2012 Annual Letter
December 1, 2012
Dear Friends of ChildrenVietnam,
This has been an exciting year for us here and abroad. We began the year by visiting thirteen different provinces in Vietnam, including KonTum, HaTien, Nhatrang and DongNai. We distributed nearly 300 bicycles to needy children we personally interviewed last year, presented over 300 scholarships and book bags to children unable to attend school, and provided food+cash assistance to families of handicapped children. Because many do not have a change of clothing, we also distributed 150 ChildrenVietnam T-shirts. Many of our poorest children are ethnic minorities living in desolate areas.
Here, in the States, we elected a new President and three Board members, one of which commandeered our first Valentine Date auction and biggest fundraiser of our group’s history. With the help of several talented volunteers, we will have a new website, logo and name in 2013. We were represented in the 2012 Boston Marathon by our third-year veteran runner. We also had our annual volleyball tournament, 5k race and Lunar New Year fundraisers: all of which are possible only through your participation and support.
The bicycle project is my personal favorite, not only for its practical reasons of providing transportation for the children to school and running errands for their family, but also because I love the expression on the children’s face when we call their name and present them with a new bicycle. Even though they know they have been selected, they are anxious and worried something will happen, and their hopes would be dashed. When their name is called, their first expression is wide-eyed disbelief. They walk up as if in a trance. They stare at the bicycle, their two hands clinging to it as if it might disappear like a dream. Minutes would pass before they would either laugh or cry, and begin their excited chattering. They never stop touching or looking at the bicycle. A new bicycle is something that happens once in a lifetime for these children.
For our 2013 Bicycle Project, we would like to present 350 bicycles to the children in the poorest regions of Vietnam, including KonTum, BanMaThuot and QuiNhon. For each $50 donation, we will purchase a bicycle on your behalf. We will send you a picture of the child that receives your bicycle gift, holding a sign with your name. We will also purchase wheelchairs for handicapped children.
We are merely conduits of your love and generosity. It is you that bring joy and give these children hope. You change their lives and future. This holiday season, please give a child the opportunity to express his/her disbelief and pinch himself/herself that this is not a dream.
Yours in gratitude,
Phuong Phoenix Bui
Co-Founder
Dear Friends of ChildrenVietnam,
This has been an exciting year for us here and abroad. We began the year by visiting thirteen different provinces in Vietnam, including KonTum, HaTien, Nhatrang and DongNai. We distributed nearly 300 bicycles to needy children we personally interviewed last year, presented over 300 scholarships and book bags to children unable to attend school, and provided food+cash assistance to families of handicapped children. Because many do not have a change of clothing, we also distributed 150 ChildrenVietnam T-shirts. Many of our poorest children are ethnic minorities living in desolate areas.
Here, in the States, we elected a new President and three Board members, one of which commandeered our first Valentine Date auction and biggest fundraiser of our group’s history. With the help of several talented volunteers, we will have a new website, logo and name in 2013. We were represented in the 2012 Boston Marathon by our third-year veteran runner. We also had our annual volleyball tournament, 5k race and Lunar New Year fundraisers: all of which are possible only through your participation and support.
The bicycle project is my personal favorite, not only for its practical reasons of providing transportation for the children to school and running errands for their family, but also because I love the expression on the children’s face when we call their name and present them with a new bicycle. Even though they know they have been selected, they are anxious and worried something will happen, and their hopes would be dashed. When their name is called, their first expression is wide-eyed disbelief. They walk up as if in a trance. They stare at the bicycle, their two hands clinging to it as if it might disappear like a dream. Minutes would pass before they would either laugh or cry, and begin their excited chattering. They never stop touching or looking at the bicycle. A new bicycle is something that happens once in a lifetime for these children.
For our 2013 Bicycle Project, we would like to present 350 bicycles to the children in the poorest regions of Vietnam, including KonTum, BanMaThuot and QuiNhon. For each $50 donation, we will purchase a bicycle on your behalf. We will send you a picture of the child that receives your bicycle gift, holding a sign with your name. We will also purchase wheelchairs for handicapped children.
We are merely conduits of your love and generosity. It is you that bring joy and give these children hope. You change their lives and future. This holiday season, please give a child the opportunity to express his/her disbelief and pinch himself/herself that this is not a dream.
Yours in gratitude,
Phuong Phoenix Bui
Co-Founder
