Reporter Hoàng Tuyết of VNA’s Tin Tức (News) newspaper in HCM City prepares food aid packages for people in need. — Photo baotintuc.vn

HÀ NỘI — Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents are not only frontline reporters in COVID-19 hotspots but are also lending a helping hand to those in need.

Mỹ Phương, a VNA economic correspondent in HCM City, has called for food donations from local enterprises to support quarantine sites and residential areas in lockdown.

So far, she has helped collect four tonnes of food and donated it to local field hospitals.

Because Phương is in charge of covering news on the economic sector, she has close relations with local organisations and businesses. A lot of businesses that want to offer assistance to residents and frontline forces have contacted journalists to offer their services.

While working on the sites or through relatives, Phương happened to know those in need of help and shared the information with businesses.

During the fourth wave of COVID-19, farmers in localities close to HCM City are struggling to share their produce, while HCM City residents are lacking food.

Phương has contacted farmers in those localities to transport food to HCM City and deliver to residents living in her neighbourhood.

She said VNA correspondents in HCM City often share information about those in need on a report group and ask businesses for help.

One day she knew through the group that a new field hospital in District 2 was lacking food. Immediately, she contacted High Quality Vietnamese Goods Association for help.

Essential goods were transported to the hospital.

"In the most urgent times, acting as a bridge to help the community, helping people in need, contributing a small part to the fight against the pandemic, I feel very happy," she said.

Reporter Hoàng Tuyết of VNA’s Tin Tức (News) newspaper in HCM City, has joined a lot of charity activities but she is the most impressed with the memories she has from Field Hospital No 6.

Tuyết’s friend, a doctor at the hospital, sent her a photo of a lunch box. The meal was delivered on time to doctors but they had no time to eat.

When doctors finished their shift, the food could no longer be eaten.

“I cried seeing the lunch box," Tuyết said.

"I thought I thought that if I didn't do anything, I would feel guilty. I asked a female chef I know who is working at a five-star hotel if there is any way to preserve the food longer. After thinking about the solution, the cook made 200 pieces of bread and sent them to the doctors.

“I have connected many units and businesses to present gifts to field hospitals and disadvantaged households in lockdown areas. Today, I just connected with a company to send 150 gifts to residents who have been in lockdown for two months and can't go out to buy food.”

In Hà Nội, during the COVID outbreak earlier this year, VNA reporters of the Domestic News Department, VNA Television, youth unions of VNA news outlets donated essential goods to local hospitals, COVID-19 patients and frontline forces.

Not only in big cities, VNA correspondents in small localities have been active in voluntary work during the pandemic.

Reporter Đậu Tất Thành in Bình Phước Province called for help to install a water purifying station which provides free water for quarantine sites and medical centres which have a lot of residents coming for testing in Đồng Xoài City.

Thành also called for donations to set up a food freezer for frontline forces on duty around the clock at a COVID checkpoint.

Reporter Đặng Công Mạo in An Giang Province and his friends presented five tonnes of rice and 500 food packages to local residents in need.

He also helped to raise more than VNĐ100 million to build two houses for the poor in Long Xuyên City.

Nguyễn Văn Hiếu, head of VNA office in Sóc Trăng Province, used his own money to buy a tonne of rice to support people in need.

Most of the reporters who have done charity work said that’s what they should do in the time of the pandemic. All of them feel happy to help disadvantaged people. — VNS