Love Button on Tour: The 2024 European Leg Begins

Love Button and Coldplay have officially kicked off the 2024 European leg of the tour! It feels so good to be back, and we’ve already stopped at some amazing locations with some fantastic people and organizations who make a meaningful difference in their local communities.

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve been doing over the past few weeks.

Environmental Preservation in Athens, Greece

The journey started in Athens with We4All, an organization dedicated to environmental preservation and community support. Witnessing the devastation of the 2018 wildfires in Mati, We4All founders John and Antonis committed to reforestation and educational initiatives. Love Button volunteers joined forces in the Vrilissia Municipality, planting 50 trees alongside children from a local organization supporting special needs. The team also revitalized the Ymittos mountain area, converting a former waste dump into a thriving forest with over 40,000 trees.

On a separate day, our team also partnered with The Love Van, a grassroots initiative born out of compassion from the post-Greece fires. Volunteers prepared nutritious meals using local ingredients and accompanied The Love Van on their distribution route, providing essential sustenance to those in need.

Supporting Children and Families in Bucharest, Romania

In Bucharest, Love Button collaborated with Magic Association. Magic helps children with serious illnesses and their families. With over 12 programs, they have helped over 5,000 beneficiaries since 2014. When children become seriously ill they lose out on the social aspect of their childhood. Magic does everything in their power to create a normal life for their kids.

Activities included hosting craft workshops, creating handmade items like tote bags and teddy bears with the children. The following day, volunteers assembled 150 care packages at a local hospital, delivering them to pediatric oncology wards across Romanian hospitals, offering both practical support and heartfelt encouragement.

Creating Meaningful Human Connections in Budapest, Hungary

Our next stop was Budapest where we worked with three different organizations: We Move Budapest (an organization fostering community strength through social activities), KacsaKő Egyesület (an organization creating educational programs for children from different backgrounds), and WellBee (another organization dedicated to children’s climate conscious education).

Over three days, volunteers engaged in diverse initiatives: organizing a sports camp for disadvantaged youth and refugees, facilitating a movement session and food distribution for the homeless, and hiking with disabled children and disadvantaged youth.

Day one, we hosted a sports camp with KacsaKő Egyesület for children from underprivileged backgrounds. Day two, we provided a hearty breakfast to the street homeless around the city. Day three, we explored Normafa with WellBee and 30 Ukrainian refugee children.

Each day had a unique specialness. None of this would have been possible without the amazing work from We Move Budapest who is working day after day to make Budapest a city of inclusion.

Finding Purpose in Lyon, France

Our final stop this month was the beautiful city of Lyon! We’ve had the honor of working beside Emmaüs Lyon, an incredible organization that helps those struggling to rediscover their purpose.

Since 1949, Emmaus has provided housing, meals, work and a community to those who join. 70+ years later, Emmaus has 122 communities in France, 425 total across the world, and 30,000 companions + volunteers involved within the organization.

Emmaus Lyon has 80+ companions who all come from different past troubles. They joined Emmaus for a new beginning & a chance to be part of a family. Their community consists of 25 nationalities ranging in age from 20-76. Even with these vast differences, they’ve built a community that never lacks a smile.

Love Button volunteers joined the companions in Lyon & helped them operate the Emmaus store. This is where each companion works and is given a role the day they join Emmaus. The pride each person has in their job is obvious the minute you walk through the door. All proceeds made from the store go directly back to the organization, helping those in need.

If you’re inspired by our mission and would like to make a difference, we invite you to join us on our world tour as a volunteer! Your time and effort can help spread love and compassion, uplifting communities and creating positive change.

Here are the locations and tentative dates of the cities we will be stopping by:

July 12-16: Rome, Italy
July 20-23: Düsseldorf, Germany
July 27-31: Helsinki, Finland
August 15-18: Munich, Germany
August 21-25: Vienna, Austria
August 29 – September 2: Dublin, Ireland
October 30 – November 3: Melbourne, Australia
November 6-10: Sydney, Australia
November 13-16: Auckland, New Zealand

Sign up today at lovebutton.org/volunteer and become a part of our heartfelt journey to transform the world with acts of kindness. Together, we can make a meaningful impact!