{"id":3714,"date":"2020-08-19T18:53:17","date_gmt":"2020-08-19T10:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=3714"},"modified":"2020-09-14T23:01:29","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T15:01:29","slug":"bien-hoa-free-vegetables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/bien-hoa-free-vegetables\/","title":{"rendered":"Bien Hoa Street Vendor Gives Free Vegetables To Low-Income Workers & Students For 7 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Street vendor gives free vegetables to low-income workers and students<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n

Since the 2nd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a> in Vietnam, our country has seen many people coming together to provide relief efforts<\/strong><\/a> to those in need.<\/p>\n

For Pham Hong Minh<\/strong>, a street vendor in Bien Hoa, his charitable acts started long before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. For 7 years, he\u2019s been giving out free vegetables to low-income workers and students to help them save more money on food.<\/p>\n

\n

Financial losses can\u2019t stop him from continuing his charity<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

Out of thousands of workers flocking out of Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park near Saigon to go home at 4PM every afternoon, many drop by roadside stalls to buy groceries.<\/p>\n

\"vendor
\nImage credit: <\/em>Minh R\u00e2u<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s one particular roadside stall that usually sees the biggest crowds – it belongs to Pham Hong Minh<\/strong><\/a>, a 37-year-old vegetable vendor who\u2019s been in the profession for 11 years.<\/p>\n

Minh has 2 vegetable stalls, one operated by his wife in an apartment building, and the other run by himself on the street near Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park.<\/p>\n

\"vendor
\nImage credit: <\/em>Minh R\u00e2u<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Struggling with poverty <\/strong>and a constant lack of food<\/strong> during his college years, Minh dreamed of becoming rich so he could give out free vegetables to the poor <\/strong>one day.<\/p>\n

For the past 7 years, he has been giving out free vegetables and fruits <\/strong>to low-income workers in the industrial park and students nearby, while those who can afford them are welcome to pay.<\/p>\n

\"vendor
\nImage credit: <\/em>Minh R\u00e2u<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI give away free vegetables and fruits 1 to 2 days per week, sometimes 5-6 days, depending on the deals I got from my suppliers on that particular day. As long as the produce is affordable and really fresh<\/strong>, I\u2019ll buy at least 100KG <\/strong>so I can give it to more people for free. Vegetables that come in less amount won\u2019t help many people.\u201d Minh shared.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019re also days when Minh ends up with excess inventory<\/strong> and makes a big loss, but those setbacks don\u2019t stop Minh from helping those in need.<\/p>\n

\"vendor
\nImage credit: <\/em>Minh R\u00e2u<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Ms Lan Anh, a 40-year-old worker at Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park shared, \u201cHe gives out free vegetables to workers almost on a daily basis. Freebies from him have helped my family save a large sum on groceries.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

He encourages buyers to wear masks <\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

\"vendor
\nMinh sitting by his lineup of fresh produce and a sign that says \u201cNo masks, double the price\u201d. Hand sanitizer is also provided for buyers to use
\n<\/em>Image credit: <\/em>Minh R\u00e2u<\/em><\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Not only is Minh charitable, he is also a responsible vendor as he actively enforces mask-wearing <\/strong>at his roadside stall.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of the second wave of the coronavirus, his stall has been decked out with signs that say, \u201cNo masks, double the price\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cFailure to wear masks properly means no onions for you\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When encountering buyers who don\u2019t wear masks, he usually offers to sell them masks priced at VND2,000 (~USD0.09) <\/strong>per mask, which is a dirt-cheap price in Vietnam.<\/p>\n

\n

Vietnamese street vendor gives free vegetables to low-income residents<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

Even though the price of a portion of vegetables or fruits is usually not costly, it has cost Minh a lot of effort and resources<\/strong> to buy them in large amounts and give them away for free for years.<\/p>\n

Not only does Minh’s generosity help low-income workers<\/a> and students have quality meals, but it also promotes unity and gives all of us more faith in humanity during the crisis<\/a>. Those who wish to help him out can buy his veggies at his family\u2019s stall at An Binh Apartment Building<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also check out:<\/p>\n