The Hope for Latvia Blog
Is Riga Really Rich?
Riga is the second most expensive property on the new Monopoly board, which I find ironic because in reality it is a country facing serious economic problems. Through working in the country, I have witnessed the current economic situation. One section of society is clearly wealthy; having been made affluent by the highest economic growth rates in Europe. However these increases in income did not reach the sections of society who needed it most and there is widespread inequality present. We know of hundreds of families who are literally surviving on a day to day basis, wondering how they will afford to keep going. With your help we are changing this. But there is more that desperately needs to be done. To find out how you can help us to reach these people visit our partnership page on our website.
Getting Involved
We thought it would be cool to hear from one of our volunteers about how they got involved in our work. Barbara, has written about her experiences and has posted her story below.
If this inspires you and you want to partner with us, please get in touch.
John
How I Got Involved
I first heard about Hope for Latvia through someone I met at Proclaimers Church. Kristina talked to me about the charity’s background and aims, and explained how a small group of people were making a real difference in people’s lives. Of course every charity changes lives in some way, but what caught my attention was how passionate Kristina was.
After this conversation I still had a lot of questions, but I reasoned that I could either keep quizzing Kristina every week at Church, or I could roll up my sleeves and help, and hopefully find some answers along the way.
So I started dropping in at the charity’s offices whenever I had some free time. To begin with I had no real idea of what I could do to help, but as I soon discovered, every contribution is valued, and there is always plenty you can do!
One of the first things I did was to raise some money. My friend and I often bake cakes and biscuits and bring them into work, so we did a special Christmas bake and asked everyone to make a donation. This went down really well and we quickly raised £60!!
The success of this bake made me realise how easy it is to get involved and make a difference. The feeling of achieving something so worthwhile is just brilliant, and it has inspired me to get involved in other aspects of the charity’s work. It’s a great feeling to see that things are happening, and knowing that they are happening because of me is even better.
It can be daunting to face up to the issues in Latvia, especially if, like me, you have never been involved in a charity before! But the whole team are so positive and encouraging, always ready to offer advice and support whenever you need it.
At the risk of sounding trite, getting involved in Hope for Latvia is the most rewarding thing I have ever done, and I would strongly encourage anyone reading this to get involved. Even if you only give an hour each week, it all adds up – together we can make a difference.
