Join Us!
In Colorado, cats may not venture outdoors at night unless equipped with taillights. Creatures from outer space are legally prohibited from parking their rockets in French vineyards. Anyone tethering their camel to a parking meter in Virginia may expect a ticket, even if they insert the proper change. And do not, dear reader, attempt to sell cabbages in New Jersey on a Sunday, for this has been forbidden by statute.
In these and more serious matters, life may seem random, inexplicable and beyond our control. Every day, the newspapers and news programs remind us of the terrible struggles humankind faces, and the various ways that people are suffering. None of us are happy about this, but how can an ordinary citizen be expected to solve the problems within their neighborhood, let alone across the globe?
Some opt for total immersion: trekking through jungles with medicine pouches, setting up clean water supplies in refugee camps, and hounding large foundations for much-needed funds. At the opposite end of the spectrum, one might be tempted to withdraw into a small self-contained world, waiting (and waiting) for things to improve before coming out again.
We would like to offer an alternative.
The Friends of Hue Foundation is a small nonprofit organization with an all-volunteer staff in the U.S. Our primary job is maintaining an orphanage near Hue, in the central area of Vietnam. Our group was established in the year 2000, after devastating floods in 1999 left a large number of people homeless, and many children without parents. Ours is a small, friendly group with a strong sense of focus. Like everyone else, we know that we cannot solve the world’s problems, but we are remarkably effective in providing better lives for thirty-one children, providing them regular meals, a safe haven and education.
If you feel an urge to help others but have never quite figured out how, please contact us at info@friendsofhue.org or (408) 455-0175 to ask about volunteer opportunities. We look forward to hearing from you.