Compassionate buses were born
In the last days of 2025, looking back at a year full of fluctuations due to natural disasters, floods, epidemics and cumbersome difficulties, the story of the 0-dong car team in Thanh Hoa appears as a warm, humane color. Not noisy, not ostentatious, those ordinary people have diligently traveled on all roads, from mountains to plains, from North to South, with only one purpose: To help people in distress.
To better understand this special journey, Lao Dong Newspaper reporters went to meet Mr. Le Manh Diep (born in 1984, residing in Dong Duc street, Quang Phu ward, Thanh Hoa province), Team Leader of Thanh Hoa 0 VND Car Team. In a simple house, the story of the birth of the charity team was told by Mr. Diep in a calm, sincere voice.
For many years, we have been used to doing charity, donating, and giving gifts in many provinces and cities. Brothers travel a lot, work a lot, understand each other and feel compatible. By March 2025, starting from the fact that the whole group participated in supporting the search for a drowning case in the Ham Rong bridge area. Nearly a week of coordination with functional forces, we finally found the victim. After that incident, we sat down together and decided to establish a free rescue and relief team" - Mr. Diep shared.
Initially, the team only had about 10 members. Whoever has a car contributes the car, whoever has strength contributes the strength. Every time they receive information that someone is drowning, in an accident or in difficult circumstances needs support, the whole team immediately sets off, regardless of day or night, sun or rain. That kind-hearted action is gradually recognized and spread by the people, and the number of members has also increased accordingly. To date, the Thanh Hoa 0 VND Car Team has 25 members regularly participating.
Previously, we mainly grasped information through social networks and newspapers. After that, the team created a Fanpage called Thanh Hoa 0-dong Car Team to update activities. Since then, people have become more familiar with it, and when there is a need, they call the team" - Mr. Diep said.
Not just rescue, rescue
According to Mr. Diep, currently, in addition to the personal vehicles of members, the team also has 2 motorboats and 1 oxygen generator serving rescue work. However, the operation of the 0 VND vehicle team is not only limited to rescue and relief in natural disasters and drowning, but also expands to supporting the transportation of poor patients for examination and treatment at hospitals; supporting the return of martyrs' remains to their homeland; helping particularly difficult circumstances in society.
Each trip is a story, each journey is a time to face the pain, the fragility of human life. And there are stories that even those who are used to hardship cannot forget.
Mr. Diep recalled the case of a poor old woman in the old Dong Son district area. She suffered from severe kidney disease and had to be treated for many days at Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital. Throughout her hard life, she only had one daughter who had married far away and could not regularly take care of her.
When we received information that the family needed car support to take her home, we immediately set off. When we got home, the brothers saw that there was almost nothing of value in the house, empty and cold. After that, we called for help and a benefactor agreed to let her temporarily stay in their family's shelter in the old Hoang Hoa district area" - Mr. Diep recounted.
That day was July 21, 2025, it was stormy rain. The car carrying the old woman to her new residence was silently rolling in the rain and wind. But just a few hours after arriving, she did not survive.
Witnessing that incident, neither I nor my teammates could hold back our tears. We offered to take care of the funeral for the old man, but the family stood up to take care of everything. That was one of the moments that haunted me and made me even more aware that what I was doing was necessary" - Mr. Diep said in a low voice.
Another case is an old woman in the old Nong Cong district area, suffering from a serious illness. After receiving a request from relatives, the team went to the place to take her to Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital for treatment. Not long after, her condition worsened, and she had to be urgently transferred to Hanoi. After two days of treatment, the family continued to ask the team to support bringing her back to Thanh Hoa. After a period of treatment, the team continued to take her home.
There are many such cases. All are completely free. We just simply think, whatever we can help, we will help as much as possible. Looking at the difficult circumstances, illnesses, and overlapping difficulties, we cannot ignore them" - Mr. Diep shared.
The bus fare is 0 VND and thank you is also the cost
To maintain operations, the issue of funding is inevitable. According to Mr. Diep, in the early days, all gasoline costs were contributed by members themselves. Later, when the team's work became known to many people, philanthropists joined hands to support, some with a few tens of thousands of dong, some with a few million dong, helping the team reduce some of the burden.
The team has very clear regulations. For trips traveling less than 40km, the brothers pay for gasoline themselves. If it is over 40km, gasoline, oil, and roads will be deducted from the charity fund contributed by benefactors. Other living expenses such as food, rest, are taken care of by the brothers themselves. All revenues and expenses are publicly disclosed, updated regularly on the team's page for everyone to follow" - Mr. Diep said.
After about 9 months of operation, the Thanh Hoa 0 VND vehicle team has participated in supporting 15 drowning cases; 4 times transporting martyrs' remains; hundreds of vehicles transporting poor patients for examination and treatment. Notably, the scope of operation is not only limited to the province but also stretches across the country, with vehicles from Hai Phong to Dak Lak, from Dong Nai to Thanh Hoa...
Many times, when bringing patients home, relatives suggest sending thank-you money. But the team's regulations are to absolutely not accept anything, from money to artifacts. We always determine: The fee for the trip is 0 VND, and the thank-you is the fee for the trip. Some people after being helped burst into tears of emotion" - Mr. Diep said.
Talking about plans in the coming time, Mr. Diep said that the whole team will still maintain this charity activity as long as possible. The goal is none other than helping as many people as possible, spreading kindness in the community.
We don't think we are doing anything great. We just hope that, in the most difficult times, the poor, the sick, and the less fortunate people will feel that they are not alone, still have hands ready to grasp, accompany and share" - Mr. Diep confided.
