During this national COVID-19 crisis, many people in the U.S. are coming together to lend their resources and talents to help our health care providers by donating or crafting much needed personal protective equipment (PPE). Since the start of the state-wide “Shelter-In-Place” order on March 18, 2020, SAP-VN volunteers have initiated 3 programs to help with these efforts. The 3 programs include: providing masks and face shields to local hospitals and nursing homes, providing care packages to seniors in our community, and sponsoring food donations to orphanages and senior homes in Vietnam.
Under the leadership of Anh Teresa Nguyen, SAP-VN’s Community Project Officer, Crystal Chau, SAP-VN’s Media and Publicity Officer, and Dr. Tam Nguyen, SAP-VN’s Mobile Care Pharmacist, SAP-VN has organized volunteers to sew cloth masks and make face shields that meet the guidelines provided by local hospitals and nursing home facilities. Funding for the materials came from local donations and SAP-VN’s local project budget. This labor of love to make and deliver the masks and face shields was performed by countless friends, neighbors, and family members of SAP-VN volunteers throughout southern California. As of April 10, SAP-VN has approximately over 5,000 masks and have ordered materials to assemble over 4,000 face shields to donate to local hospitals and nursing homes. Additionally, we’ve had the opportunity to help one of our SAP-VN volunteers in the neighboring state of Nevada, Dr. David and Mai Tran, with their request for masks and face shields to donate to the Nevada University Medical Center. We also sent masks to the Portland police department in Oregon per request from our Oregon based volunteers.
Simultaneous with making and donating the requested PPEs, SAP-VN has also collaborated with other U.S. based Vietnamese non-profit organizations such as Tam Ky Project, to provide Care packages to local seniors who are living alone. Volunteers identify seniors who are in need of supplies, such as groceries, hand sanitizers, and masks. SAP-VN and Tam Ky Project deliver these needed products to the senior’s door steps in the form of Care packages. Such collaborative efforts are great examples of the widespread humanitarian and compassionate spirit that we all have for each other in times of need. For more information about our local relief activities or how you can help, please click on the “PROJECTS” drop down menu above and choose COVID-19 Relief in USA.
As many of you know, due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world, SAP-VN had to make the difficult decision to postpone our Viet Nam 2020 Mobile Care Mission to July of 2021. Since early March, Viet Nam as a country, also has a mandatory “Shelter-In-Place” order, thus making it very difficult for local orphanages and nursing homes to receive much needed local donations. This order has also halted SAP-VN’s many activities such as VN Smile, Bicycle Donations, and Orthopedic surgeries, in additional to Mobile Care. Therefore, SAP-VN has decided to divert some of the funds for this year’s programs to help with Emergency Relief efforts in Viet Nam. To that end, our Viet Nam associates and volunteers, along with our U.S. Director of Vietnamese Programs, have identified several organizations such as orphanages, nursing homes, mental institutions, and kidney dialysis center for the indigent, to send much-needed aids. The funds went to purchase life-saving provisions such as rice, ramen, fish sauce, etc. During this time of great needs, we will continue to work with our Viet Nam counterparts to bring crucial aids to help alleviate the suffering of those who are most at risk in our native land. For more information about our Emergency Relief activities in Vietnam, or about how you can help, please click on the “PROJECTS” drop down menu above and choose COVID-19 Relief in Vietnam.
As our country and communities struggle to overcome the havoc wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, SAP-VN will strive to assist those in need in any capacity which we are able. We are heartened by the overwhelming support from our volunteers and our generous donors during these difficult times. We call on ALL to continue our efforts and Together We WILL Make a Difference.
