Smile Bank is an organization that aims to help Agent Orange victims in Vietnam.
During the Vietnam War (1959-1975), the U.S. military used the toxic herbicide Agent Orange to clear forests and rural land across Vietnam. The chemical had devastating impacts on those living in the area, and still contaminates the soil and water today. The lingering toxins and resulting contamination have been causally linked to varying degrees of physical and mental impairment. Victims often suffer from birth defects such as cleft palates, hernias, weak dislodged bones, growth of extra fingers or toes, and stunted cerebral development, among others.
Today, most Agent Orange victims comprise the second and third generations.
Smile Bank is dedicated to helping victims both directly and indirectly. We fundraise by hosting diverse events and by encouraging student-led entrepreneurial projects. We connect medical volunteers to patients. We volunteer at orphanages and hospitals housing victims. We raise awareness for this widely overlooked issue, both in Vietnam and the U.S.
Smile Bank was founded in 2012 by Sherry Kim, after being affected by a desire to help the children at Thien Phuoc, the main orphanage the organization is affiliated with. The orphanage cares specifically for young children under the age of 14 affected by Agent Orange.
Now, Smile Bank is growing by the day, and is working to help Agent Orange victims throughout Vietnam. The organization is based in six schools around Ho Chi Minh City, and is soon to be established as a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) non-profit.
During the Vietnam War (1959-1975), the U.S. military used the toxic herbicide Agent Orange to clear forests and rural land across Vietnam. The chemical had devastating impacts on those living in the area, and still contaminates the soil and water today. The lingering toxins and resulting contamination have been causally linked to varying degrees of physical and mental impairment. Victims often suffer from birth defects such as cleft palates, hernias, weak dislodged bones, growth of extra fingers or toes, and stunted cerebral development, among others.
Today, most Agent Orange victims comprise the second and third generations.
Smile Bank is dedicated to helping victims both directly and indirectly. We fundraise by hosting diverse events and by encouraging student-led entrepreneurial projects. We connect medical volunteers to patients. We volunteer at orphanages and hospitals housing victims. We raise awareness for this widely overlooked issue, both in Vietnam and the U.S.
Smile Bank was founded in 2012 by Sherry Kim, after being affected by a desire to help the children at Thien Phuoc, the main orphanage the organization is affiliated with. The orphanage cares specifically for young children under the age of 14 affected by Agent Orange.
Now, Smile Bank is growing by the day, and is working to help Agent Orange victims throughout Vietnam. The organization is based in six schools around Ho Chi Minh City, and is soon to be established as a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) non-profit.