VNHELP and the San Francisco-Ho Chi Minh City Sister City Committee (SFHCMCSCC) are organizing the "Economic and Goodwill Trip" to Vietnam this July, While the SFHCMCSCC is organizing a trip to Vietnam in recognition of the 10th anniversary of the sister city relationship, VNHELP is organizing a humanitarian trip to distribute wheelchairs and computers to needy people and institutions in Vietnam. "Because both organizers are planning for a summer trip, travelers are from the San Francisco Bay Area and San Jose, and the goal and mission of each organization are supportive of each other, I think a joint trip only makes a lot of sense and will add values for all parties!", said Thu Anh Do, VNHELP Executive Director.

George Saxton and Kim D. Nguyen, Executive Director and Co-chair of SFHCMCSCC, announced in April that their trip program would include a "San Francisco Week" in HCMC/Saigon, a celebration of the Fourth of July with the US Consulate in HCMC/Saigon, an event with the US Embassy in Ha Noi, seminars on Legal System and Urban Planning, and visits to historical sites and scenes. The program will be augmented by the additions of a VNHELP wheelchair distribution ceremony, a visit to an orphanage and a vocational training center funded by VNHELP. In 2005, VNHELP will distribute 1200 wheelchairs to the handicapped in various cities, build five new schools, and support a vocational training center in Thai Binh and School for the Blind in HCMC/Saigon, Other existing VNHELP projects continue doing extremely well in Vietnam.

For SFHCMCSCC, July marks the Tenth Anniversary of the people to people Sister City Program and the normalization of relations between the two countries. For VNHELP, July marks the Fourteen Anniversary of the VNHELP operation in Vietnam with an increase in project size, scope and impacts. The "Economic and Goodwill Trip" will begin June 29th and end July 16th. VNHELP donors, volunteers, and supporters interested in participating in this meaningful trip should contact VNHELP as soon as possible to reserve a space.

Viet Nam Health, Education, and Literature Projects(VNHELP) is a non-profit, tax-exempt, charitable organization dedicated to assisting children, families, and communities in Vietnam through self-help programs in education and health care, and to promoting cultural and professional exchanges between Vietnam and the United States. VNHELP headquarter is in San Jose, California (http://www.vnhelp.org)

San Francisco - Ho Chi Minh City Sister City Committee (SFHCMCSCC) is a non-political educational people-people program. It is recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation by the Internal Revenue Service. SFHCMCSCC headquarter is in San Francisco, California.