Giving Opportunities 2021

Hello!

We are Volunteers for Medical Outreach (VMO), a student-run, non-profit organization at UC Berkeley founded in 2008. Our mission is to provide free, sustainable healthcare to underserved/rural communities. Currently, our efforts are focused on improving healthcare disparities in Hue, An Giang, and Saigon in Vietnam. Every summer, we send a cohort of students to Vietnam where they volunteer alongside physicians, clinicians, social workers, and public health experts to serve communities that lack access to healthcare services. Our organization works alongside nonprofit organizations, such as Aid to Children Without Parents (ACWP) and Friends of Hue Foundation (based in San Jose) to coordinate our trip and to meet our goals!

During the school year, we hold fundraisers and weekly meetings, where we discuss the context of global health to better serve communities on our trip. 100% of our fundraising money goes toward supporting mobile clinics, vaccinations, corrective surgeries, and school and orphanage maintenance for our volunteer trip. In 2018-2019, we were able to fundraise $10,500 selling treats such as selling Krispy Kreme donuts in San Francisco and Banh Mi sandwiches on campus. To break down our fundraising efforts: $2,500 went towards Hepatitis B vaccinations, $1,000 for corrective surgeries, and $7,000 for mobile clinics. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly limited our means of in-person fundraising. This is why we are reaching out to our supporters, family, and friends virtually for the Giving Tuesday campaign!

Every dollar earned from this campaign makes a huge difference! $32 covers the full cost of a Hepatitis B vaccination for a child. During our 2019 trip, 300 children were able to get their first vaccinations, 4 children received corrective surgery, and over 2,500 patients were treated at our mobile clinics. With your donations, we’ll be able to fund more corrective surgeries, more vaccinations, and, most importantly, provide more services to the communities and people that need it the most. Our team works hard to ensure that we can help increase access to critical healthcare services and make a positive impact on the families we serve, and you can, too!

With your support, we can provide necessary medical care at no charge to underserved areas and help combat major public health issues in Vietnam such as Hepatitis B infections, dental hygiene, and the overall lack of accessible care. We appreciate any donations and are grateful for any form of support we can get! Again, thank you so much for your time, and we wish you a safe holiday!

“VMO was the first student organization I joined on campus and it has definitely been the most impactful on my life. I was not only able to learn about the different public health disparities in Vietnam, but I was able to apply my knowledge and learn from those I met during my trip. However, our fundraising efforts throughout the school year helped me understand how far a donation could stretch for a mission revolving around healthcare disparities. I remained in the club as a board member to continue and maintain the sustainability and mission of VMO.”

- Taylor Nguyen

“My experience in VMO has been crucial in forming my choice to pursue a career in medicine. I’ve gained an invaluable perspective as I learned about global health disparities and participated in the 2019 trip wherein I witnessed the importance of public health and primary care in Vietnam. The money that we raise directly goes towards purchasing medical supplies, vaccines, and corrective surgeries for those that lack healthcare resources in Vietnam. Although this is my fourth and final year in VMO, I am still just as passionate and confident in our mission of providing free and sustainable healthcare. 

- Joseph Lei

Link to more information about Volunteers for Medical Outreach: https://vmo.berkeley.edu/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calvmo/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calvmo

Warmly,

Volunteers for Medical Outreach (VMO) at UC Berkeley