NghiaSinh International is a humanitarian organization founded in June 1963 in Saigon to provide emergency assistance to the elderly and the poor who arrived in Saigon as refugees from the countryside of Vietnam. NghiaSinh has also provided food, clothes, shelter, and medicine to war victims since 1966. Between 1968 and 1975, NghiaSinh established the Nghia-Viet High School for the poor; Hung-Vuong Social Service Center for homeless children; Tran-Binh-Trong Shelter for displaced persons; and Chanh-Hung Human Care Program for juvenile delinquents. NghiaSinh served thousands of people for 12 years in Vietnam. As a result of its dedicated service to humanity, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Minister of Education, Minister of Labor, and Minister of Social Services presented NghiaSinh four National Medals of Honor.: National Medal of Labor, National Medal of Education, National Medal of Youth Service, and National Medal of Social Services.

Voluntary Agency Representative. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, NghiaSinh began a new life in Chicago as a sponsor and reception agency (VOLAG) for Vietnamese and other Indochinese refugees. From 1975 to 1987, NghiaSinh resettled over 1,000 such refugees in Illinois. On some occasions this resettlement work was carried out solely by unpaid volunteers. At other times NghiaSinh had subcontracts from the U.S. State Department/AFCR. These funds were used partly for providing direct financial assistance to newly arrived refugees and partly for paying part-time staff. This resettlement work involved airport pickups; food and housing for the first 30 days; escort; link-up with social security; access to health clinics, schools, and public aid; access and linkage to previously resettled Indochinese refugees. Each refugee received $250 in cash upon arrival. In addition, each refugee and every refugee sponsored by NghiaSinh received $50 as a wedding gift and $50 for family funeral assistance. Over 70 percent of the refugees are now working. More than 20 percent are attending colleges while another 10 percent are taking retirement.

Annual Thanksgiving Celebrations. On Thanksgiving each year, refugees sponsored by NghiaSinh get together to thank God for blessings, to share life experience with one another, and to enjoy an Asian American dinner. As of 2016, thirty four (34) NghiaSinh Thanksgiving celebrations have been continuously organized for Asian refugees and immigrants in Chicago.

Human Care Services. Beginning in 1988, NghiaSinh’s activities focus on two areas of social and educational services:

• Human Services: NghiaSinh started to address the issue of youth problems such as school dropouts, drugs and crimes through its prevention programs. NghiaSinh also offered cross-cultural workshops, individual counseling sessions, after-school programs, and martial arts classes, among other programs.

• Leadership Development: The Chicago Leadership Academy was initiated to offer Educational Leadership Conferences, Management Skills Workshops, and Classes on Group Dynamics and Team Work Skills to community and youth leaders.

Presidental Medal presented at the White House. At the White House in April of 1983, President Ronald Reagan personally honored NghiaSinh and its founder, Dr. Nguyen-Trung Hieu, with the Presidential Medal of Volunteer Community Service for dedicated service and exemplary leadership.

NghiaSinh Intl, Inc.
1652 N. Rockwell Street, Chicago, IL 60647 
Tel: 1 (312) 394-9858 & Email: NghiaSinh@gmail.com
Websites: http://www.nghiasinh.org/ & https://nghiasinhvn.wordpress.com/