Multiplying mutual love and affection...

(Baonghean) - In Thai Hoa Town, when talking about humanitarian and charitable activities, people often mention the Red Cross Society. That is because this organization has many good ways of doing things, achieving practical results, thereby multiplying mutual love and affection in the community...

Although they have overcome difficult circumstances for a while, the family of Mr. Le Van Hoa and Ms. Luong Thi Dam (Trung Nghia Ward, Quang Tien Ward, Thai Hoa Town) still remember clearly the times when they received help from the Red Cross of the ward and town. That was in 2009, Mr. Hoa fell ill and had to have his spleen removed; in 2012, he suffered from degenerative bone disease and a broken radius. Ms. Dam is a farmer and her children are still in school, so when her husband fell ill and sick, they fell into a very tragic situation. During the difficult times that seemed impossible to overcome, she received help from her neighbors and especially from the Red Cross of the ward and town. Ms. Luong Thi Dam said: "With that illness, I should have taken Mr. Hoa to Hanoi for treatment, but because it was too difficult, I had to treat him at home. With the care and help of the Red Cross staff, our family was given more strength to overcome the situation. My two children, because they understood the difficulties of their parents, were grateful for the care and help of the community and the Red Cross, so they studied hard, worked hard, and saved to help the family. I am truly grateful for what the Red Cross has done...".

Giving gifts to poor patients at the Northwest Regional General Hospital

Quang Tien Ward has many families in similar circumstances that have been helped by the Red Cross. According to Ms. Truong Thi Thuy - President of the Quang Tien Ward Red Cross, in 2014 alone, the association mobilized 18 units of voluntary blood donation; donated more than 23,000,000 VND to support Truong Sa; more than 25,000,000 VND for Tet for the poor; more than 29,000,000 VND for the Charity Fund... and used it in accordance with the tradition of charity "the whole leaves cover the torn leaves", "love others as you love yourself". During the year, the association visited and presented 241 gifts to families in difficult circumstances; provided relief for two children with serious illnesses with nearly 15,000,000 VND; visited 29 sick members with more than 12,600,000 VND; help students in difficult circumstances with more than 14,000,000 VND...

If Quang Tien ward has emerged as a unit with many charitable activities, aiming at difficult lives, then at the Northwest Regional General Hospital, the "Bowl of Love Porridge" activity to help poor patients, organized and maintained by the town's Red Cross Society, the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and the hospital, has been really effective. The origin of this charitable activity came from Mr. Le Tien Kham, Chairman of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of the town. That day, around the end of 2008, Mr. Kham visited a relative who was being treated at the hospital and saw an old man faint after being injected with antibiotics. When asked, it was learned that because his family was too poor, he did not have money for breakfast, so he did not have the strength to inject high doses of antibiotics. Haunted, Mr. Kham told the story and expressed his intention to help poor patients to some business leaders in the association and raised 16,000,000 VND. With money, he went to the Red Cross Society of the town, then with Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam - Permanent Vice President of the Society, went to the Northwest Regional General Hospital to meet Dr. Le Dinh Van (Director of the hospital at that time). The plan "Bowl of love porridge" for poor patients was outlined and implemented. According to Dr. CKI Tran Minh Khong - President of the Red Cross Society of the hospital, after more than 6 years of operation, "Bowl of love porridge" has provided 11,277 free porridge coupons (equivalent to 86,696,000 VND) to 2,016 poor patients.

As for the Thai Hoa Town Red Cross Society, in addition to its main task of propagating and mobilizing cadres, members and people to participate in humanitarian activities, it has directly carried out many relief and humanitarian charity trips. In 2014 alone, the total budget for relief and humanitarian charity activities amounted to 518,000,000 VND. Of which, with the movement "Tet for the poor and Agent Orange victims", the town Red Cross Society and its branches mobilized 261,000,000 VND to give to 2,235 poor families and Agent Orange victims; supported disadvantaged people according to the request of the facility, provided free medicine, supported former Youth Volunteers, the Blind Association with an amount of 32,000,000 VND; provided regular assistance to disadvantaged people with an amount of 36,000,000 VND; Coordinated with the Town Youth Union to provide free medicine worth 26,000,000 VND; coordinated with the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Tay Bac General Hospital to maintain the "Bowl of Love Porridge" activity with the amount of 26,050,000 VND; mobilized and transferred 24,000,000 VND to the Central Red Cross Society in the campaign "Joining hands for the homeland's sea and islands". In addition, the Thai Hoa Town Red Cross Society organized voluntary blood donation activities with 406 units of blood; surveyed and completed the "humanitarian address" records for 1,000 subjects... With practical and effective activities, the network of the Thai Hoa Town Red Cross Society has been expanded. Thai Hoa spreads widely throughout the area with 18 affiliated associations, 125 block and hamlet chapters, 30 hospital unit chapters, 43 school chapters, with a total of 6,268 members (Thai Hoa town has about 66,000 people), 10,036 Red Cross youth, 45 volunteers, 150 supporting members, 5 honorary members. The area with the largest number of members is Quang Tien ward, with 15 chapters, 1,151 members, 723 school Red Cross youth.

Coming to Thai Hoa Town, we met the Chairman of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Le Tien Kham and heard him express: "Our Association has volunteer work for the town with large donations. But I find the activity "Bowl of Love Porridge" associated with the efforts of the Red Cross Association and the Northwest Regional General Hospital very meaningful. Therefore, I have signed a commitment with 29 businesses to maintain financial contributions so that the activity "Bowl of Love Porridge" always achieves long-term effectiveness...". Sharing about the work done, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam - Vice President of the Thai Hoa Town Red Cross Association affirmed: "The Association always links its tasks with reality, with businesses to strive for relief work, helping people in difficulty to be more and more effective. All activities of the Red Cross Association are aimed at relief and humanitarian work. With the work that has been done and is being done, we always hope to contribute to multiplying the love and affection in the community...".

Nhat Lan