Nestled on Pham The Hien street (Binh Dong ward, Ho Chi Minh City), Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Hong's vermicelli soup shop is a familiar stop for lottery ticket sellers and scrap collectors. Accidentally learning about the "hanging pho" model in Hanoi, Ms. Hong and her daughter Truong Tran Nhu Y were determined to bring that warmth to their working village.
Customers who come to eat voluntarily pay in advance so that people in difficult circumstances who come later can use it for free. Although called "bun treo", the menu includes sticky rice with chrysanthemum, bun moc..., priced from only 10,000 - 25,000 VND, but it is an extremely valuable sharing.
The "suspended" fund was initially from outgoing customers, now 90% comes from philanthropists through the fanpage created by Ms. Nhu Y to make revenue and expenditure transparent. However, the two mothers and daughters still take money out of their own pockets to maintain a fixed number of free bowls every day.
Regularly visiting the shop, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong (scrap collector) emotionally said: "Holding a hot meal, we are very comforted. Many times we are shy, but when passing by, Ms. Hong enthusiastically calls us in. This place is truly a warm haven.
Doing good deeds, the priceless reward that the two mothers and daughters receive is guavas, a bunch of bananas or Zinc roses given by the villagers when they come back from selling.
Not stopping at small shops, the movement spread strongly to Mr. Le Hieu Nghia's vegetarian bread chain with 8/10 stores applying it.
Having received support, Mr. Huynh Nam Van (who works as a security guard) shared: "Bánh mì is delicious, the service staff is decent and tactful, making me feel comfortable and not self-conscious when receiving it." The sophistication is also in that, even though the sign says "bánh mì treo" is out, the staff still flexibly ask the shop owner to give more when they see people in difficult circumstances stop by.
Mr. Nghia said that many distant customers who have never been to the restaurant still trust to transfer "hanging" accounts 50 - 100 places at the same time. To be transparent, each meal sent is attached with an invoice.
The most precious thing is the continuous circle of kindness. Both Ms. Hong and Mr. Nghia recounted that there are people who once received "hanging vermicelli, hanging bread", when life stabilized, they returned to "hang" it themselves for those who came later. They clearly understand how valuable the 20,000 - 30,000 VND of care in difficult times is. That spirit of "the torn leaf protects the torn leaf" is the motivation for the bridges of human love in Ho Chi Minh City to continue to extend.
