I first started volunteering in the Red Cross 3 years ago, at the age of 16. I wasn't introduced with what they do, and I had know idea what changes the volunteering experience would bring to my life.

In my country, Macedonia, the Red Cross has a program called PHV - short for Promotion of Human Values. The instructor was my friend, and she got me to join the program, just to see what good can be done in the community with not a lot of work. I decided to start a project, which involved helping an old lady that lived near me, which had no children and no income of any kind. She lived with the help of neighbors, which brought her food and things she needed. Being really close with her, I decided that she will be the person I will help.

For this reason, I created a team of schoolmates that offered to help me with my goal. I managed to have an art exhibition with paintings from the school art club. Afterwards, my team and I managed to organize a party and a pop-up cinema, whose goal was to gather funds from selling tickets.

At the end of the project, we managed to gather funds to buy the old lady a fridge, food, and a continuous supply of deliveries for a year.

This experience was my first one with volunteering, and I saw the potential for good in it. I now urge young people to join organizations and help people that aren't as lucky as them, and by also being a Red Cross instructor, I now have the chance to bring some more changes to this world.