It all started with some tents. Josie Naughton worked for Coldplay—like, the band—when she first heard about the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015. She wanted to raise about $1500 for basics—waterproof tents and sleeping bags, mostly—but ended up getting millions in donations, not to mention “so many donated items, we needed an entire warehouse.” And so, Choose Love was born.

Now a charity organization with the motto “fast, flexible, transparent,” Choose Love is one of the most efficient refugee charities in Europe, providing vital aid to the 80 million people displaced by war, persecution, and climate change.

Here’s how Josie helps fund people in times of crisis, what you should know about donating vs. volunteering, and where a pandemic pet can make the most difference.

So Josie, what do you do?
Well, crazy story. I am the cofounder and CEO of an organization called Choose Love. We work in 15 countries. We support close to 150 different organizations working on the front lines supporting refugees, which includes search-and-rescue missions, women’s shelters, LGBTQ+ shelters, housing, food—everything you can imagine. We started in 2015. We just wanted to raise 1000 pounds for tents, sleeping bags, and warm clothing. We ended up here having raised nearly 50 million dollars.

How did you go from working for Coldplay to working for an NGO?
I always say working in the music industry gives you the most transferable skill set! It’s unexpected, but it’s so real… As a personal assistant, you have to make stuff happen… I saw how they did marketing, how they did merchandise, how they toured—which has a lot of logistics—and how they worked with press, which is a real asset in the beginning. And you’re networking with so many people, which helped me so much.

What do we need to know about displaced people?
It can seem so overwhelming, so start with the facts: There are around 80 million displaced people in the world. Half are children. The reason they’re not being met with the safety they deserve is because of political echo chambers, and the bottom line is, these people are people. The only difference between us and them is luck. We can all do something. We can’t all fix the whole world, but we can fix something.

How is the climate crisis changing your job?
So listen, it’s estimated that by 2050, there will be a billion displaced people in the world because of climate change. Drought, lack of food, extreme weather—we need to think about a global system that works for everybody now… This is intersectional with climate justice, with bringing down patriarchies. We need to look at all these issues as a whole.

How can we help?
First of all, I’ll totally do a plug. Choose Love is a great way to let people help! You can buy coats, tents, meals, mobile phones, and you don’t get them—they go to displaced people in 50 different countries. That transparency is really satisfying. We take such pride in being really fast and showing you where 100% of your money is going. You can also buy “women’s support” or an “education package” or “mental health support.” Some people feel like donating isn’t “real” activism, but it keeps people alive! It changes people’s lives! It’s very real.

What’s your advice for volunteering help, but not being a “savior?”
That’s such a real concern, because you never want to jump into someone else’s life and say “I’m here to save you!” That’s not okay. So when possible, we always work with organizations run by the community. If that’s not possible, we work with locals co-creating programs with the community… It’s also important to make sure you’re not exploiting someone’s stories or memories. I’d say if you meet a displaced person, the worst thing you can possibly do is say, “Tell me all about your struggles!” That’s just retraumatizing.

If we have resettled people in our own community, how can we help them?
I love this question! The word “welcome” is so important, and it’s gotten a bit lost. It’s really important to show people kindness. It sounds wishy washy, but it’s important. Once the pandemic lifts, invite people over. Invite their kids to play with your kids. Inclusivity is really important, and also, you can meet the coolest people when you get to know your neighbors.

How do you avoid burnout when there’s so much to do?
Burnout is a real thing in this sector, so you have to build joy into your daily life. I just got a kitten named Magic, and between work stress and lockdown stress, it was the best decision.