and presenting hundreds of gifts and rice packages to poor households. The unit also supports cases of deceased patients with no relatives or permanent residence and grants scholarships to studious orphans in the area.
Transparency to Spread Compassion
To sustain charitable operations for over two decades, the Lam Dong II Hospital Charity Kitchen has consistently upheld the spirit of solidarity and implemented open, transparent financial management.
The key to maintaining community trust is practicing openness and transparency in financial management. All cash revenues, material contributions, and expenditures for procurement and transportation are fully recorded and strictly controlled through the Finance and Planning Department of Lam Dong II Hospital. Consequently, donors can contribute with peace of mind and join hands to sustain the kitchen's operations.
Nguyen Thi Mai Loan, Head of the Lam Dong II Hospital Charity Kitchen, stated that the total value of essential goods, material items, and funding serving charitable and humanitarian work by the kitchen from 2024 to the present has reached over 8 billion dong. Behind this figure lies the concerted effort of numerous individuals, organizations, and volunteers. Some contribute food, others provide financial support, while others directly cook and serve patients.
Such transparency has generated a powerful appeal, transforming this place into a rendezvous for kind-hearted souls. A series of organizations and associations have joined hands to keep the kitchen fire burning: from charity groups like Thien Nhan Bao Loc, Sen Trang, Phuoc Hue, and Xom Hue offering thousands of vegetarian meals.
The police force of B'Lao Ward and the local Women's Union have provided hundreds of nutritious meals. The Tam Duc Charity Association, businesses such as Yamaha Tri Khoa, Vu Tuan Loc, and numerous other benefactors regularly donate rice, spices, cash, and gifts directly to seriously ill patients. Tran Thi Le Huyen, leader of the Thien Nhan Bao Loc charity group, expressed: "Our group along with many other groups support rice, essentials, fresh food, vegetables, and tubers. Everyone joins hands to keep the kitchen fire burning so that patients and their families can alleviate their hardships."
The Lam Dong II Hospital Charity Kitchen has demonstrated its role as a sturdy humanitarian bridge, ensuring that the journey of sowing the seeds of love continues to spread deeply and widely across society.
Most patients are impoverished laborers hailing from remote areas. When undergoing prolonged treatment, aside from worries about their illness, they bear heavy pressures from hospital fees and living expenses. Therefore, understanding and sharing become practical sources of encouragement, helping them lighten their burdens.
Nguyen Thanh Tu, Chairman of the Red Cross Society of B'Lao Ward