Understanding the difficulties faced by the poor, the vulnerable, and patients with serious illnesses in life, for many years now, Mr Dao Van Vinh, 32, residing in the Cam Le District, has been tirelessly organising a kitchen of love to provide free meals to those who are less fortunate.

Mr Dao Van Vinh (second, right) presenting gift packages to people in need in Da Nang

Vinh began doing volunteer work while still attending college. Upon graduating, he continued his volunteer work to help the community. In the past two years, with the support of many friends, he has expanded his charity kitchen to aid those in need in his hometown.

Since the end of 2018, the young man from Quang Nam Province has opened his own Zero-VND bread shop at 117/10 Ngo Gia Tu Street, Hai Chau District. Vinh's shop used to distribute over a hundred loaves of meat-filled bread to disadvantaged workers every day.

During the city-wide lockdown due to COVID-19, Vinh regularly spent money on cooking various dishes to give to neighbours in the community, as well as to needy households in the ward. The dishes including noodle soup, rice vermicelli, rice cakes, or porridge were portioned out and hung in front of each house.

Despite the challenging pandemic situation, Vinh and his volunteer group continued to provide free meals to children with cancer. Vinh's group has been a supportive presence for children undergoing treatment for quite some time. The nutritious meals meticulously prepared by him and his friends have helped these children regain their health, and alleviate the pressure of special food needs during the pandemic.

To date, Vinh's volunteer group has had more than 15 volunteers in total. From loving pots of porridge, with the addition of teammates, the number of charity programmes with 2,000-VND rice meals, Zero-VND bread, and free meals for poor workers has significantly increased. In addition to working as an insurance consultant and running a small business, Vinh remains busy with his kitchen of love.

One of Vinh's most memorable moments was when he saw a family caring for a patient at the Da Nang Oncology Hospital who was struggling and couldn't afford lunch. When they received the free portions of hot porridge, they were overjoyed. That made him realize that there are still many people in need of the porridge he cooks.

To bring hundreds of servings to the hospital, Vinh personally selected fresh ingredients from wholesale markets in the area and then cooked up giant pots of porridge to give in-need people.

When asked about the reason for running this kitchen over the years, Vinh wiped a tear from his cheek and explained that he lost his mother when he was young. When he turned 18, his father passed away as well. At that time, life seemed to end for him when there was a day without a loaf of bread to eat. Fortunately, a kind-hearted family in Ho Chi Minh City gave his family VND 10 million to survive. Later, when he gradually earns money, he always remembers that life helps him survive, and he must repay. These pots of porridge or bread shops exist for that reason.

With the spirit of "A good leaf protects a torn leaf," Vinh's nutritious meals, though not extravagant, serve as a lifeline for the poor, the vulnerable, and patients who are struggling with illness every day.

Reporting by LAM NGAN- Translating by T.VY