Giving back: Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda in HCM City’s District 3 offers its space to the HCM City Humanitarian Blood Donation Centre twice a year for blood donation events. |
Story and photos by Hoàng Nguyên
HCM CITY — Monks and Buddhist followers were among the volunteer donors at an event held at Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda in HCM City’s District 3 on Sunday (August 12).
International friends: Brent Rogers from the US donates blood for the first time in Việt Nam after learning about the event from a Vietnamese friend. He was the first foreigner to participate in the event at the pagoda. |
Stings a bit: Monks rest after donating blood. |
The pagoda supports the HCM City Humanitarian Blood Donation Centre in organising blood donation events twice a year in March and April, and July and August.
Careful now: Donors have their blood pressure and pulse checked by medical staff from the HCM City Humanitarian Blood Donation Centre. |
Kindhearted: A taxi driver stops to donate blood after seeing a banner about the blood donation event hanging outside the pagoda several days before. |
Besides offering a spacious location, the pagoda also provides breakfasts for volunteer donors.
Safety first: A monk has a medical check before donating blood. |
Respect: Monks from the Wat Chantaransay Temple visit Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda to donate blood. |
The Red Cross Society in Ward 7 in District 3 targets having 150 donors at the blood donation event at the pagoda and another 150 at an event held at a different location in the ward. — VNS