Some people find their balance in a quiet hobby, far from the noise. Raluca isn’t that type. Her energy goes toward projects that bring people together – whether that’s a playground built for kids in a child neuropsychiatry unit, or a rubber duck race on the banks of the Bahlui river. And when she’s not doing good in her community, she’s packing a bag to go discover an island in the middle of the Atlantic. Two different passions, but both point to the same thing: the drive to grow, to understand the world a little better, and to leave something behind.
From Interact to Rotaract: how volunteering became part of her
Raluca’s story with volunteering began in high school, at Interact Club, and continued naturally in university, in Rotaract – the branch of Rotary built for young adults. It wasn’t a dramatic turning point, but something simpler and more lasting: a feeling.
“What drew me in wasn’t a single dramatic moment, but a feeling: I liked being part of a group that wanted to do good for the people around them, while also becoming better people themselves.”
She noticed volunteering had become something more than an activity the moment she started looking, on her own, for better solutions for the causes – always chasing a little more impact.
“That’s when I realized volunteering had stopped being something I did and started being part of who I am.”
Projects that matter: from a playground to a duck race
For three years now, Raluca has been part of Rotaract, where every year the club looks for real needs in medical institutions or causes related to children.
“Every year I find myself eager to give that specific cause the best of what I have. That’s what keeps me coming back – the chance to keep showing up for whatever need is in front of us.”
This year, that cause was the young patients at the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit of the Socola Institute of Psychiatry in Iași. The team’s goal was to build them an outdoor playground – a safe space where they could simply be kids.
“It was a heartwarming experience from start to finish: hearing the idea being pitched in the club, meeting the little ones who needed our help, and finally breaking ground on the construction itself.”
But if she had to pick one project that stayed closest to her heart, it would be Cursa de Rățuște – a rubber duck race on the Bahlui river, held every June 1st to give kids a magical Children’s Day.
“Watching the crowds gather, seeing the pure enthusiasm and curiosity on kids’ faces, while knowing everything that went into making that day happen behind the scenes gave me a lasting sense of hope for the people around me. It’s the project that reminds me why I keep doing this.”
“Come exactly as you are” – what she’d tell someone hesitant
Raluca knows a lot of people assume charitable projects are easy to organize. The reality is quite different.
“They rarely are. But I’d tell anyone curious and hesitant to start that the only real requirement is the desire to do good. Your personal skills, whatever they are, will always find their place. You can come exactly as you are – the project will shape itself around what you bring to it.”
And the way volunteering has changed her shows up clearly in her everyday life, both personally and professionally.
“Volunteering has made me far more aware of the needs of the people around me, and more empathetic toward whatever they might be carrying. Everyone has a story that belongs entirely to them. And I’ve learned that even a small amount of something – your time, your mental space, your understanding, even your money – can change the direction of someone’s life.”
Travel: from weekend tents to the island she keeps coming back to
If volunteering started from a feeling, Raluca’s love of travel started in childhood, with tents pitched most weekends alongside her family.
“I got properly close to nature, seeing the beauty of my own country first.”
Of all the destinations she’s visited since, one has always stayed at the top of the list: Madeira, the Portuguese island she keeps coming back to.
“It remains the most breathtaking place I’ve ever seen. It feels exotic compared to my everyday life. The hikes are out of this world, and there’s still time left over to relax on beautiful beaches. It’s a place that somehow gives you both adventure and rest in the same trip.”
Anyone who knows Raluca already tells she’s not the type to leave things to chance – not even when it comes to travel.
“I’m a serious planner. My days are mapped out down to the minute, because I want to see as much of a place as possible. My guilty pleasure is tracking down the local gems that aren’t on everyone’s list.”
And yet, the most valuable lesson travel has taught her has nothing to do with planning – quite the opposite.
“Patience and the understanding that plans change, no matter how carefully you build them. Some of the best parts of a trip are the ones you didn’t plan for at all.”
What actually connects the two passions
At first glance, building a playground for kids and hiking on a Portuguese island don’t have much in common. But both come from the same place: Raluca’s drive to fully commit to whatever she’s doing, whether that means giving a cause the best of what she has, or making the most of every single day of a trip. That kind of commitment – attentive, curious, always open to more – is what helps her grow, in whichever direction her attention turns next.
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