Over the past 7 years, Ms Ho Thi Thu Huong residing in Lien Chieu District’s Hoa Khanh Nam Ward, Da Nang, has been always ready to give a helping hand to the needy and the poor.

Ms Huong (second right) presenting gifts to the single elderly

Since her childhood, the 35-year-old woman has shared an unspeakable bond with those in difficult circumstances.

Believing that many people in the city have willing hearts, in 2011 Ms Huong founded a charitable club called ‘Connecting Willing Hearts of Da Nang’ to gather those who are ready to help the poor.

The club now has around 40 members, many of whom are students, blue-collar workers, and retirees.

Over the period, the club members have become involved in giving free portions of rice soup (chao) and cooked rice to poor patients in the Da Nang Cancer Hospital the Lien Chieu District Medical Station, and local low-income earners, twice a week.

In order to raise funds for their free meal programme, the club members have to do odd jobs to make money.

Most notably, Ms Huong even donates some of her earnings from her small eatery on Tran Van Ky in the ditsrict’s Hoa Khanh Nam Ward to the club’s fund.

In addition to offering free meals every month, the charity club has recently visited and donated gifts to 8 single elderly people in remote areas in Da Nang, Hue and Quang Nam Province. Each of these gifts comprised 10 kilograms of rice, cooking oil, fish sauce bottles, dried fish, and 500,000 VND in cash.

Ms Huong hoped that she could appeal for more donations from generous donors at home and abroad to build a house for single seniors in order for her and other club members to take care of them.