Sewing kindness for others

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This article was published 27/04/2020 (2027 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A local tailor is sewing and donating masks to help residents protect themselves against COVID-19.

Tam Nguyen, owner of Tam Custom Tailor (802 Ellice Ave.), is using spare fabric to sew face masks, which he donates to residents in Winnipeg’s Chinatown district. Nguyen had created about 400 masks at the time of this article, and plans to continue sewing for as long as the demand exists.

Nguyen said face masks are hard to come by during the pandemic.

“I see everything going on out there … Everybody needs masks and nobody is (selling) them because of (the) short supply,” Nguyen said. “(We’re) just trying to help (the) community wherever (we) can. I just want people to work together and help each other out.”

Nguyen said he started sewing masks at the beginning of April. He’s getting assistance from his employees, some are working from home while others stop by their shop to work. So far, Nguyen has around four different patterns available for the masks.

Nguyen is working with several community organizations to distribute the masks. So far, approximately 80 masks have been donated to Sek On Toi, a seniors’ apartment building located at 289 Pacific Ave., and around 100 masks have been donated to Harmony Mansion, an apartment building at 201 Princess St. Residents will receive two masks per donation.
Some of the masks are also reversible.

Tina Chen, a Winnipeg Chinese Cultural & Community Centre board member, is liaising between Nguyen and the other groups to deliver the masks. She said the residents really appreciate what he’s doing.

“I’m just amazed at the generosity of his spirit. He’ll just call me out of the blue ‘I’ve got (more) masks ready, when can you get them out?’ His desire to serve the community is really inspiring,” Chen said. “I saw some photos of (residents) who got their masks … They looked so pleased. They’re just so happy to get the masks.”

I just want people to work together and help each other out

She was astonished at how many masks Nguyen provided as they were able to supply all of  the Sek On Toi tenants in just one delivery.

Chen said the deliveries are being assisted by the Winnipeg Chinatown Non-Profit Housing Corporation. The organization is focusing its efforts on Chinatown for now, but Chen said they might look at expanding in the future, possibly donating masks to Main Street Project.

Nguyen is no stranger to charity work. He founded the charity, Canadians Helping Kids In Vietnam Inc., which helps children in Vietnam go to school, as well as providing other benefits such as free dental work and doctors visits.

Every year, on the anniversary of his arrival in Canada, Nguyen donates all proceeds from his businesses to a local charity.

This year, however, is a very special anniversary for Nguyen.

He’ll just call me out of the blue ‘I’ve got (more) masks ready, when can you get them out?’

“The end of this month … is (my) 40-year anniversary of escaping from Vietnam. On April 30th … I got on a boat,” Nguyen said. “I still remember what I’ve been through, and all the people that (helped) me out. I always say ‘I’m so lucky.’ So, now I try to give back to (the) community whenever I can. I help out people in Vietnam, too.”

In the 1980s, Nguyen escaped from Vietnam, hopping on a boat bound for Malaysia.

According to Nguyen, he travelled on a small boat that was “the size of a canoe,” across the Gulf of Thailand. Nguyen said the boat only had enough food for two days, with one canister of water. Once their supplies ran dry, the passengers resorted to eating raw fish to survive.

He promised himself that if he survived, he would give back to other people in need. He arrived in Canada a few years later, opening his tailor shop in 1986.

I always say ‘I’m so lucky.’ So, now I try to give back to (the) community whenever I can