Tran Xuan Trieu, the security guard of the store at No. 66 Chua Lang Street in Dong Da District, Hanoi, finds himself getting out of bed at around 6:00 am lately, which is earlier than his usual wake-up time.
Since the store and its ‘aid combo’ service recently reopened after a COVID-19 closure, Trieu has always been willing to cover more work besides his principal duty.
He spends time setting up tables and chairs in the library, folding clothes and stacking them neatly in the charity cabinet, and checking the water dispenser to timely replace empty water bottles.
This so-called ‘aid combo’ model is the first of its kind that has sprung up in the capital city, and it has become a convergent point of humanity and sympathy.
The ‘aid combo’ developed from the original model of a free clothes cabinet, where anyone could donate their unwanted clothing items and take what they need from the cabinet.
Its slogan is, “Take if you’re in need; Give if you have something in abundance.”
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| Tran Xuan Trieu, the security guard at a charitable store in Hanoi, Vietnam, checks on the store’s free clothes cabinet. Photo: Song La / Tuoi Tre |
Besides free clothes, a free hot-and-cold water dispenser is always ready to quench the thirst of workers nearby.
One special space in the store is the reading room on the second floor.
The room not only provides young readers with various books but also serve drinks and fruits for free with the aim of creating an interesting reading space for youths.
Ngo Nam Phuong, who lives in Dong Da District, came to donate her clothes to the cause after being impressed by the way the charitable model helps those in need.
“I have gone past here many times and found it heartwarming that people are sharing with one another. It’s a chance for me to share something with people who are in a more difficult situation than I am,” Phuong told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.
“The charitable model will help spread the love to more people.”
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| A man picks a book from a shelf at a free reading space in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Song La / Tuoi Tre |
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| A girl reads a book at the ‘free aid combo’ store at No. 66 Chua Lang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Song La / Tuoi Tre |
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| Tran Xuan Trieu, the security guard at a charitable store in Hanoi, Vietnam, checks on the store’s free clothes cabinet. Photo: Song La / Tuoi Tre |
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| Nguyen Thu Huyen donates her clothes to a free clothes cabinet outside a store in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Song La / Tuoi Tre |
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| A man picks clothes from a free clothes cabinet outside a store in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Song La / Tuoi Tre |
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