I am 16 years old and I’m a schoolgirl. I practice dancing, actively train and participate in competitions. For me, volunteering is an opportunity to help other people, to meet new people and develop my skills in communication with people from different social groups. I got into volunteer center from our children’s home, I came just to look, but I liked it, and I stayed. I am involved in different projects of our center. I usually communicate with the old (I visit them on Sabbath), help in conducting lessons with children at risk, go to orphanages. I love animals, especially dogs, very much, so I would like to help them, at least for a day, to surround them with love, attention and care. I like volunteering, like the people with whom I communicate and I am grateful to them for what they take care of me.

I became a volunteer, because it was always important for me to help people both mentally and physically. After all, if you have such an opportunity, energy and time, so why not?

Once, I came to a charity event as a volunteer, I decided to expand my social circle. This has dramatically changed my life and now I’m regularly participating in various actions. This is an opportunity for me to make the world happier! But the most significant thing is a lot of positive communication with different people!

I became a volunteer because I feel that this is what I have to do. Volunteering makes me feel better, it gives me the feeling that you spent your day for a good reason.

I am a participant of the animators club “Hag Sameah”, and volunteering is an opportunity to realize my creative skills!

I am proud that I became a part of a large family of the volunteer “Doing Good, Ukraine!” movement!

During two years I attend the Youth Club “Afifon”. All the guys there are very steep and it is cool to spend time with them, but I have never noticed that they go somewhere for sports. For example, to try themselves in football, basketball, or somewhere else!
And I really wanted to organize the guys that they defeat among themselves, that would be very cool.
Why am I in the volunteering?
Because it is cool, and if the topic is interesting, as sport for example, so I get much pleasure of it. To promote the healthy lifestyle and, moreover, you can spend more time with good people!
Why is volunteering important?
I don’t know the answer to this question, but I can tell about myself, that if people do something, then they like it, besides volunteering helps to bring many new acquaintances and friendships that will be very useful for you in the future.

Anna is a coordinator of Lehava program, organizer of volunteering projects in Jewish community of St. Petersburg.  Anna is involved in volunteering more than 10 years and thinks that year by year an amount of initiatives offered by young people is increasing.

Anna believes that if we take this world as our home each of us wants to make it more beautiful, more comfortable and more kind.

I am a journalist. Listening is an important part of my profession. Listening is also necessary in volunteering, and I started to be a volunteer by making calls to lonely elderly people, and congratulating them on their birthday. Despite the fact that the congratulation was informally and quickly said, I invented every wish individually for everyone. I felt on the other end of the line that wards were happy and smiled a lot during the phone call. And they had a desire to tell a little bit more about themselves.

Then there was created by chance “There is Time” project of the League of Volunteers by EJCC Menorah. This is the project, in which I was completely in. And it seems to me, that I brought it to the highest point. I had various interesting tasks: to come up with what dishes to cook from the Jewish cuisine, arrange everything, find interested residents, held a delicious master class. Is this altruism? Maybe it is. Sharing energy and knowledge is altruistic for sure!