Hi all! My name is Vyacheslav Gandrabur, I am 18 years old and I study at the International Lyceum in Chisinau. I love sports, especially football, as well as computer technology and programming. I learned about the Republican Volunteer Center from friends and classmates who shared their positive and interesting experience with me. I decided to learn what it means to be a volunteer, thus discovering new skills and unforgettable experiences. My main project at the RVC is "How does it work?", which is aimed at educating children. I tell the youngsters about the history and principles of work of various objects around us. However, my volunteer work began with the "Do Good" campaign, the purpose of which was to create and conduct presentations about volunteering for schoolchildren and students. The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has seriously affected the activities of volunteers. The approach to planning and holding events and lessons has changed. That is why I led the project "How does it work?" for a long time in an online format, which, of course, had its pros and cons. Luckily, with new volunteers and the reduced risk of Covid-19, we now have the opportunity to conduct classes in person, which makes classes even more fun. In my opinion, the most beautiful thing in the volunteer movement is emotions.I am pleased not only with my own positive emotions from volunteering, but also with the emotions of those people to whom I help. I also like that volunteering gives you the opportunity to gain social experience and develop other unique skills that can greatly help in everyday life. Volunteering is awesome!

24 years old

Reception document service assistant.

Hobbies: I write poems, prose and I enjoy being photographed.

My volunteer career began when I was at school in 11th grade. My friend and I signed up for an action against extremism and drug trafficking. We walked around ​​the district and made photos of “advertisements” of drugs, smoking mixtures, and various inscriptions such as swastikas, which offend different nationalities. We sent all the information to a police officer.

Later, I was a volunteer in the search and rescue team «Liza Alert» and searched for missing people. I placed announcements about the search, notified the public about the results, and I was also the organizer of the «Memorial Day of the Perished Children» supported by «Lisa Alert».

I wanted to be a volunteer from a Jewish organization, and I learned about the existence of Hesed Ester and the fact that everyone could participate in cleaning the Jewish cemetery. This is very important for me as a Jew, as a member of the community, and it gives me great pleasure to do this activity. There is such a nice and useful action as cleaning the cemetery — thank you so much for it!

Hello everyone! My name is Liza, and I am the coordinator of the animal assistance project (assistance to the Krasnodog animal shelter). All the inhabitants of our planet, including myself, see homeless animals every day, and I want to do at least something to help them. I found out 2 years ago that in our city there is a shelter for animals “Krasnodog”. Our volunteers and me went to help the shelter, and I was very impressed. I saw many injured animals, and they suffered from people’s behavior. When I had seen this, I wanted to show people what happens to those whom we do not care about. That’s how the project, which I coordinate, has appeared in our volunteer center.

My name is Vladimir Neznaiko, I am a student of the Anton Chekhov POTL and I am an active participant in the volunteer movement at the Republican Volunteer Center (RVC). My story began when I accidentally found out about RVC through my friends. I was looking for ways to get involved in charitable causes and help those in need when I came across information about RVC volunteering. This was a great opportunity for me to do a good deed and contribute to public life. More than six months have passed since then, and I continue to actively participate in various RVC events. I helped with logistics at various mass events, participated in the organization of Good Deeds Day 2023, collected food for the people in need, organized and hosted classes for children and much more. Why RVC? In this volunteer center, a huge number of projects are focused on helping members of the Jewish community, and here I can get closer to the culture of the Jewish people. My great-grandparents were Jewish, but like most stories from that time, their papers have been weathered, blown away by the winds of time, and eventually lost. By helping out on RVC projects, I can be closer to my historical roots. I like the volunteer movement for its diversity, emotional involvement, and depth. Here I meet many different people, work in a team with like-minded people, learn about different cultures and social problems. It makes my life more meaningful and more interesting. What I especially appreciate in the volunteer movement is that here I can contribute to solving social problems and help people in difficult life situations. It gives me a sense of satisfaction and pride in my contribution to the common good. I am sure that the volunteer movement is useful not only for society, but also for the volunteers themselves. It helps to develop and expand horizons, set new goals and achieve them. I believe that each person can contribute to the common cause and become better, and volunteering is one of the most effective ways to do this.

Having the MD degree in Medicine, she is a radiologist, Fruma Zalimanovna was born in 1929. Despite her not young age, she is full of energy and enthusiasm, which are so necessary in volunteering. Our heroine started her social work in 1946. Fruma Zalimanovna is the Assistant of the Chairman of the Medical Council of the University and a part-time mentor for the student volunteer movement «Milky Way». To the Volunteer Center of the synagogue she was invited in July 2013 as a consultant for the Organization of the Jewish Museum, then she became a principal consultant. Fruma Zalimanovna says that she is engaged in volunteering solely by ”The Call of the Soul”. She is totally sure that it is especially important today, because our society has lost its moral values. Fruma Zalimanovna also manages to write the books in history and in medicine.

Hello, my name is Olga Beller, and I have been a volunteer at the Republican Volunteer Center since March 2024. My journey into volunteering lasted 1.5 years, during which, after moving to Moldova in July 2022, I tried to adapt to the new country and put my experience in organizing events for people of all ages to good use. The Volunteer Center has become a place for me where my skills and experience are gratefully accepted, and where like-minded people await, for whom helping those in need is more than just words.

In March 2024, I became part of the friendly RVC team, and my duties included working in the Call Center as well as delivering food packages. A great help in fulfilling my volunteer duties was obtaining a Moldovan driver's license, which allowed my husband Vladimir Vasilenko and me to actively participate in Good Deeds Day, delivering "Healthy Breakfast" food packages to our beneficiaries.

Congratulating people on Pesach from April 22 to 29 also brought me many positive emotions in return. I enjoy working in the Call Center: I love communicating with people, informing them about various events, congratulating them on holidays, and providing necessary information support. I am happy that I once made the right decision to become part of the large RVC team!

Hello, my name is Elena Chernous. My journey as a volunteer began several years ago when I wanted to help deliver food packages. I saw a message in the parent chat of the Emuna AJTJunior family center's children's program saying that help was needed to deliver food packages for an upcoming holiday. I decided to participate in this initiative.

My first recipient was a kind and welcoming person. She was so happy with the delivered food and the attention she received. I was pleased to have brought not only food but also joy and hope to a lonely elderly person! I saw how important it was for her! I can say that this moment was a turning point for me, and I decided to dedicate myself to volunteering.

My daughter Sofya is also getting involved in the volunteer movement. One day, I needed to deliver a food package to a recipient, but I had no one to leave my daughter with. I took her with me, and I have no regrets. It's very important that our children learn the best from their parents because we are their role models! Since then, Sofya sometimes joins me on my volunteer visits to the elderly, showing empathy, interest, and asking questions. I am confident that she will become a volunteer in the future too!

I am now involved in many different projects, and I enjoy watching how our close-knit team of volunteers handles them excellently. Thank you for being there! Together, we are capable of so much!

My name is Svetlana Martynova, and I am a volunteer with the "Maagal" volunteer movement of the "Joint" organization. My journey into volunteering began at the "Nativ" cultural center under the Embassy of the State of Israel in Moscow. I participated as a volunteer in various events organized by Nativ and the Embassy, such as Hebrew festivals, sports runs, and cultural programs dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust.

In addition, I carry out search activities to identify Jewish burial sites from the war period in the Smolensk region. Within the "Maagal" volunteer movement, I am actively involved in: holiday events, I deliver various Jewish treats to the Hesed beneficiaries, conduct culinary master classes on authentic Jewish cuisine, and respond to any call for help within my abilities.

I believe that a person lives as long as person is needed, as long as others depend on this person. That's why I strive to be helpful and to assist those in need.

Golubchikova Tatyana joined the volunteer movement thanks to her daughter. She organizes an action called "Kind Warmth", in which volunteers knit socks for those in need. Socks are knitted by all members of the family - Tatyana, her daughter and mother. Also, this action is carried out in the lyceum, where Tatyana works as a teacher. In addition, at the lyceum, Tatyana hosts master classes for students who draw postcards for the elderly for Hanukkah, March 8, and other holidays. She also enjoys participating in the "Cooking Together" online event. Tatyana says that volunteering is the need of her soul, she wants to leave a trace of kindness in this world. Volunteering makes her soul richer, and she feels the satisfaction of being able to help people in need.

My name is Ekaterina Banetskaya, I am a student of the Grodno State University. I am a psychiatrist student and have always loved working with people. My main hobbies are photography, music, movies and books. Thanks to a fortunate combination of circumstances and new acquaintances, I ended up in Hesed. I enjoy working with people of the "golden age", because I am studying in another city, far away from my family, and the warmth I get from these people for helping them makes my life warmer and easier. My favorite project is "J-delivery". As part of a project, I do light errands or go to the store and make a difference for the elderly and feel better about it. I would like to wish all volunteers patience, perseverance and diligence, but do not overwork, so as not to burn out emotionally. I wish you all love, health and sunny days over your head.

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.

Savonichev Alexander, 29 years old. I am a builder. I have got to volunteer center quite recently, just 3-4 months ago (I was brought by one good friend of mine) and I have already managed to participate in a huge number of different actions: departures outside of the town, the work of madrikh with the children, both cleaning of cemeteries, and a campaign of the visits to the veterans, and the participation in big city campaigns. But the Moked Lokashish project, with which we help elderly people to do small repair works, is the closest to me. As for me, it is actual to be the volunteer today because every time, I feel as I bring benefit to the society and indirectly I do many people a little happier.