What does a charity do when during Covid restrictions it cannot arrange the annual charity networking drinks/BBQ/ball and fundraise? It adapts in every possible way it can. There is first time for everything – in that spirit at the end of 2020 we approached our long term supporters, guests of previous events with an unusual suggestion to contribute a favorite recipe for a charity cookbook and donate towards 3 charity projects in Latvia:
- meal kits for the only food bank in Latvia Paedusai Latvijai (matching donations agreed in principle by EBRD Community Initiative)
- laughter therapy in children’s hospitals by the clowns of Dr Klauns
- project where 75 children’s and parent’s charities in Latvia build small libraries of books on modern parenting techniques (matching donation provided by international money transfer company Opal Transfer)
81 co-authors joined in – by sharing recipes they learned more about their friends and obtained cooking ideas for dark evenings of the lockdown 2.0 winter but more importantly, supported charities in Latvia. £2,000 was donated for each of the 3 projects, and together with the matched amounts a total of £11,000 was attracted in charitable donations.