A Toronto woman says she has found her calling in helping refugees during an eye-opening trip to Europe.

Nancy Chahine said she set off on a trip across the continent as a tourist, but after witnessing the influx of refugees from the Middle East and Africa, she decided she would do whatever she can to help.

“I had planned for Christmas markets in Berlin and history revealed in Krakow, parties in Budapest and love in Italia,” Chahine said in an online post. “Yet somehow, fate totally switched gears for me.”

The early childhood educator said her desire to help first started when she travelled to Turkey recently, and met with refugees arriving in the country from Syria and elsewhere.

Chahine, who writes that she is currently in Hungary, set up a GoFundMe page on Friday to help raise money for medicine, food, clothing, life jackets and shelter for the refugees.

“These refugees and I have spent hours on the street—them talking, sharing their stories of their harsh life back home, their life-threatening journey, and their heart-breaking trial in refugee camps,” she said. “I am in Budapest right now. I am trying to continue that Euro style backpack life I had planned. But I just can't.

“My thoughts, my heart, my mind and my gut are sidetracked. So I now follow this new path.”

She said she plans to deliver donations personally to the places where they are most needed.

“I will use all my efforts to help each child and person that I encounter with your donations,” she said.

As of Saturday afternoon, the project had raised $250. Chahine is hoping to raise $5,000 to get her project started.

Chahine said she is already in contact with several organizations aimed at helping refugees and plans to work closely with them to figure how she can help.

“I will go as far as I can to help,” she wrote on the fundraiser page. “I know I can continue. I just need you guys. All of these refugees do.”

Chahine says she will pay her own travel and accommodation costs, so that all the donations go towards the refugees.

She also plans to document her work “as much as possible.”