Hello, my name is Artyom Bashevsky, I’m 15 years old, and I’ve been an active member of our friendly volunteer family for 2.5 years. I took my first steps into volunteering at a summer camp organized by Hesed, where I immediately wanted to create a flower garden. Since then, caring for this green corner has become my hobby, which brings me great joy.

Over the years, I’ve managed to make the garden bright and attractive by planting chrysanthemums, irises, peonies, and mint. Recently, I added currant bushes and grapevines. I really hope that one day a cozy spot for our guests and beneficiaries will appear in the shade of the grapevine.

Plants require constant care throughout the year. I select seedlings and soil carefully, and I get lots of useful advice from grandmothers who know gardening very well. I try to keep the garden neat and well-maintained, and now I’m able to share many helpful tips with beginner gardeners.

I enjoy creating a comfortable space for those around me, and that’s exactly how I see the purpose of volunteering! I’m very happy that my garden delights people with its bright colors and serves as a source of pleasant emotions for many!

Hello, my name is Galina Topolchan, and for almost 15 years now, I have been a volunteer at Hesed. Over the years, I have participated in various volunteer activities.

One of my projects is called "Synagogue," where my colleague, also a volunteer, and I host Saturday gatherings for elderly beneficiaries at the synagogue. The day before, we prepare a festive meal, strictly following the traditions of Shabbat. On Saturday, members of the community come together to pray, followed by a festive meal and pleasant conversation.

Another project I am involved in is called "Equal to Equal." My task is to maintain communication with my beneficiaries (currently 7 people), inform them about what is happening in the community, and update them on upcoming events.

I also participate in the project "From Heart to Heart," where we prepare dried fruits for members of the community. We gather together, wash and slice the fruits, and then dry them in special drying machines. The result is a very tasty and healthy treat to accompany tea.

Additionally, I assist the food coordinator in sorting and organizing food vouchers, as well as participate in packing food kits. I help organize events and set up festive tables, as well as perform various tasks at the request of Hesed staff.

Volunteering for me is an opportunity to experience positive emotions while improving the lives of others. I feel joy in helping those in need and receiving gratitude in return. I enjoy being part of a larger volunteer effort, and I am grateful that fate once chose this path for me!

Hello, my name is Yulia Meikshans. Although I officially received the "volunteer" status relatively recently, volunteering has been in my blood since the beginning of my conscious life!

From a young age, I joined various volunteer movements. I helped anyone who needed support. I fed animals, collected gift sets for children in orphanages, and tried to provide help wherever it was necessary.

Over time, the "scale" of my volunteer activities changed. By becoming a volunteer at the Jewish center, I gained the opportunity to help a large number of people. This can be financial support or tangible physical assistance. There are always those who need help right now, and I am ready to provide it!

It saddens me that our society operates on the principle of "every man for himself," but I am happy to see that there are people who disagree with this. These are volunteers who have decided to dedicate a significant part of their lives to helping those in need. Now I am part of a big and friendly family, and together we are changing our society for the better, making it kinder and more responsive to the problems of others!

I am confident that each of you also has a volunteer spirit that will inevitably lead you to volunteer work!

Hello! My name is Polina Maleeva, I am a medical student and I dream of treating children in the future. In my free time, I love bonding with my family. I also like reading books, learning foreign languages. I also love music and sometimes play the piano. My childhood friend brought me to the volutary centr. Since childhood, I have been trying to help people and take care of them, and I am happy that I can be useful to someone. The most important thing is to remember that we are people, and helping each other is very important and necessary!

Hello, my name is Zlata Volynchuk, and since the summer of 2024, I’ve been a member of the big family of the Republican Volunteer Center. I first heard about the center from a classmate, and at that time I was drawn to the idea of becoming a volunteer and helping those in need. Now I participate in several projects.

I regularly call clients as part of the Call Center project. I enjoy talking to people and informing them about upcoming events. I also help organize events held at RVC and KEDEM. This activity allows me to explore what goes on behind the scenes and learn everything that experienced organizers know. I love seeing how much joy our guests experience and knowing that I played a part in that.

Another project I take part in is the English language learning program in the Jewish kindergarten. I help young children learn a foreign language to expand their future communication opportunities — because today, the world is open to each of us.

RVC has become a place for me where new friendships and knowledge flourish. But most importantly, it’s a place where helping others takes on a real, tangible form, and kindness becomes more than just an abstract idea. Our team is ready to lend a hand and can solve almost any task! Additionally, the volunteer center helped me discover the depth and importance of Jewish traditions. I’m so glad I once chose this path and I invite everyone to join our team!

David is Candidate of Technical Sciences, senior coach of the national Krasnodar draughts team, Honorable Worker of Science and Education, a specialist in the field of food industry and ecology. He was born in Krasnodar in a Jewish family. Due to communicating with his older brother and sisters, he expanded his horizons in many areas. He gained organizational skills from his father, helping in the development of the city draughts federation.

David has been actively helping the community since 1997. He has been helping to maintain order and cleanliness of the Jewish city cemetery for many years. He got used to sharing experiences, educating students, giving lectures to them. He shared his experience and knowledge in the community, doing community work, participating in community activities and life; he participates in the Health School project. David takes part in amateur art activities, seminars and volunteer work, helps leaders in organizing activities from the first day of the creation of public organizations.

My name is Arina Baboglo, and I am a relatively new volunteer.

I have only been volunteering for 2 months, but the experience I have gained during this time would be enough for a year! I had the opportunity to explore the backstage of projects, acting as the logistics coordinator for the event "Love Story (2.0)". Thanks to this, I saw how much effort goes into each volunteer initiative, how much needs to be planned and considered to ensure that the project comes out in a magnificent "wrapper". This experience has been invaluable for me in terms of event preparation.

Volunteering helps you find new friends and like-minded people, as well as teaches you to work in a team and take responsibility. Moreover, you can try on various roles. I have been a teacher for children, a coordinator for projects and initiatives, and I am sure that many more exciting roles await me in the future. I enjoy the atmosphere in the volunteer center. Also, I like feeling like a member of a large and friendly team and knowing that I am making a real contribution to the common cause of helping those in need!

I began to volunteer on July 10, 2017. Since then, I can not stop to do it. The project was called «For Art» then. Then, it was «Keshet.» On July 9, I came to help a presenter and remained here. I have a lot of activities in my life, but I am a civil engineer by occupation. I have a lot of hobbies, and as volunteer I am interested in painting with the «golden age» people. I don’t skip classes – I don’t usually give up if I have started something. Perhaps, I’m getting closer to my parents on subconscious level, because they live in Israel, and I’m getting closer to older people thanks to our clients, and I’m getting more involved in their problems, I’m becoming more tolerant. The most important thing is to understand the fact that the «golden» people had their own victories in painting. I understand this, because I was not able to hold the brush in my hands when I was a child, but then I took it in my hand and I was really fascinated by the process and results.

My name is Rasima and I was introduced to the Jewish Revival project by bringing my two year old son to the Mazal Tov program. Seeing the colossal work of the leader and teachers of the project, I wanted to contribute. At first, I helped draw posters for events, rehearsed sketches with children, organized holidays and matinees for children with their parents. Later, I started writing quest scripts and conducting them for children. Most of all I like to see the happy faces of children and their parents. The "Jewish Revival" project provides a unique opportunity for self-realization, helping people, implementing their ideas and learning new things. My son has been participating in the Mazal Tov program for five years already, and for me the main indicator of the benefits of these classes is that during all this time my child has never refused them. You can't fool a child's heart.

From the very beginning of his volunteer work, Stanislav Lenivkin involved his sons. He wanted to show them how easy it is to do good deeds. Their first step was delivering gifts to Hesed clients in their neighborhood. People always welcomed them warmly, and while the boys were initially shy, they soon became more confident. Often, they were invited for tea, and they couldn't refuse, as attention is the most important thing.

Later, the family participated in the "Zikaron" campaigns—cleaning Jewish cemeteries. They visited Malakhovka, Zapadnaya Dvina, Perlovka, and Tula. These events were always interesting, as they were part educational tours. The boys enjoy working with tools and understand the importance of preserving Jewish memory. This year, their younger sisters joined them in delivering matzah.

My name is Valval. I am fond of programming, clay modeling and overall modeling. In 2014, I organized the club of intellectual games "What? Where? When?" within the framework of the project "Jewish revival" of the city of Tashkent. From 2018 to 2019, I conducted classes in the Young Kulibin program. I currently teach classes in the programs "Grandma Blogger" and "Programming for Teens". I am also a computer administrator at all events held within the framework of the JR project. I have been attending the JR project classes since my childhood, starting from the age of three, and actively participate in all its activities.

Greetings! My name is Eduard Rabunsky, I am an active volunteer of the project "Preservation of memory - the road to the future". The project is aimed at preserving history and traditions, as well as at restoring the ancient burial places of the Jewish population in the Vitebsk region. The first volunteer experience was in recording an audio production for grandparents of "University Without Borders" in the "Theatre of Three Generations" project. Volunteering provides an unforgettable experience in various fields. You can learn a lot of interesting and new things, meet new interesting people. Volunteering is a voluntary activity for everyone. Many people wonder: "Why should I do some work just like that?". The fact is that all this is done for oneself. You, without noticing it, will pump your skills in various fields. The very feeling that you somehow managed to contribute to a good cause makes you happy.