Letters to the VVRP

        Mr. Le Trung Thuc, Training Center of Doluong District
        Mr. Van Tan Hoc, Village of Hope
        Dr. Timothy Jacobs
        Janice C. Duren                 		Make A Contribution to the VVRP
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        Mr. Le Trung Thuc, Training Center of Doluong District | Mr. Van Tan Hoc, Village of Hope | Dr. Timothy Jacobs | Janice C. Duren


        Mr. Le Trung Thuc, Training Center of Doluong District

        To: Chairman of Viêt Nam Veteran Restoration Project (VVRP)
            Chairman of East Meets West Project (EMW)
        July 13, 2001

        Dear Sirs,

        On behalf of all orphan and invalid children who are living and studying [for] jobs as well as on behalf of all staff of the humanitarian vocational training center of Doluong district, I would like to thank you very much for your great help & support. By the way, I'd like to give you the report on the projects [Teams XV, XVI, XVII] you have helped us [with] and on the results that these projects brought to our children.

        • With the fund that the VVRP gave us in August 2000 (7,500 USD), a house of 108m2 [1000+ sqft] was built. This house is used as a sewing class[room]. From October 2000 until now, this class equipped [prepared] 90 children for sewing jobs. All of them left the center and found employment with the income of 400,000 VND and upward. Out of this, our center eqiupped [prepared] also 160 invalid children & farmers with the mushroom cultivating job [business]. After learning this job at our center, they went back home & applied successfully what they learned. This helped them to increase their income and contributes a great deal to the poverty-alleviation movement at the local [level].
        • Thanks to the sum of money that you financed our center [with] in April 2001, a residence and & dining room of 108m2 was built. Now, the center can arrange accomodations for children.

        With children of our center, your help & support is very precious. It brings great results to the running of the center.

        Nowadays, still many children of the local [area] are jobless. I am doing my best to develop the effect [effective use] of the buildings that you financed. In order to satisfy the expectations of the children at the local [area], we need a 3-floor house with an area of 560m2 [5500+/- sqft]. Total fund [cost] for this house is 48,500 USD [see Team XVII]. This house will be a multiple function house, which is used to teach the handicrafts & electronic job [preparation] to children, to store goods & materials, to teach culture to the children [who] can not read & write yet. Another part of this house will be the meeting hall & rehabilitation room for invalid children. It's really a great work. I can not do it alone. I need the help & support from all kind hearts in Viêt Nam & abroad.

        I am a Vietnamese. I am now 40 years [old] but I am still single. I have neither a wife nor children of my own. My hope is what and how to equip [prepare] orphan, invalid & difficult children of the local [area] for a job & certain knowledge so that they can gain a living by themselves and become the useful people for the society. The smile & happiness of unhappy children is mine. Because of the was and natural calamity, many Vietnamese are living in poverty. I hope that with your good will, you shall continue to support my center.

        I undertake that whenever I have the help from you, I will try my best to use effectively the funding you give with the spirit "all for the benefit of unhappy children." Thank you in advance.

        Yours sincerely,

        Le Trung Thuc
        Director of the Humanitarian Vocational
        Training Center of Doluong District
        Nghean Province



        Mr. Le Trung Thuc, Training Center of Doluong District | Mr. Van Tan Hoc, Village of Hope | Dr. Timothy Jacobs | Janice C. Duren


        Letter to the VVRP from Mr. Van Tan Hoc

         To: The VVRP Board of Directors
        October 10, 1998

        Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

        In July 1998 the Village of Hope (VOH) got financial assistance from the Veterans Viêt Nam Restoration Project in order to renovate Village of Hope, which provides temporary care for orphaned, abandoned, and displaced children of Danang and Quang Nam Province.

        Five thousand dollars were spent on the renovation, half of which came from the VVRP and the other half for East Meets West Foundation. It took 2 months to finish.

        On September 25th, Mr. John Ward came to visit and check the completion of the project and was pleased with what we did.

        On behalf of VOH disadvantaged children and dedicated staff, I highly appreciate and thank the American veterans very much for the great support. Please say hello to people who contributed money for this assistance and tell them that we strongly appreciate them through the American veterans.

        In the last meeting with Mr. Ward I presented some VOH desire that the American veterans will consider and help u. Even though some projects in Loc Ninh and Quang Tri are being carried out by the veterans, we hope and believe in your Veterans' help for us next year, also.

        I will close for now and wish the American veterans many successes in business.

        Yours sincerely,

        Van Tan Hoc

        Note: Mr. Hoc is the Director for the Village of Hope in Danang. The VOH provides housing, food, health care, education, and vocational training for approximately 150 children under age 18.



        Mr. Le Trung Thuc, Training Center of Doluong District | Mr. Van Tan Hoc, Village of Hope | Dr. Timothy Jacobs | Janice C. Duren


        Letter to the VVRP from Dr. Timothy Jacobs

        Dear VVRP Friends,

        Just a short overdue note to say "Hello" to each of you, to send a small donation, and to let you know we are fine here in Tampa, Florida, our residence for the past 3 years.

        Thanks so much for the update letter of 13 July describing the upcoming trip and mission of Team XI to the Binh Phuoc area. It truly seems unreal that 10 teams have made the long journey to Viêt Nam in just 8 years. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have gone back to Viêt Nam in 1989 with Team II to Vinh. Like so many of my veteran brothers and sisters, the return in 1989 to work with my team and with our dear Vietnamese colleagues was a life-changing experience. My wife, Carolyne and I returned - again - in 1993, to Hanoi for 5 months, and, at last, adopted our Jenny, our vivacious, intelligent new 8-year old 3rd grader.

        I'll always be indebted to the VVRP and all my friends in Garberville. Please stay in touch. My best to all.

        Warmly, TJ



        Mr. Le Trung Thuc, Training Center of Doluong District | Mr. Van Tan Hoc, Village of Hope | Dr. Timothy Jacobs | Janice C. Duren




        Mr. Le Trung Thuc, Training Center of Doluong District | Mr. Van Tan Hoc, Village of Hope | Dr. Timothy Jacobs | Janice C. Duren


        Letter to the VVRP from Janice Duren

        May 24, 1998

        Dear Viêt Nam Restoration Project Veterans,

        Al last I'm able to respond to your excellent and moving mailing of December 18, 1997. I am proud and happy to have been able to support your projects over the years if only in a small way. It is encouraging to know that veterans are working to build friendship and understanding with former enemies. If only our government had the same policy instead of viewing the world chiefly in terms of enemies and what is strategic. We can spend billions and billions for more weapons but begrudge even a billion for the United Nations.

        I was a strong supporter of the anti-war movement but never blamed the soldiers for our policy in Viêt Nam and have always thought they deserved only acceptance and understanding upon their return. Certainly many of their problems have been neglected but your group took the initiative to help heal the wounds of war. Congratulations on your persistence.

        I have been attending the Tet party at the Vietnamese Mission to the United Nations since 1975. In 1990 I had a wonderful tour of the country. Now I keep in touch through a weekly newspaper from Hanoi, Vietnam Courier.

        Hòa Bình.
        Janice C. Duren



        Mr. Le Trung Thuc, Training Center of Doluong District | Mr. Van Tan Hoc, Village of Hope | Dr. Timothy Jacobs | Janice C. Duren


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