Though 2022 was only a year after the pandemic, with all its limitations and challenges, Bridging Hope raised enough income to sustain our programs and support the women and children of Viet Nam as they had requested. Many thanks to you, our faithful and generous friends and donors, near and far, and especially to the Sisters of St. Francis, Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, and Sisters of Blessed Virgin Mary.  Our solid collaboration has strengthened the Bridge of Hope for us here as well as for the women and children in Viet Nam.

1. MAI TAM CHILDREN

Located in Saigon, Mai Tam is a well-developed shelter providing a variety of services for mothers and children who are HIV/AIDs positive.  Since 2007, Bridging Hope has supported a breakfast program for the Mai Tam children, helping them maintain their strength to fight the disease and enabling them to learn.  Currently, Bridging Hope provides daily breakfasts for about 280 children, who reside both at the Mai Tam Center and in the local community.

2. MAI TAM MOTHERS – DAILY BREAD PROJECT

Collaborating with local staff and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, Bridging Hope also provides daily nutritional meals for twenty mothers, and supports Mai Tam’s capacity to provide other programs such as housing, healthcare, and vocational training.

3. CỒN ÉN SCHOOL and DAYCARE

Preschool-aged children live on the island of Cồn Én in the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam. The children are often hungry, unsupervised, and unsafe, especially during monsoon season. Desperate for the safety of their children, parents asked the local Catholic church to provide childcare while they were at work.  The church opened a daycare site and school to ensure a safe environment and provides reliable childcare for the children. Since 2009, Bridging Hope has provided nutrition and education for approximately seventy children.

4. CỒN ÉN TEACHER SALARY

Since 2014, Bridging hope has also underwritten the Cồn Én education program, providing salaries for eight teachers. This further enhances the children’s ability to receive consistent instruction in a safe and nourishing environment. Partnering with the BVM Sisters, Bridging Hope will continue this program this year.

5. PHÚ HOÀ ORPHANAGE

In 2018, Bridging Hope began its sponsorship of the Phú Hoà Orphanage in Vịnh Thông Tây, Quảng Ngãi, caring for about 30 abandoned children.  Here the children are well cared for and able to go to school, receiving an education that helps them obtain work once they leave the orphanage. Bridging Hope works with a local group of Sisters to provide the children with nutrition and tuition.

6. MẰNG LĂNG ORPHANAGE

Located in Mằng Lăng Village, Phú Yên, Mằng Lăng Orphanage houses thirty-three orphan children and eight disabled adults. Collaborating with local staff, Bridging Hope provides nutrition for adults and children, plus tuition for the children.

7. THÔNG XANH ORPHANAGE and SCHOOL

Located on the outskirts of Đà Lạt, Thông Xanh Center provides daycare and education for 30 underserved children and 32 orphans. Over 90% of the children are of the ethnic minority from the highlands of Viet Nam. Collaborating with a group of the local Sisters, Bridging Hope provides the children with medication, tuition, and nutrition to help improve their lives.

8. ELDER OUTREACH

Homeless elders are a growing population in Viet Nam as younger family members leave their villages in search of better economic opportunities. As a result, the elders are often left in vulnerable circumstances without the support of a traditional family network.  Since 2012, Bridging Hope, together with a local Vincentian Volunteers Women’s Program, has provided meals and healthcare for forty elderly women living in the Phan Thiet community.

9. THIÊN PHƯỚC ELDER CENTER

Located in Mũi Né, Phan Thiết, Thiên Phước is another of Bridging Hope’s elder programs. This year Thiên Phước housed 39 homeless and/or underserved elderly women. Partnering with local staff, Bridging Hope provides nutrition and healthcare to improve their physical and mental health.

10. THREADS’ WOMEN

Since 1991, Sr. Sen has worked closely with the women of the THREADS co-op, most of whom have polio. Sr.Sen bought their embroidery, clothes, and other products and sold them in the U.S. Now, as they are getting older and experiencing problems that come with age, they are no longer able to produce the work they once did. Bridging Hope continues to support them with food, medicine, and emergency help.

11. MILK PROJECT AT DAMBRI SCHOOL

This year Bridging Hope accepted a new program at the Dambri school by providing milk to about 30 children in a highland village in Lam Dong. The milk provides essential nutrients to the children, enables them to learn and encourages them to stay in school.

12. XUAN TAM ORPHANAGE

Located in Xuan Loc, Dong Nai, Xuan Tam Orphanage provides nutrition and shelter for 53 orphans which included mental and physical disabled. Bridging Hope provides the children with medication, tuition and nutrition to help improve their lives.