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About Us
History
In March 2012, Andy Weissman visited his mom’s fishing village (Cu Lai) in Hue, Vietnam, for the first time. Since that eventful visit, Andy's connection to his Vietnamese heritage and desire to give back to the local community has grown. The drop-out rate for middle school Vietnamese children, especially in rural communities, is a significant problem. Most children never have an opportunity to dream beyond helping to support the most basic needs of their families. Through Tutors for a Cause, Andy and his team hope to inspire students to stay in school, experience the world and better their lives.
A Look Through The Years
2012
At eight years old, Andy organized a celebration for the children in his mom’s village who had never experienced a birthday celebration. During the visit, along with his cousins, he delivered much needed rice to impoverished families in town. Not until that moment had Andy truly understood poverty. The experience opened his eyes to how others live and what it means to give back.
2016
Four years later, Andy returned to Vietnam. Through fundraising efforts, he was able to create a reading room with over a 1,000 books in Cu Lai. He visited each school to read one of his favorite Dr. Seuss books to the young children. Afterwards, he and the students enjoyed reading different picture books together.
2020
Responding to the financial stress many people were experiencing during the COVID pandemic, Andy along with his brothers developed the idea of raising money to buy much needed groceries for underprivileged families in Lawrence, MA by offering tutoring services to local students. After he fine-tuned the program and curriculum, he recruited several high school classmates to join the cause and serve as tutors.
Tutors for a Cause was born!
2021 to Now
Building on the successes developed during COVID, Andy looked to extend the program to other communities in need, starting with a rural village near Hue. After a year of offering online tutoring, Andy was able to travel to Vietnam to celebrate the beginning of in person lessons. Andy and local teachers organized a day of games, reading books, contests, and fun for the students in town. Looking ahead, we plan to expand to other underdeveloped towns in Vietnam and China.
