'Zero-dong kitchen' gives thousands of heartwarming meals to patients

A place to share love

The “zero-dong kitchen” at 33 Le Ninh Street has become familiar to patients being treated at Vinh General Hospital, Branch 2. For many months now, at around 10 a.m., every day from Monday to Thursday, they have been coming to this address to receive free lunches.

Hurriedly riding his motorbike from Nam Dan, Mr. Vo Trong Minh (68 years old) stopped by the “Zero-dong Kitchen” to get his meal, in order to be on time for the hospital for dialysis. Being familiar with the treatment schedule of the patients, the Kitchen also prepared the meals quite early to serve them on time. Holding the meal in his hand, Mr. Minh choked up: “For people who have been treated for kidney disease for many years like me, it is difficult and deprived, so being taken care of with delicious meals, with full nutrition, there is really nothing more precious.”

Having been a “regular customer” of the kitchen for many months, stopping by the kitchen to receive meals, Ms. Chu Thi Loi (37 years old) from Dien Chau also lingered to chat with the owner and the workers here, as familiar as family. Ms. Loi is seriously ill and has been on dialysis at the hospital for more than 3 years now. Her husband works as a construction worker, raising two small children, life is very difficult. She has to undergo dialysis 3 times a week, and she rents a room near the hospital for convenient treatment. Although her house is not too far away, she only visits home occasionally, partly because she is weak and tired, partly to save money on travel. Since the “Zero-VND Kitchen” opened, she has had the feeling of “eating at home”.

“Eating delicious lunches makes me feel warm like I am at home. Normally, I do not have the conditions to cook fully, change dishes, and ensure nutrition like that. Not only because the patients lack material things, but also many days when we are too tired to prepare meals ourselves, we have to ask acquaintances who are also being treated to come and get them for us. The lunches at the “Zero-dong Kitchen” give us more confidence to continue the difficult treatment journey ahead,” Ms. Loi emotionally shared.

Ms. Doan Thi Quyen in Minh Chau commune (Dien Chau) also regularly goes to collect charity rice to help 4 patients in the same treatment room at the hospital who cannot move. She tearfully said: "The patients are very happy. If there were no lunch from the "Zero-dong Kitchen", the patients who have to stay in one place have to rely on their families to prepare meals, which is very expensive and difficult."

At the “Zero-dong Kitchen”, not only patients and people in difficult circumstances but also their relatives are warmly welcomed. On the occasion of October 20, the kitchen also gave flowers and small gifts to female patients. According to the wish of Mr. Mai Tu (Doi Cung Ward, Vinh City) - the owner of “Zero-dong Kitchen”, this place not only gives charity meals but also is a place to share love with the less fortunate in the community.

Heartthink"Giving is forever"

Having gone through a difficult and arduous period, Mr. Tu understands and sympathizes with the poor, so when the business was favorable and life was more comfortable, he and his wife set up a charity fund to give gifts and support poor students in mountainous areas, the poor, etc. Wishing to maintain more regular and practical charity activities, since the middle of this year, he and his wife opened a "Zero-dong Kitchen" with the wish to help those who are unlucky enough to suffer from serious illnesses to reduce their burden.

To realize the “Zero-VND Kitchen”, the couple surveyed a location that met the needs of the patients, then chose to rent a space next to Vinh General Hospital, Branch 2, and purchased the necessary equipment; at a cost of tens of millions of VND. At the same time, each month, the couple deducted nearly 100 million VND from the family’s charity fund to cook nearly 2,000 meals to serve the patients. The kitchen does not receive money but only receives food support from benefactors.

Not only contributing money, his family also spent a lot of time and effort on the “Zero-VND Kitchen”. The charity meals were even more meaningful when his mother was the one who cooked every day. Although she was old, sympathetic to her children’s goodwill, Ms. Huyen (Tu’s mother) volunteered to accompany and take care of every meal for the sick and the poor.

Ms. Huyen shared: “Luckily, I am still healthy. I want to join my children in helping the poor, especially dialysis patients who are in poor health and in difficult circumstances. Therefore, every day I wake up early to go to the market, personally choose fresh and delicious foods, change the menu regularly and supervise each stage of preparation to have nutritious meals to ensure the health of the patients. I spend the whole morning with two people, preparing and packing each meal, so that it is on time for the dialysis patients to eat. Seeing many poor and struggling people hoping to receive rice, I feel so sorry for them, so every day we try to make a few more meals to help them; some days up to 120 meals. Although the work is quite busy and tiring, helping people makes me happy and satisfied!”

With meaningful contributions to the community, recently, Mr. Mai Tu's family was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee for their many contributions to volunteer activities in Nghe An, period 2021-2023.

Although Mr. Tu and his wife are busy with work, they always take time to go to the kitchen to help cook, serve, and chat with everyone.

Sharing about the milestones of his charity journey over the past time, Mr. Tu happily said: “Now I am much “richer”, “richer” in the affection of patients and loved ones. Many patients sent their thanks, some even donated rice to the kitchen. Those sincere feelings have given my family more motivation to continue doing charity work. Witnessing many poor patients, some of whom were still receiving rice today, but a few days later were no longer there; life is very unpredictable, so whatever I can do to benefit others, I will try my best...”.

Not only determined to maintain charitable meals, Tu and his wife are also working on a free bread cart project at several locations in Vinh city; each day, they distribute 200 sandwiches to the poor, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With the belief that “giving is forever”, Mai Tu’s family plans to continue their charitable activities in the future such as: Opening more “Zero-dong kitchens” and building schools for students in mountainous areas… to spread love and give many good values ​​to the community./.