Happiness doesn't need much unless there is a desire to make somebody happy
Laura, LatviaA girl came over to me and hugged me tightly because she had never been to the cinema in her life. For such moments it is worth devoting my time and care because it is not so difficult for me, but for someone, it may mean so much.
My story in Latvian Red Cross (LatRC) started in 2017, when in one event some volunteer mentioned that in this organization you can work with kids. That is how I found my way to LatRC short-stay accommodation centre “Burtnieks”. A place where families have come for different reasons to find housing for a short time. Our task was to organize activities for children and young people from this place. Together with the team, we wrote a project to the European Solidarity Corps to find funding for our intentions and activities.
My job as one of the leaders of the project's organizers team in 2019 - 2020 was to help organize events, communicate with the managers at the “Burtnieks” about the progress of events and understand the expectations and needs of the children. We visited the cinema, the zoo, the amusement park together, as well as went on various tours, so that children, despite difficult living conditions, have the opportunity to enjoy childhood. There were many difficulties in organizing activities, for example, given that we couldn't plan our own time peacefully, everything was often done in great haste and excitement, but it must be understood that even when you seem to have planned everything well, things may not be on your side. However, I remember, that after one event a girl came over to me and hugged me tightly because she had never been to the cinema in her life. For such moments it is worth devoting my time and care because it is not so difficult for me, but for someone, it may mean so much.
Often, we forget how valuable for others can be something that seems self-evident to us. We all have time, love, and a positive attitude. It is a resource that needs to be shared. Thanks to the funding of the European Solidarity Corps, we could give children not only that but also give them a warm lunch, when it may not be available to them every day. We could give a toy that they could call their own so that they would not have to feel different at school. We were able to take an eight-year-old girl to her first movie session so that she could tell her friends that she also has experienced this. This project has taught me that happiness doesn't need much unless there is a desire to make somebody happy.
Updated on Marți, 17/02/2026