Children and their families line up to receive free meals. — Photo qdnd.vn

HÀ NỘI — After spending more than a week in Hà Nội while her young son receives medical treatment, Nguyễn Thị Hà from the northern port city of Hải Phòng found an unexpected source of comfort on Sunday afternoon.

Standing among dozens of parents outside the National Children's Hospital in Hà Nội, she received a freshly prepared meal from volunteers of the Cơm Yêu Thương (Meals of Love) Club. For Hà, it was the first time she and her son had been given a free meal since arriving in the capital.

The lunch was simple – rice, meat, eggs, vegetables and milk – but for a family struggling to make ends meet, it meant far more than a nutritious meal.

"My family is going through a very difficult time," Hà said. "Meals like these give families with sick children the strength to keep going. More importantly, they make us feel cared for and remind us that we are not alone."

Her story is one shared by many parents at the National Children's Hospital, one of Việt Nam's largest paediatric hospitals. Every week, families from across the country travel to Hà Nội seeking treatment for children with serious illnesses, often staying for weeks or months while trying to cope with mounting medical expenses.

Every Sunday afternoon, many of them gather outside the hospital to receive free meals prepared by volunteers from the Meals of Love Club, a small charity group that has quietly supported patients and their families for years.

Club members during meal distribution. — Photo qdnd.vn

Just a few hundred metres from the hospital, a modest kitchen on Đê La Thành Street comes alive every Sunday. Volunteers wash vegetables, prepare soup and pack hundreds of meal boxes before delivering them while they are still warm.

The initiative began in 2013 by distributing free porridge before expanding into full meals and officially becoming the Meals of Love Club in 2017. Today, the group prepares between 300 and 450 meal boxes every Sunday, along with more than 200 servings of porridge.

Each meal is carefully prepared to provide balanced nutrition, including rice, two savoury dishes, vegetables and hot soup. Children also receive milk, fruit or cakes, and every young patient can collect an additional meal for the parent or relative staying with them.

Keeping the programme running week after week is no small task. Volunteers rely on donations from individuals and businesses while spending hours shopping, cooking and packing food before heading to the hospital.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền, head of the Meals of Love Club, said every meal represents more than financial support.

"Children are fighting illness while their parents carry enormous emotional and financial burdens," she said. "A meal cannot solve those problems, but we hope it eases one worry and lets families know that people are standing beside them."

The club also reserves more than 20 meals each week for children receiving treatment at the hospital's oncology centre, where many young patients undergo lengthy cancer treatment.

For volunteer Trần Thu Hương, spending time with the children is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

At the Meals of Love Club, kindness is expressed through everyday acts rather than grand gestures. — Photo courtesy of the club

"I've always loved children, so meeting young cancer patients is especially emotional," she said. "Many of them remain cheerful despite everything they are going through. Their courage is what motivates us to keep coming back."

She believes financial hardship remains one of the greatest challenges facing families whose children require long-term treatment.

"Parents spend nearly all their savings on medicine and hospital fees," she said. "Some skip meals themselves just to save money for their children. We know our meals cannot remove those burdens, but we hope they offer a little comfort."

That quiet generosity reflects another side of Hà Nội. Beyond its busy streets and fast-paced life, countless volunteers and ordinary residents devote their time and resources to supporting complete strangers facing difficult circumstances.

At the Meals of Love Club, kindness is expressed through everyday acts rather than grand gestures. A warm meal, a few words of encouragement and a friendly smile become small but meaningful reminders that compassion still exists.

As the last meal boxes are handed out and parents return to the hospital wards to be with their children, the volunteers begin cleaning their kitchen, ready to do it all again the following Sunday. — VNS