Community Work at a Charity Cooking House in Ho Chi Minh City

  Vietnam

• All Other Areas in Vietnam: 
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: multiple dates year round

Description: Be part of it with i-to-i
Our goal: is to achieve 400yrs of combined volunteering all over the world by the end of 2008

So far we have achieved 325yrs which when broken down means we achieved the following;

- Over 5500 children cared for on our community projects around the world
- A minimum of 13,000 children and adults taught English in schools and community centres
- Hundreds of animals protected including Turtles, Pandas, Elephants, Monkeys and more
- At least 80 homes and structures built for families and communities in need
- More than 8000 trees planted which are enough trees to offset the CO2 emissions of over 2,000 cars

Do you want to serve up a smile in Vietnam?

Ho Chi Minh City is all things to all men; it speaks the international language but with a Vietnamese twang. The modern world has to take its place next to food carts and non la hats, and it makes for an interesting scene. Given that the country has featured in as many war films as holiday brochures it's not surprising that it has lingering social problems though. This cooking house aims to improve things by delivering quality food to the poorest members of the city. The project relies on donations of time and money but still manages to prepare around 2000 meals per day. You will be involved with every aspect of food preparation, from chopping vegetables to bagging rice ready for delivery so bring lots of enthusiasm!

Find out more about i-to-i, watch their short video here: http://video.i-to-i.com/site-videos/video.html

Highlights: What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?

"This trip has been amazing for me and the other volunteers; it's fantastic! I'm so glad we came to Vietnam because we've experienced the time of our lives. We have made friends with other i-to-i volunteers and we'll never forget each other." (Zhongtian Yuan)

As a volunteer in Vietnam on this project, you will be involved with every aspect of food preparation, from chopping vegetables to bagging rice ready for delivery. All the food preparation is done on the floor, so you will need to wear comfortable clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. You will help to deliver the prepared food to the poor people of the neighborhood, who are either ill themselves or have relatives in hospital. You may have the opportunity to teach some informal English to the Vietnamese volunteers at the project, as they are keen to learn. In exchange, they may teach you some Vietnamese!

Qualifications: Resume is required as part of the application process. Although no special skills or experience are required, you will need to be prepared to work hard, get your hands dirty and work as part of a team. You need to be flexible, as your placement may involve working on any aspect of food preparation or delivery. Compassion and understanding will be required, as you will be delivering food to very poor or sick people. It is important that you are in good health and physically fit, as this is a hands-on role which involves sitting on the floor in basic, cramped conditions.

Cost in US$: $1390.00 for 2 weeks, $200.00 for every week thereafter

Before you depart we offer:
- Detailed information on your project and country
- fundraising advice and support
- visa instructions and forms
- vaccination recommendations
- CD-ROM packed with advice on health, safety, culture shock
- English teacher training course (TEFL)
- contact details to pass along to your family

When you arrive we provide:
- Pick-up from the airport on the designated arrival date
- 3 day welcome orientation
- regularly-inspected accommodation
- well-researched quality placement
- support of in-country i-to-i team

You will always have:
- Access to our emergency support team 24/7
- assistance of the global i-to-i staff
- guidance and advice from experienced i-to-i travelers

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: If you are interested in immersing yourself in another culture while giving your time to a worthy cause, then you are a typical i-to-i volunteer. We invite you to join the i-to-i community of dedicated volunteers aged 18-80 who are working on community development, building, teaching, and conservation projects across the globe. Together, we make a lasting impact that changes lives and helps preserve the planet through hundreds of worthwhile projects around the world.

Age Range: 18-80

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian and European Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Vietnam Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

i-to-i Meaningful Travel's Mission Statement: Founded in 1994, i-to-i is an award-winning organization providing unique opportunities for you to travel, work and live abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 18 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations and over 15,000 have learned to Teach English as a Foreign Language through our tailor-made TEFL courses. With over 300 projects on 4 continents, you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching, community development, sports coaching, conservation, building or internships in tourism, marketing, journalism, or health.

Year Founded: 1994