Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – During the weeks of Hà Nội’s Covid-19 lockdown in summer 2021, the Community Development Ministry ran the “Connecting and Sharing Love” program, bringing gifts for migrant workers in Hà Nội who had lost their jobs and income. From early August to early September 2021, more than 200 food packages reached workers in many wards and communes.
See photos: all the photos of the program (about 50 photos) on the Community Development Ministry fanpage
The Worries of Informal Workers
As distancing measures were tightened and extended, informal workers, especially migrant workers, were hit hardest. They still had to pay rent and utilities while their income almost disappeared. One migrant woman shared that if they had known it would be a week or a month, they could have managed, but with such a long shutdown, eating without working would eventually use everything up.
In response, the ministry wanted to join friends and believers in contributing a small part, helping vulnerable people in lockdown and quarantine areas feel more settled and comply with pandemic measures with peace of mind.
Gift Trips During the Lockdown
The program was carried out in close cooperation with local authorities and organizations:
- August 5, 2021: with the Hải Bối Commune People’s Committee, 32 gift packs for migrant workers in Cổ Điển village, Hải Bối commune, Đông Anh district. Each included 10 kg of rice, cooking oil, fish sauce, 10 eggs, dried fish and winter melon; families with young children also received fresh milk.
- August 18, 2021: 48 gifts for a group of struggling workers in Phúc Tân and Chương Dương wards, Hoàn Kiếm district.
- August 19, 2021: with the Long Biên Ward Fatherland Front, 100 gifts worth 250,000 dong each for households severely affected by the pandemic.
- August 25, 2021: with the Long Biên District Security Team and the Ngọc Thụy Ward Fatherland Front, 22 bags of goods worth nearly 350,000 dong each for migrant workers in Ngọc Thụy ward.
- September 1, 2021: an emergency food package for a group of 5 construction workers stranded at a site in Cầu Giấy district.
The Story of the Construction Workers
The construction workers in Cầu Giấy came from Phú Thọ, Thanh Hóa and Thái Bình. They wanted to go home but could not afford transport, so they stayed at the site with no income. In over a month, they had received help from the locality only once. The ministry’s food package included 20 kg of rice, meat, fish, cooking oil, fish sauce and vegetables. Arriving right at lunchtime, the team could clearly see the joy and emotion on every face.
A neighborhood representative in Ngọc Thụy also shared that the bags of essentials helped workers through some of their hardship and gave them more motivation and hope to get through the pandemic.
Loving One Another as the Lord Loved Us
For the ministry, the program was not just about handing out gifts. It was how the church kept caring for the most vulnerable, just as Jesus commanded:
“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.” (John 13:34)
Every working day began with prayer before sorting the gifts and setting out. Throughout, the ministry received care and support from local authorities and the Long Biên District Police.
Thanks and Prayer
The ministry sincerely thanks believers and friends inside and outside the church who gave so the program could reach many people. Please pray with us:
- For migrant workers to be safe and find work again soon.
- For ministry members to be kept safe while serving during the pandemic.
- For God’s name to be glorified through the church’s acts of love.
Read more in Community Development and Church News. Contact the church office: 0942 248 688 (Zalo available).
