April 29, 2023 - A woman from Split started the Facebook group "Empatija" nine years ago to help her fellow citizens in need. She knows what it's like very well because she has experienced many unfortunate situations. Meet Jagoda Laco.

"Good afternoon; I'm embarrassed to ask. Do you have any food, like pate or cold cuts, to last me for the next 15 days until I receive my sick pay?" This was the question of a 62-year-old man from Split. This disabled man messaged the longtime leader and administrator of the Facebook group "Empatija," Jagoda Laco. In record time, writes 24Sata, big-hearted people supplied him with food for three months and paid off the loan that caused his account to be banned.

"I don't want to expose him more than necessary. It is just one in a series of stories that ended well. He has been a group member on social media for a long time but never asked for anything. He didn't expect people to come together and help him so quickly. He was shocked, surprised, and full of emotions. He only asked for food, but the people insisted on paying off his debt. I'm not sure he could pay it off on his own. However, he got so much food that he immediately shared some. He also insisted that if someone else brought supplies for him, we should distribute them to others in need - Jagoda tells 24Sata. She started doing humanitarian work nine years ago by forming a group on Facebook, and a year ago, "Empatija" became an association.

She learned about so many unfortunate human destinies and is proud because all her actions were successful. She was asked what motivated her for the past nine years, and it was difficult to remain indifferent to her answer.

"I'm not in politics; I'm not interested. This isn't a career either... You know, I am one of those people. I'm in the soup kitchen now. I have my number. I've been through all of this myself, I'm a single mother of three children, and I know all the fates I write about and all the situations I help; I've been in them all. From childhood... a children's home, growing up without parents, proving to society that I am a human being, that I am worth something, and that I am not trash. In the struggle to feed my children, I also collected bottles and metals. I remained composed, though, I never drank or did drugs, or stole anything. And so many times, I encountered misunderstanding about my situation. I went through both injustice and institutions, and I know how people breathe. There were attempts to deceive me, but that won't work", says Jagoda, highlighting the late Zoran Erceg and his humanitarian work as a role model. She notes that she doesn't mind talking openly about her life path but still tries to protect her children. Two of her daughters are teenagers.

"If I have done something right, it is raising my children. 'Empatija' is my fourth child; we are now a young association. After so many years of activity on social networks, which my older daughter recently joined, it was natural to finally become official so that we could withdraw funds from institutions to help others. At the moment, we have neither space nor the conditions. I am using a small personal car from a friend to transfer things. We would like to do so many things in the future, and we have a lot of good will. I'm just an initiator of kindness in people", claims Jagoda, who is currently focused on solving the problem of a Homeland War veteran who was found malnourished on the street.

"The gentleman is originally from Slavonia, but he is in the Split area; he worked in construction. A month ago, he was located in Križine. He is homeless, and when we got a tip about his whereabouts and got to him, he couldn't stand on his feet. His identity card had expired, and he didn't even have health insurance. People have prejudice against the homeless. This man is a wonderful, warm soul. He has 290 days of military service, 20 years of service. He had problems in his family; people manipulated him, he lost his fiancee. He is too good a man but has given up on himself. Since he did not have an address, a member of the association registered him at his own address so that we could start sorting out the papers, and these days he should go to the Veterans Center in Sinj for rehabilitation. We just need to find him a place to stay, get him back on his feet ", says Jagoda, for whom nothing is impossible.

At the end of the day, she is proof that even when life throws you a hard fight, it doesn't mean it will defeat you.

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