Our February 2026 delivery to the Martino Charity Home combined our regular monthly support with the Lunar New Year. We coordinated with the caretakers and made a list of essentials they needed this month. This included bags of rice, boxes of noodles, milk, and laundry detergent.
We told the caretakers that we wanted to do something special for the children and their families. They all come from poor homes whose parents struggle to care for the children. The Lunar New Year sees prices on everyday items skyrocket, so we wanted to help these families enjoy the traditions of Tet without worrying about costs. So each child got a Tet care package to take home! These included banh Tet sticky rice cakes, Tet sweets, soft drinks, a small bag of rice, a box of noodles, and a red envelope of lucky money. It was a lovely occasion! And the caretakers sent us lots of fun pictures of the children from the previous month.
The charity trip was made possible through the kindness of our donors Steven Burger, Jef O’Riley, and Florian De Rop. Thank you!!!
ABOUT THE MARTINO CHARITY HOME
This loving home is located in rural Quang Tri province, 90 kilometers northwest of Hue. The area is home to the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic group, who have a unique language and culture, and extend from central Vietnam into Laos and Thailand. There is much poverty in this region, which puts undue pressure on families. The Martino Charity Home was founded to house and care for young children in the area whose families struggle to support and provide for them. The home is adjacent the Phuoc Tuyen Catholic Church and overseen by Father Nguyen Thi Thu Huong. About 33 children aged 6 to 11 live at the home year round. The nuns and caretakers provide housing, meals, and a loving environment for the children to grow and thrive. The children attend local elementary schools and receive extra tutoring at the home.
