For many enterprises, corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities are an integral part of their business strategies as they want to hrive together with the community. Numerous businesses pursue environmental protection with their CSR programs, many choose to support education or healthcare for the wellbeing of the community, while others target sci-tech development for the general advancement of society.
At An Cuong Wood Working Joint-stock Company, CSR activities are cannoned towards the poor, with an aim to ease their agony. Hundreds of CSR activities have been organized by An Cuong across the country in recent years via its Smile of Hope Foundation.
Support for poor, crippled children
On June 23, 2022, representatives of the foundation visited Thien Phuoc Charity in HCMC’s District 12 to lend a helping hand. Thien Phuoc Charity is currently taking care of over 60 children who have cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other mental illnesses. An Cuong via its Smile of Hope Foundation donated money as well as medical equipment to the charity to help better care for the unfortunate children.
An Cuong via Smile of Hope Foundation has long paid special attention to orphanages that take care of poor and crippled children, like orphanages at Thien Duc and Thien Tri pagodas, Hong Shelter, and Nhan A among others. The company has recently donated VND2 billion to build An Lac Shelter at Phap Tanh Pagoda in Long An Province’s Can Giuoc District.
Over the years, Smile of Hope Foundation has also collaborated with the HCMC Children Hospital to take care of children, especially those suffering from serious illnesses. Financial support totalling over VND1 billion has been donated by An Cuong to the hospital to cover part of the treatment for child patients, especially those coming from poor families.
“We are always trying to fulfill our mission to contribute more to the community to help chilren and elderly people for the wellbeing of society,” say the company’s leadership.
An Cuong to date has disbursed more than VND100 billion to the foundation to carry out CSR activities, “with a hope that prompt support for the needy will help soothe their pain and ease their difficulties.”
Contribution to the fight against Covid-19
Besides widespread support to unfortunate children, An Cuong has also actively reached out to poor people affected by Covid-19 as well as frontliners in the fight against the pandemic. When the pandemic peaked, An Cuong took out VND1 billion from its Smile of Hope Foundation to join forces with two other enterprises namely Tran Anh Group and Sai Gon Thang Long Real Estate Company to supply rice and essential products to poor people in areas under lockdown in June last year. The relief has helped poor and jobless people to survive hardships induced by the pandemic.
In addition, the company has installed rice dispensers in many areas across HCMC to provide free food to the people during the lockdown. It has also donated over VND500 million to medical workers at the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases to support them during the fight against the pandemic.
Victims of natural calamities are also under the radar of An Cuong, which has timely extended its support to those people. 2020 was considered one of the toughest years for many people due to numerous natural calamities, from storms and flashfloods in central Vietnam to drought and salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta. The company sent several relief packages to those affected by storms in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Quang Binh following the Storm No. 9 that year, and installed water filtering machines for the people in Ben Tre to survive the salwater intrusion.
“Social responsibility is an important aspect in our business. Our success includes not only the business development by realizing business plans and strategies, but also the fulfillment of our social tasks,” say the company’s management.
