Driven by Purpose.
Powered by Partnership.

In July 2026, Hong Lien Foundation (HLF) brought together more than 150 volunteers and healthcare professionals for a 10-day mission trip to A Lưới, a remote and underserved region of central Vietnam, where the poverty rate may exceed 20%, 5-times the national average.

During the mission, HLF served over 2,000 patients across five communes, providing essential dental, medical and vision services.

Dental teams performed nearly 2,000 cleaning and fluoride treatments and over 2,200 fillings, helping children and adults address painful cavities and prevent further deterioration. More than 2,000 patients received oral-health education, giving families practical knowledge to help prevent dental disease long after the mission ended.

Henry Schein’s donated dental products were an important part of this effort. In a resource-limited environment, having reliable, high-quality dental supplies meant clinicians could spend less time worrying about whether they had the materials needed to provide treatment, and more time caring for patients.

Every filling represented more than a dental procedure. It meant a child could eat without pain. It meant a parent could return to work without the distraction of untreated dental problems. It meant a patient who had lived with a preventable condition could finally receive care.

The numbers tell one part of the story. Behind those numbers were thousands of individual interactions between patients and healthcare professionals. A young child sitting in a dental chair. A mother learning how to protect her children’s teeth. An adult receiving treatment for a problem that had gone untreated because professional care was simply out of reach.

For many families, poverty makes healthcare a difficult choice. When food, transportation and basic household needs compete for limited income, preventive dental care can become a luxury.

HLF’s mission was designed to change that equation by bringing care directly into communities that need it most.

Partnership makes the difference. HLF could not have delivered this mission alone. Volunteer clinicians provided their expertise. Local healthcare professionals and community partners provided critical knowledge and support. Volunteers gave their time. And companies like Henry Schein provided the products and resources that allowed those clinicians to translate their expertise into patient care.

That is the power of an effective healthcare partnership: products become procedures, procedures become healthier patients, and healthier patients have greater opportunity to thrive.

The July mission was not intended to be a one-time event. It was the beginning of a longer-term commitment to improving health and opportunity for vulnerable communities in Vietnam. HLF is continuing to develop sustainable programs addressing three interconnected needs:

• Ending Hunger: Helping families meet immediate nutritional needs while creating pathways toward greater self-sufficiency.
• Expanding Healthcare Access: Bringing dental, medical and vision services to communities where access remains limited.
• Educating Children: Helping vulnerable children stay in school and build a pathway toward a better future.

Henry Schein’s support demonstrates how corporate partnerships can extend far beyond a donated product. The products were delivered to Vietnam. The impact was delivered to people.

And for every patient who walked away healthier, there was a reminder of what is possible when healthcare professionals, nonprofit organizations and companies come together around a common purpose.

From products to patients. From treatment to prevention. From a 10-day mission to lasting hope. That is the impact of partnership.

In A Lưới, Vietnam, access to basic vision care can be difficult, especially for families living in remote, underserved communities.

During Hong Lien Foundation’s 2026 healthcare mission, Americares donated reading glasses that became an important part of a small vision-care pilot. After receiving vision screenings, eligible patients were fitted with readers at no cost.

The impact was often visible immediately. Many recipients were so proud and excited to receive their glasses that they put them on right away, with the power stickers still on the lenses. For our volunteers, these joyful moments were a powerful reminder that something as simple as a pair of reading glasses can mean so much to someone who has limited access to healthcare.

The readers gave patients an immediate, practical solution to a common vision need and allowed our healthcare team to address that need during the same visit. In total, 150 patients received reading glasses during the mission.

This small pilot showed us both the need and the opportunity. In 2027, Hong Lien Foundation hopes to expand the program with increased donations of prescription glasses, reading glasses and sunglasses, allowing our healthcare teams to provide more comprehensive vision support to patients across A Lưới.

What began with a small donation can become a larger pathway to better vision and better health. A pair of glasses may be small. But when access to healthcare is limited, the impact can be life-changing.

Hong Lien Foundation is grateful to Americares for helping patients in A Lưới see more clearly and for helping us envision what is possible for 2027 and beyond.

In the mountains of A Lưới, Vietnam, Ho Thi Che knows what it means to make difficult choices with very little. Born in 1976, Che lives in A Lưới 1 with more than six family members. She works as a farmer and earns below the poverty level, which is less than $58 per month. Most of what she earns goes toward food allowing her family to eat two meals a day, breakfast and dinner.

Che qualifies for free health insurance, but access to healthcare is still difficult. Like many people in her community, she typically seeks medical attention only when she becomes sick. When asked what kind of help her family needs most, she immediately identified healthcare and education for her children.

During Hong Lien Foundation’s 2026 mission to A Lưới, Che visited the clinic for an eye examination. As part of her care, she received a pair of reading glasses generously provided by Americares. For many of us, a pair of reading glasses is an inexpensive convenience. For Che, it was something she could not simply purchase when she needed it. When a family must prioritize food and other basic necessities, vision care can easily be postponed.

The readers provided by Americares offered Che an immediate, practical solution, helping her see more clearly and making everyday close-up activities easier.

Her story illustrates why access to basic healthcare matters. Health is not simply about treating illness. It is about giving people the ability to participate fully in everyday life, care for their families, learn, work and maintain their independence.

Che came to the mission seeking care. She left with something simple, but meaningful: a clearer view of the world around her.

Through partnerships with organizations like Americares, Hong Lien Foundation can bring essential health resources directly to communities where they are needed most. One pair of readers may seem small. But for someone living in poverty, it can be a meaningful step toward greater independence, dignity and hope.

Hong Lien Foundation is grateful to Americares for helping make better vision accessible to patients like Ho Thi Che in A Lưới.