The Food Shop program is managed by NGOs in partnership with the local community to provide subsidized, low-cost meals. Its success depends on donations, local support, and volunteers whose efforts help prepare and serve meals daily.
Join the program, support the operation of the food shop, and immerse yourself in the local culture!
In this program, your support will be invaluable in ensuring high-quality meals for the city’s residents.
Your contribution at The Smile Food Shop includes tasks such as helping with food preparation, serving, and cleaning, all aimed at spreading smiles through affordable, hot meals for those in need.
Founded in 2012, The Smile Food Shop was established to assist people by providing low-cost lunches. The shop operates under the leadership of an NGO, in collaboration with dedicated locals, and your efforts will be deeply appreciated.
As a volunteer, you will play a crucial role in preparing and serving lunches to a diverse group of 300 to 500 individuals, including the elderly, local workers, people with disabilities, students, and children. These individuals rely on the Food Shop for affordable, high-quality, and well-prepared meals daily.
This program is both challenging and engaging, offering an experience full of intercultural exchanges.
It is important to note that the program continues even during closures of the NGO-managed facility, including a month-long closure around the Tet festival. During such times, volunteers prepare meals on-site in the kitchen of our accommodation, and the free meals are distributed to patients and local workers at a nearby hospital.
As a volunteer, you may take on various tasks:
However, you will not be allowed to cook, as this falls under the legal responsibility of the establishment.
This program is available all year round
Duration during the week | Budget total mission |
|---|---|
2 weeks | 940 € |
3 weeks | 1235 € |
4 weeks | 1580 € |
5 weeks | 1925 € |
6 weeks | 2270 € |
8 weeks | 2860 € |
10 weeks | 3450 € |
12 weeks | 4140 € |
A supplement of €200 applies to participants aged under 18. For more information, meet on the youth area.
The accommodation is located on a campus in a college dorm. As such, it follows certain campus rules such as a night curfew.
There are plenty of taxis around our campus. You can easily catch one from the main road to reach your desired destination in Ho Chi Minh City.
There are also several ATMs in the area where we are staying. The closest one is about a 3-minute walk from our campus.
There are nice local cafés, convenience stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, swimming pools, and restaurants next to our dorm. A beautiful and peaceful place where you can enjoy fresh juices, snacks, etc.
All necessary amenities can be found in the city-after all, we are located in the country’s capital!
Three good Asian style meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) are provided every day of the program, and on weekends only brunch and dinner. However, meals will also be served based on your dietary requirements, but you need to inform us in advance.
As the country’s largest city, bustling with energy, innovation, and constant movement, Ho Chi Minh City—formerly known as Saigon—is the economic heart of Vietnam and the main hub of the southern region. This cosmopolitan, free-spirited metropolis combines the old and new Vietnam within a compact urban space, embodying both the city’s past and future. Ho Chi Minh City is not only Vietnam’s primary economic center but also carries numerous cultural and historical imprints from its more than 300 years of developmental history.
On the other hand, the accommodation center is located at 23/8 Hoang Viet Ward 4, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. It takes you about ten (10) minutes (2.7 km) from the airport (Tan Son Nhat International Airport) and about fifteen (15-20) minutes from the city center.
Moreover, the center is surrounded by various facilities such as ATMs, restaurants, post office, swimming pool, gym, coffee shop and supermarkets. Therefore, you are free to relax and explore the city centers during your free time or after the program’s schedules or on the weekends and have the best times of your stay!
