Our Crowdfunding Groups
Update: New Goal of $2,500!
Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us reach our goal of $2,000 this fall! Hoping to continue this momentum, we have decided to add a stretch goal of $500, for a total of $2,500 this October. VMO is hoping to raise $20,000 this year in total to provide as many Hep B vaccines as we can and to support twice as many Mobile Clinics as last Summer. Any additional support will bring us closer to this goal. Once again, thank you so much for everyone's past and continued support!
Established in 2008, Volunteers for Medical Outreach (VMO) is a student-run, nonprofit organization that aims to provide underserved communities abroad with free, sustainable healthcare. Every school year, members of Volunteers for Medical Outreach organize various events in order to raise funds for our cause. 100% of the proceeds we make go directly toward funding mobile health clinics, Hepatitis B vaccinations, medications, dental services, corrective surgeries, and school renovations for underserved areas in the global community. During the summer, we travel abroad to volunteer amongst doctors, dentists, and pharmacists at the mobile health and vaccination clinics that we fund, teach public health lessons to the communities we visit, visit hospitals to view the disparities of healthcare systems in different countries, and serve the community in non-medically related ways as well. So far, VMO has established a strong presence in Southern and Central Vietnam, but we are hopeful about expanding our services to other countries as our organization continues to grow.
This year will be our 14th trip to Vietnam where we plan to host 2 full day mobile clinics to provide the local community with Hepatitis B vaccinations, dental care, and pharmaceutical drugs. In addition to our mobile clinics, our students will also volunteer to renovate local schools, give dental health lessons to school children, and learn more about public health in Vietnam. Not only does VMO provide services to these communities, but our Cal students are given a valuable opportunity to have a hands-on learning experience in these mobile clinics.
This past summer, the money we raised throughout last school year enabled us to provide 100 Hep B vaccinations and screenings for children. These funds also helped us host 2 mobile clinics in Hue where we saw over 800 patients ranging from young children receiving dental care to older patients receiving medications. Our trip members were able to assist the dentist and pharmacists as well as utilize their blood pressure training on the patients there.
As an organization traveling abroad to volunteer for a local community, we recognize the privilege and educational value that this opportunity provides our students in their pre-health journey. To uphold our mission of providing sustainable healthcare, we believe in the importance of education and therefore prioritize teaching the children proper dental hygiene and teaching the adults about the risks and symptoms of Hepatitis B. In addition, we ensure that we return to the communities that we have developed personal connections with. All this is done via our longstanding partnership with Aid to Children without Parents (ACWP) and recently QTS Australia who recruit volunteer doctors, pharmacists, and dentists to travel with us to Vietnam for these mobile clinics. 100% of our funds raised will go toward subsidizing the medical supplies and other operating costs for our mission by Summer 2024.
During this past fall semester, our members have organized and hosted numerous fundraisers including Krispy Kreme fundraisers, Berkeley Hill clean-ups, and various other social media campaigns such as online Bingo and raffles. During the Krispy Kreme fundraisers, our members wake up at 5am to sell donuts in San Francisco! For our local community work, we participate in Keep the Red Out where our members clean up dry brush in the Berkeley Hills to prevent wildfires. With all of our proceeds going directly to providing medical supplies for our mobile clinics, we are hoping to garner your support so we can expand our impact's reach. Our members and organization are extremely dedicated to providing services to underserved communities and hopeful for a future with international health equity. We believe your contributions will help us fulfill our goals and expand our impact to additional communities.
The mobile clinics take place in late May or early June. We plan to purchase medical supplies and send funds in late April or early May. To reiterate, all funding goes to support patients who would otherwise be unable to receive necessary, essential healthcare. We wish to make a tangible difference in each patient's life by providing care ranging from potentially life-changing surgeries, preventative vaccines, or basic dental equipment for them to maintain daily hygiene. Numerous previous members fondly recall the trip as an eye-opening experience for their perspective on national and global health, and helping assist doctors that utilize the supplies purchased from their fundraising goals is especially fulfilling. Any and all donations are extremely appreciated! We thank you for all your support!
Here are some quotes from our previous trip members!
"My experience on the trip this past summer was truly unforgettable. Serving these communities was a humbling experience because it reminded me of the importance of compassion, empathy, and community." - Joy Le, senior
"I had a meaningful experience with VMO cohort in Vietnam. The trip allowed me to reflect upon my childhood memories in Vietnam, share that with other members and connect the values of healthcare systems in the US and Vietnam together. Throughout the VMO trip, I felt grateful for the opportunity to serve the community I grew up in and for the great friendships with other members." - Nhi Phung, sophomore
"As an immigrant, VMO's mission struck me because I could see myself in the shoes of the people that VMO strives to help. We had the opportunity to organize free mobile and vaccination clinics for underrepresented communities in Vietnam and work alongside so many doctors, nurses, and other dedicated healthcare professionals." -Hieu Pham, senior
This budget provides a rough estimate only and actual expenditures may vary.
If we are unable to raise the $2,000 necessary, we will raise more money through other fundraising goals, such as our donut sales, Keep the Red Out, and others. Still, crowdfunding is an additional helper for reaching our overall goal of $10,000, so any amount received will be helpful toward our cause!
Check out our social media!
Instagram: @calvmo
Facebook: @calvmo
X (Twitter): @cal_vmo
Website: https://vmo.berkeley.edu
Feel Free to contact us at:
We will give you a social media shout out on our Facebook and Instagram pages
We will write a personalized letter from our executive committee
We will send a personalized thank you video from our executive committee
We will send a personalized video from trip members when they are volunteering in Vietnam.
