July 2026 | A Lưới District, Vietnam

A Lưới Mission 2026: Restoring Health. Fighting Hunger. Building Hope.

July 13 – July 23, 2026

group of volunteers in Central Vietnam posing outside of school that is used as a mobile clinic

In July, ten specialized U.S. volunteers journeyed to A Lưới to provide critical medical, dental, and vision care, as well as preventive health education. To maximize community impact, the Hong Lien Foundation partnered with three local volunteer groups in Huế, mobilizing over 90 local doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and educators. Together, they delivered vital care to families in some of Central Vietnam’s most remote and underserved districts.

Pictured above: Team 1 of 5 serving A Lưới District 1.

“

Over 100 dedicated volunteers. 10 days. Thousands of lives touched. Thank you to every volunteer, donor, and partner who made the 2026 A Lưới mission possible.

— NGOC BICH, FOUNDER

Key Impact at a Glance

This year, we delivered care and support to thousands of people and tested new solutions designed to create lasting change.

2,000

Families supported With Food

Nonperishable food bags provided to families facing food insecurity

2,204

Cavities Treated

Dental treatment provided to patients who otherwise may not have had access to care.

2,007

People received Oral Health Education

Community members equipped with knowledge to prevent dental disease and improve oral health.

260

Medical Examinations

Provided basic health assessments and connecting patients to care.

150

Vision Support

Reading glasses provided to improve everyday vision and quality of life.

In The News

Stories of Impact: Media Coverage from Our A Lưới Outreach

Hue CDC News

Hue Odonto-Stomatology Hospital Implements Free Dental Check-up Program in 5 Communes of A Luoi

Humanitarian medical delegation of doctors, nurses, and international volunteers providing free dental care, fluoride treatment, and livelihood support across A Luoi[cite: 1].

July 14, 2026 Read Press Article →

Huế Ngày Nay

Free Dental Examinations and Treatment for Residents Across 5 Communes in A Lưới

Coverage on the collaborative outreach program delivering essential oral healthcare, community development gifts, and breeding livestock to support local families[cite: 2].

July 14, 2026 Read Press Article →

Restoring Smiles: Dental Care in Action

dentists treating patients in a dental mobile clinic in Central Vietnam

volunteered dentist treating a child at the dental clinic.

“Fixing a severe cavity or giving a child back their ability to eat comfortably is why I volunteer for this mission.”

— Dr. Quang

Dental Patients Served Chart

2,007 Dental Patients Served

63%

37%

Children Adults

Dental patients by age group:

Reinforces the importance of pediatric oral healthcare outreach

89%

11%

Fillings Tartar

Dental patients by treatment type:

Strong need for prevention, early screening, and restorative capacity

46%

37%

17%

Treated Cleaning Referred

Dental patients by outcome:

More specialized care requires strong referral pathways and continuity of care

Mission Reflections

What Our Dental Mission Taught Us

Our 2026 dental mission in A Lưới gave us more than an opportunity to provide care—it gave us data that can help shape what we do next. Three findings stood out:

63%

Patients Were Children

This reinforces the opportunity to make pediatric prevention a central focus of future missions.

89%

Involved Cavity Fillings

Among patients seeking care through our mission, restorative treatment was the dominant need, highlighting the importance of combining treatment with earlier prevention.

17%

Referred for Specialized Care

A mission can provide critical access, but some patients need care beyond what a short-term clinic can provide. Stronger local referral and follow-up pathways can help close that gap.

What This Means for Mission 2027

We want to move beyond simply treating dental problems toward a more complete oral-health approach:

Screen earlier

Prevent more

Treat effectively

Connect to continuing care

That means putting greater emphasis on pediatric screening, fluoride, and oral-health education while continuing restorative treatment for patients who need it, and strengthening referral pathways for those requiring specialized care.

The Question for Next Year
The question we want to ask next year is not only “How many patients did we treat?” It is:

“How many patients did we help connect to ongoing care?”
That is how we turn a mission trip into lasting impact.

Beyond Healthcare: Healing through Connection & Care

volunteer showing care and compassionate to an amputee patient

volunteers helping patient at a medical mobile clinic

volunteered nurse examining an elderly patient at the medical clinic

The Hong Lien Foundation is proud to highlight Nurse Practitioner Maryanne Davis-Eriksen for her compassionate service. Working alongside our medical team, she provided care for hundreds of patients across five mobile clinics—diagnosing a wide range of conditions, including hypertension, respiratory illnesses, and digestive issues frequently compounded by nutritional deficiencies.

Nourishing Communities, One Family at a Time

A girl receiving donated food back handed by a volunteer

food truck delivering non-perishable items like rice and stable cooking items

Beyond specialized clinical care, our mission extends to essential daily living support. Working closely with local community leaders in A Lưới, our team prepared and distributed 2 thousands dental kits and food packages—containing rice, cooking staples, and nutritional goods—directly into the hands of local children and families.

Restoring Sight, Restoring Hope - Mobile Digital Vision Screenings

a woman assisted by a volunteer after having eyeglasses fitting

“Just being able to read and not having to squint for the first time in many years, I’m so grateful”

— Nga, age 40

Over 150 prescription eye glasses enabled us to provide near and far-sighted corrections for people in needs.

Sustainable Livestock & Income Program - Empowering Rural Families Through Small-Scale Livestock Husbandry, Technical Training, and Sustainable Micro-Enterprises.

HLF volunteers helping educate farmers about goat raising

A committee of volunteers and local representatives gathering for the animal husbandry program

Helping to break the cycle of rural poverty, the foundation provided families with livestock assets, infrastructure support, and practical husbandry training—enabling long-term nutritional support and sustainable household income.