Two Decades of Love: Spreading Warmth Through Every Meal

Just after 7 a.m., food was already cooked — hot and ready to be divided into 500 portions for lunch.

A Thousand Meals Filled With Love

Starting as early as 4 a.m., the house at 245/3 Ngu Ong Street, Phan Thiet Ward, was already bustling with the sounds of footsteps, chatter, and laughter, while the aroma of freshly cooked rice filled the air. Nearly 40 volunteers—ranging in age from 45 to nearly 80—worked side by side, each tackling a specific task to prepare 1,000 meal portions for the day.

Le Thi Lon, the founder of Thanh Tam Charity Kitchen, said the initiative began simply as a volunteer activity by five women in her family, who cooked meals to support poor patients after witnessing the financial difficulties they faced during medical treatment. At first, they prepared about 50 lunch boxes. But as more people came to know about this meaningful work, women from the neighborhood, the ward and then other wards began contributing their time and financial supports to help sustain the charity kitchen for more than 20 years.

All members of the kitchen come from different occupations and economic backgrounds, but they share one thing in common: compassion. Each meal box is not only a hot serving of food, but also a gesture of kindness and sharing with disadvantaged people and poor patients.

As the kitchen’s head cook, Le Thi Thuy Hoa said food hygiene and safety are always the top priority. Ingredients are carefully prepared, ensuring that each meal is nutritious with savory dishes, stir-fried items and soup. The menu is changed from meal to meal. “The meal portions may be small, but we hope they can help ease part of the burden for disadvantaged people, especially poor patients undergoing treatment,” she said.

At present, on the eighth day of every lunar month, around 1,000 meal portions are handed directly to patients undergoing treatment at healthcare facilities in the eastern part of the province, as well as to workers in several local areas.

Spreading Warmth in Everyday Life

Nguyen Thi Hanh from Ham Thuan Commune, who is undergoing long-term treatment for musculoskeletal disease at the Lam Dong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation, was moved as she held a hot meal from Thanh Tam Charity Kitchen in her hands. Each hospital stay lasts more than half a month, and these meals are not only practical financial support but also a source of emotional comfort, helping ease her worries and giving her greater confidence on the road to recovery.

This is also a common feeling among many inpatients at the hospital. Speaking about the meaning of the activity, Chu Thi Ngoc Trang, a nurse from the Department of Internal Medicine said: “Most inpatients here suffer from serious illnesses and require prolonged treatment. Although health insurance provides support, daily living expenses remain a major concern for many families. These charity meals, therefore, are not only material support but also a source of encouragement, giving poor patients more strength and peace of mind as they undergo treatment.”

Le Thi Lon, head of Thanh Tam Charity Kitchen in Phan Thiet Ward, said that in addition to its fixed monthly cooking schedule, the charity kitchen also works with local social organizations to prepare and distribute free meals during special community events. According to Lon, most of the kitchen’s members are elderly, and their simple wish is to stay healthy enough to help deliver more meals to poor residents.

More than 20 years is by no means a short journey. Over that time, tens of thousands of meal portions have been given with love — not only through the kindness of Thanh Tam Charity Kitchen’s members, but also with the support of many benefactors and donors who have accompanied the kitchen throughout its journey.

This meaningful charitable activity has not only helped many people ease hardship during times of illness and difficulty, but has also connected generous hearts, helping spread the message of love and sharing more widely in everyday life.