FOOD AID

What to expect and how you'll make an impact?

For many locals in Ho Chi Minh City, food is expensive and unaffordable. However, local soup kitchens are available to all and provide a high value meal every lunchtime. Volunteer assistance is important to help keep these kitchens open and serving meals to those who need them.

Meals are available for a fraction of the price of other options. Locals prefer to pay for meals, even if it’s a very low price, to avoid the stigma of accepting free food. The soup kitchen is popular and busy, serving up to 800 meals to low-income workers, the elderly and anyone else who requires lunch.

As a Food Aid volunteer your role is to provide assistance with:

· Food preparation

· Set up tables, chairs.

· Serving customers

· Cleaning up

Why do Food Aid volunteers in Ho Chi Minh with us?

When you volunteer in Vietnam you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

· Improving access to food sources for disadvantaged communities

· Supporting local initiatives to increase food security

· Developing your communication skills

· Gaining cooking and food preparation experience

· Immersing yourself in Vietnamese culture

· Exploring Ho Chi Minh City

Volunteer requirements

· Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program

· Volunteers aged 16-18 are required to provide with parental consent in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team

· All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two-character reference letters instead

· All volunteers are required to have adequate travel insurance

· All volunteers must be able to communicate English.

Price:

1 week

$260 Equivalent to $37/day

2 weeks

$420 Equivalent to $30/day

3 weeks

$600 Equivalent to $28/day

4 weeks

$780 Equivalent to $28/day

5 weeks

$940 Equivalent to $27/day

6 weeks

$1,100 Equivalent to $26/day

8 weeks

$1,320 Equivalent to $24/day

Accommodation:

You’ll stay at volunteer dormitory at ​a tourism college which is a 20 - 30 minute drive from the tourist area of Ho Chi Minh City. You can expect to share a room ​with 5-7 other volunteers, all sleeping in bunk beds, shared bathroom . Living conditions are basic; however, there is air conditioning. The showers are with cold running water (nice and refreshing in the hot weather!). WiFi is available in the volunteer dormitory; however, the connection can be slow sometimes so we recommend bringing an unlocked mobile phone and purchasing a local SIM card when you arrive in Vietnam. The local team can assist you with this during your program orientation. Some placements are located relatively close to the volunteer accommodation, however in some instances, volunteers may need to travel by public bus for 30​ to 40​ minutes to their placements. If this is the case, you will be accompanied by a member of the local team to ensure you travel safely.

Meal

Volunteers in Ho Chi Minh City are served three meals per day during the week. Breakfast is usually toast, cereal, fruit, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are typically traditional Vietnamese fare and include a wide variety of rice, noodle and soup dishes with plenty of vegetables, meats and fresh herbs. On the weekends volunteers are only served brunch and dinner. If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know when you apply for the program so we can make arrangements for you.

Include:

· Accommodation

· Meals

· 24/7 in-country support

· In-country program orientation

· Pre-departure support

· Airport pick-up

· Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists

· Certificate of Volunteer Service