Every Saturday morning, Lena volunteers at a local food bank. She started doing it six months ago, after reading an article about food insecurity in her city.
"I wanted to stop feeling helpless," she explains. "I kept reading about the problem but I wasn't doing anything about it. So I decided to get involved."
Her role involves sorting donations, packing food parcels, and sometimes helping to distribute them to families in need. The work is physical and sometimes tiring, but Lena enjoys being part of a community.
She has also made unexpected friends. "I tend to avoid meeting new people," she admits, "but here it happened naturally." The other volunteers come from all walks of life — retired teachers, students, young parents.
Lena does not plan to stop giving her time anytime soon. "People often say they want to help but can't afford to donate money," she says. "But you can always afford to give a few hours. And that matters more than you think."