Spring is for love
At some point, spring has transcended its definition of weather to become a concept of culture and spirit. In the minds of Vietnamese people, spring is often synonymous with Tet, with the season of gatherings and journeys to find roots. However, along with the longing for love, spring sometimes also carries with it shades of sadness. It is the loneliness of those whose loved ones are no longer around, the smell of medicine from the hospital, the difficult circumstances of not being able to celebrate a happy Tet year after year. Nevertheless, the human heart is a marvel of nature with its ability to empathize, regardless of race or ethnicity, to give deep love; and love seems to become a special asset when one can share it unconditionally and each time it is shared, it spreads, adding more joy and smiles.
“Warmth of spring” is meaningful because it brings joy to many people.
Choosing spring as a time to spread messages and call for action for the underprivileged, for over two decades, Sacombank’s “Warmth of Spring” has become an incredibly meaningful program that has built hidden cultural values, love, and unity in the community. Generations of Sacombank people have continued to bring warmth and joy to many special circumstances, with the focus being on schools, camps, centers, shelters, and open houses…
The program was originally called “Spring Charity Day” and took place for the first time in 2004, when Sacombank was not yet a listed company but always emphasized the mission of accompanying the community and society.
The journey of spreading love
“I used to have a family, a wife, but we just didn’t have children. Then my wife passed away, and when there was no one else, I came here”– Mr. Le Van Luong (78 years old), one of the hundreds of solitary lives residing at the Center for Nursing the Elderly and Orphans with No Place to Stay in Can Tho City, sadly recalled his warm past. Mr. Luong came to the Center just a year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, since then, Tet in his life has been just quiet days of comforting each other with his old friends.
This year, spring is a lot happier for him as the Center where he lives is one of the stops on the “Warmth of Spring” journey in the Year of the Wood Dragon 2024 organized by Sacombank. From early in the morning, everyone at the Center has been busy cleaning up and wearing new clothes to welcome Tet. The sounds of music, strings, and great performances make a corner of the sky bustling. Mr. Luong and his friends clap and sing along, feeling like they are reliving the vibrant and warm spring atmosphere from long ago. Beautiful traditional ao dai has been ironed smooth since the night before, and he can only feel overwhelmed with emotion: “I am very touched, truly, I am very touched”.
Mr. Le Van Luong, 78 years old, has lived for 4 years at the Center for Nursing the Elderly and Orphans with No Place to Stay in Can Tho City.
Also shining in the bright red eyes of Tet but for Ms. Mong Yen and her little daughter, Sacombank’s “Warmth of Spring” is also encouragement, representing the community’s concern for their tragic fate. Mrs. Yen’s daughter, an adorable child identified with Thalassemia – a rare blood disorder that forced her to be attached to and see the Children’s Hospital of Dong Nai province as her second home.
Giving medicine doses for her daughter, Mrs. Yen runs around taking care of her, with one hand running around, the other can only soothe and comfort her young heart. The consolation and motivation that helped her get through the long nights were the bright smiles of her daughter every morning, the encouragement of relatives and friends, and the caring support of organizations and society. They all made her feel that she was not alone on this journey. “I have known about Sacombank’s “Warmth of Spring” for a long time, but it wasn’t until today when I and my daughter received this sharing and support that I truly understood the value of the companionship that the community gives to those less fortunate” – Mrs. Yen shared.
Ms. Mong Yen, residing in Dong Nai province, is the mother of a child with a rare blood disorder at Đồng Nai Children’s Hospital.
Not only Mrs. Yen, Mr. Luong, Sacombank’s “Warmth of Spring” also brings the joy of Tet to orphans, families in difficult circumstances, and overseas Vietnamese who cannot afford to reunite with their families.
After 21 years, Sacombank’s “Warmth of Spring” has brought smiles and happiness to many helpless lives, most of whom are elderly people and children. Starting as an internal program, serving the mission of accompanying the community, “Warmth of Spring” has unintentionally conveyed many meaningful messages to all strata of society, calling for turning love into action; fostering, loving children, empathizing with the elderly, and extending helping hands to encourage those hard lives…
From the values that the program brings, it also reminds us that, in the law of survival, each person grows up from a child and also becomes weary when they get old. Empathy, love, and fair treatment for every generation, every circumstance, is a culture that has come and will continue, it is the way we create a civilized behavior that our children will inherit in the future. And, if there were no centers, shelters, individuals, and organizations quietly sowing seeds of goodness, spreading love, then how could the disadvantaged children, the sick, and the elderly heal their wounds, return to a happy life…
A new year is coming, the 21st “Warmth of Spring” takes place according to its original mission. With the efforts of spreading and the support and trust of the community, we hope the program will bring even more warm embraces, radiant smiles, genuine sharing to contribute to building a society full of love and connections.
Ms. Nguyen Duc Thach Diem – Permanent Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Sacombank encourages visually impaired students from difficult family backgrounds at the Center for Teaching Disabled Children in Can Tho City.
