Instead of riding around town or holding parties on Christmas night, many young people are volunteering to celebrate the holidays with residents of orphanages, retirement homes, and hospitals.

The volunteers will also go to remote areas to help underprivileged people enjoy the festive ambience of the Christmas season and New Year.

Le Trung Hai, head of the volunteer group Uoc Mo Xanh (Green Dreams) in Ho Chi Minh City, raised funds to donate gifts by organizing the “5-Penny Christmas for a Warm Winter,” a charity sale of handicrafts. The team received VND63 million (US$3,000) from the sale of 1,000 piggy banks. 

Volunteer Phan Thi Kim Anh (R) sells Christmas card to raise funds

 The sum was used to buy 1,000 used blankets and clothes to give to poor children in Lam Dong and Binh Phuoc provinces.

 Nguyen Van Chuong, a student at the HCMC Transport University found his own way to enjoy the season. In a Santa Claus suit, he went to a village of rental houses in Thu Duc district, where many workers live, and distributed candy to children.

 “Many kids saw Santa Claus in person for the first time in their lives. They insisted on touching the beard and mustache of Santa Claus. It was very nice,” Chuong recalled.

Huynh Le Tuan of the Nhan Sinh Charity Club said, “I had a different Christmas season this year, though I was away from my family. I feel like I have received significant and warm gifts from the smiles and laughter of poor kids. I just wanted to spend some time sharing something with the less fortunate.”

Around 300 young volunteers from 16 clubs and teams went to small alleys in HCMC to bring 300 rations of food and 150 gifts to children and homeless people.

Nguyen Hai Thanh said, “Seeing the poor in their real lives, I see that I still live better than many others. It urges me to strive for more.”

 A countless number of charitable activities by normal people were silently performed to help underprivileged people in the community.

TTO