When some areas of Tan Binh district’s Ward 1 faced with lockdowns due to the pandemic outbreak, many people fell into difficult situations, such as losses of income and shortages of food. Knowing of this context, Senior Venerable Thích Đồng Văn, Abbot of Vien Giac Pagoda (Tan Binh District) issued a letter calling on its ashram to join hands in taking care of people in the lockdown areas and local people in need.

From resources mobilized, Senior Venerable Thích Đồng Văn has six times donated food with 672 meals for people quarantined at 333/7A Le Van Sy street, the district’s Ward 1.

According to Senior Venerable Thích Đồng Văn, on August 21 – 22, Vien Giac pagoda sent 72 tons of fruits and vegetables; 600 sets of  rice, noodles, fruits, vegetables, Chung cakes and other necessities; six tons of rice, nearly 200,000 packets of noodles; 1,000 bottles of cooking oil, over 1,000 bottles of soy sauce, one ton of sugar and 500 bottle of fresh water to the VFF in Tan Binh and other the city’s districts.

Pagodas of Di Da and Khuong Viet in Tan Binh district have operated “Zero-dong” kitchens for delivering free meals to local people. Specifically, Di Da pagoda has offered 450 meals to lottery ticket sellers, forces in quarantine checkpoints and people facing difficulties due to the pandemic; Khuong Viet pagoda has still maintained “charity meals” program on the 1^st and 15^th days of every month, with the monthly total of 1,600 meals presented to poor people, workers and lottery ticket sellers in the locality.

According to Senior Venerable Thích Trí Chơn, Head of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s (VBS) Board for Cultural Affairs in Ho Chi Minh city cum Abbot of Khanh An monastery in District 12, the VBS Chapter have presented 100 tons of rice, 10,000 packets of instant noodles and thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables to poor people and residents facing difficulties due to the pandemic.

Priests and Catholics of Tan Sa Chau parish in Tan Binh district have established an “ATM surfing tube” to deliver foods to people facing difficulties due to the pandemic.

Accordingly, in order to keep a safe distance, people facing difficult circumstances would come to Tan Sa Chau parish in morning and afternoon every day for receiving foods that coming out from plastic tubes.

Sisters of the Servant of God Congregation under Ho Chi Minh Archdiocese have donated 600 packs of support supplies, worth 450,000 VND each, to people facing difficulties, such as lottery ticket sellers and freelance workers in the locality.

For recent days, Sao Mai parish has also bought food and necessities for regularly supporting people in the lockdown area of alley 123 Nghia Phat in Tan Binh district. In addition, the parish has presented 140 bags of rice, 280 boxes of instant noodles, 140 chickens, 50 kg of pork, and 100 lunch meals, 200 breakfast meals and cash to people facing difficulties in Tan Binh district.

As the fourth wave of the pandemic takes a toll on Ho Chi Minh city, Vinh Nghiem pagoda in District 3 has served from 10,000 to 20,000 meals per day for frontline forces in the Covid-19 fight and people in need; Tuong Nguyen pagoda in District 4 has prepared 20,000 meals to field hospitals.  

Some images of charitable activities of religious organizations for assisting people in Ho Chi Minh city:

 “ATM surfing tube” of Tan Sa Chau Catholic parish  

  Tan Sa Chau parish donated essential supplies two or three times a day to local people in Tan Binh district.

When the city tightened social distancing measures, Tan Sa Chau parish brings   essential supplies to people at home.

Volunteers in Tan Binh district pack fruits and vegetables at Vien Giac pagoda.

Officials in wards and districts of Thu Duc city receive fruits and vegetables from pagodas in Ho Chi Minh city for delivering to local people.

PH (baotintuc.vn)