This February, we had the opportunity to spend a morning at the Suoi Cat Charity Home to mark the Lunar New Year. Tet is a time of deep significance in Vietnam, yet for the children at the home—most of whom come from families struggling with poverty—the holiday can often be a reminder of what they lack.
Our goal was simple: to work alongside the home’s caretakers and provide a few traditional essentials that the children could take back to their families.
The visit was modest and focused on the children. We gathered in the main room to distribute the items we had prepared. Each child received a small collection of traditional Tet items:
- Banh Tet (sticky rice cake) and a bag of rice.
- Pantry basics like soy sauce and seasonings.
- Small treats including soda, sunflower seeds, and sweets.
- Red envelopes with lucky money.
The children were grateful for the gifts, and it was a privilege to see the smiles as they gathered their bags to bring home.
This visit was made possible through the thoughtful contributions of Steven Burger and Shaun Minn. Their support allowed us to provide these small comforts to the children, and we are grateful for their role in making this holiday a little brighter for the families at Suoi Cat.
Thank you for helping us bring a bit of warmth to the home this season.
ABOUT THE SUOI CAT CHARITY HOME
Suoi Cat is a poor community to the west of Nha Trang, composed of rural farming hamlets that live in poverty. The Suoi Cat Charity Home is a loving place that houses and cares for many of the community’s children whose families struggle to support and provide for them. The home is composed of adolescent and teenage girls who stay at the home year-round, sleep in dormitories, and have meals together in a communal dining hall. The nuns and caretakers who run the home come from the nearby Suoi Dau Catholic Church and provide a nurturing environment for all. They ensure the children attend local public schools and provide after school tutoring lessons. The same caretakers previously supported young boys in the community who stayed at the Suoi Dau Charity Home. Some of the same boys receive tutoring at Suoi Cat during the day, then return home to their families in the evening.
