A kitchen of love and sharing provides people in need with ‘zero-dong’ meals at noon, out of a site in Binh Duong Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City.

Disadvantaged people are welcomed to the kitchen filled with love and smiles on Phan Chu Trinh Street in Lai Thieu Ward, Thuan An City.

The zero-dong (free) kitchen mainly serves the elderly, poor children, lottery-ticket vendors, low-income employees, and motorbike taxi drivers.

Xuyen, 65, said that he works as a motorbike taxi driver in Lai Thieu, while his wife sells lottery tickets around the ward every day.

The married couple has visited the kitchen for lunch meals over the past month, he recounted.

Thanks to the kitchen, he saves VND30,000 (US$1.2) each day, he shared, adding that the dishes are delicious and safe.

Chanh, a septuagenarian from Binh Nham Ward, said he was pleasantly surprised by the staff's good behavior when he first visited the kitchen.

He was warmly welcomed and assisted in finding a table for his free meal.

The elderly and the disabled are given priority for servings, while other people are required to stand in line to receive their portions.

Apart from cooked rice, a main course, and side dishes, these people are also served with ice tea and sometimes fruits as dessert.

The kitchen has the menu changed every day, with a serving consisting of a main course such as stewed chicken, meatballs, caramelized pork with tofu, or caramelized pork with shrimp, and side dishes, including soup and boiled vegetables.

'Kitchen of Love - Zero-Dong Meals’ was established by Tran Van Tuan, a 46-year-old resident of Lai Thieu Ward, on June 18 this year. He planned to run a meaningful and community-driven activity for several years.

He said that his mother inspired him to do charity.

Tuan previously intended to build a nursing home to care for the elderly, but some difficulties hampered his wish.

Tuan spent nearly VND1 billion ($32,210) building the charity kitchen, and he pays VND10 million ($392.5) for the monthly space rent.

He also contributes nearly VND10 million each day to purchase ingredients for cooking food to serve needy people.

His family members and relatives, as well as some members of the Red Cross unit in Lai Thieu Ward, come to the kitchen every day to help him supply free meals to poor people.

The kitchen is open from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm from Monday to Friday each week.

Over 600 servings are provided gratis for needy people each day, Tuan said.

Some wished to donate money to his kitchen, but he turned them down and has only received donations of rice, vegetables, and fruits.

Tuan also unveiled his intention that he would provide free meals for poor patients at local hospitals.

“I will cook food to bring complimentary meals to nearby hospitals for poor patients and their caregivers," he said.

“I desire to do more charity to lend a helping hand to more people, but I am just scared that I am not healthy enough to do it all."

Huynh Thi Thanh Tam, chairwoman of the ward’s Red Cross unit, said that she totally threw her support behind Tuan’s plan to open a kitchen to offer free meals to impoverished people.

Therefore, since the opening of the kitchen, members of the unit have taken turns to visit the place to help him share love and kindness.

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