FLEX Alumna Shares Kindness Through Cookies

By Spartak Ghazaryan ’23 (Yerevan, Armenia, placed by ASSE in Binghamton, NY)

For the second year in a row, October has symbolized kindness for Lusine Barseghyan ’24. Her Kindness Cookies project, first initiated in October 2023 in her host community of Fountain, Colorado, has since grown into a global initiative. After returning to Armenia, Lusine collaborated with other FLEX alumni from Armenia to bring the project to her home country. She also expanded its reach internationally, involving friends she met during her exchange year and engaging FLEX finalists currently living in the United States. 

Lusine credits her placement organization, World Link, for inspiring her project. In her host community, Lusine baked and donated over 100 pieces of gata—a traditional Armenian pastry—to schools, community centers, and local departments. The project was not just about spreading kindness through cookies but also about sharing Armenian cuisine with her American community. “World Link introduced the Kindness Cookies project as a monthly activity. Looking back, I see how it instilled values that have become part of who I am today. I remember that I was baking not only Armenian, but also, for example, Georgian treats with my Georgian friend. That is an example of so many international and intercultural collaborations I had thanks to World Link,” she says. Witnessing the gratitude on people’s faces reinforced her desire to replicate the project in Armenia. 

“While Armenians are known for their hospitality, donating food to strangers is not as common here,” Lusine explains. “Repeating the project in Armenia felt like reverse cultural sharing—introducing an American tradition to my home country while also connecting back to my exchange experience.” 

Since returning from the U.S., Lusine has spearheaded numerous initiatives, including becoming the regional leader of a global environmental movement, establishing English clubs, organizing community festivals, and conducting leadership workshops. When October arrived, she knew her next step: re-launching Kindness Cookies. With support from American Councils Armenia and collaboration with both current on-program FLEX and YES participants and alumni, Lusine assembled a team of 13 volunteers to spread kindness worldwide. Among them was Mukhlisa Kodirova ’24 from Uzbekistan. “I was also a World Link student and had done the project in the U.S. Volunteering with Lusine brought back warm memories. I baked and donated over 100 cookies in Tashkent to schools, orphanages, and kindergartens,” Mukhlisa shared. The project’s outcome exceeded expectations: over 600 cookies were donated across five countries—Armenia, Georgia, Tanzania, the United States, and Uzbekistan. Current FLEX participant Ani Harutyunyan reflected, “Volunteering for this project was unforgettable. I baked Armenian cookies using my grandmother’s recipe. It felt special to share kindness while honoring family traditions. I donated cookies to local departments and homeless individuals in my community.” 

The month-long event showcased the power of collaboration, cultural exchange, and small acts of kindness, proving that simple gestures can unite people across borders. For Lusine, it was also important that all the alumni volunteers were taking leadership initiatives in their home countries and that the FLEX and YES volunteers in the U.S. were showing their host communities how grateful they are for being in that community. Lusine’s Kindness Cookies project continues to inspire, reminding us that kindness has no boundaries. 

Featured alumni:

Lusine Barseghyan ’24 (Gyumri, Armenia, placed by World Link in Fountain, CO)