Hi all! My name is Linda Shcherbatova, I am 35 years old. I am a studied catering technologist-designer. At the age of 15, I joined the Jewish Cultural Center "KEDEM" and began to expand my educational horizons. Volunteering has always held a special place in my heart, thanks to my parents and grandparents who raised me the right way. At the moment I am participating in the project "The Origins of Mercy", which brings me joy, especially considering that my grandmother Greta is far away from me, because due to circumstances she had to move to another country. Often I meet older people who resemble my loved ones Greta and Izya. Their manners, habits or appearance give the impression that my relatives are next to me. What does it mean to be a volunteer? This is a moment of sincerity when you lend a helping hand in any situation. It is a manifestation of gratitude when you accept the arms of a person who has lived for many years. In their eyes you see only positive emotions accumulated over the years of life, and upon returning home you feel the aroma of the velvet skin of their hands. Being a volunteer makes me proud! This is a charge of positive emotions in our difficult time!

Hello, my name is Maria Barmina.

My desire to develop myself and interact more with people led me to volunteering, and the first step was participating in the "Bring a Smile" project, where I was invited by a friend. That's when I got acquainted with the Republican Volunteer Center and realized that it was the place where I could express myself and learn something new. The first experience turned out to be successful, so I decided to continue my volunteer activities.

In six months of volunteering, I have had the opportunity to participate in various projects. Within the "Call Center" project, we called elderly clients, communicated with them, and found out what assistance they needed. I also worked with children in a kindergarten and continued active participation in the "Bring a Smile" project. Each project requires deep immersion and encourages the discovery of new talents.

In addition to participating in projects, I attended a seminar for volunteers at the Volunteer School Hub, where we were taught how to launch and implement new projects. I am grateful to the center for giving me the opportunity to discover new facets of my personality by participating in various volunteer initiatives. For me, RVC has become a home where I am awaited by close friends and like-minded people. Together, we are capable of a lot, capable of changing people's lives for the better, and we do it every day! Now I can proudly say "I am a volunteer" and invite everyone to become part of our friendly team!

My name is Svetlana Balashova. I am 37 years old.

I live in Samara. My hobbies are listening to music, reading books, visiting exhibitions, theaters. I have pets. I started to volunteer this year. How did I become a volunteer? It all started with cleaning up at the Jewish cemetery in June 2018. Why did I decide to go into volunteering? The decision came to me spontaneously, my soul wanted to do this. I take part in cleaning the Jewish cemetery, because I want to do it and it is very important for me.

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!

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.

Hello, my name is Kseniya Storozhenko. I am a volunteer at the center and very glad that I once learned about such a wonderful opportunity to benefit society. I am a student at the Tashkent branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University, and I have a rather busy schedule, but amidst lectures and homework, I always find time for volunteering.

I got acquainted with the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) branch in Uzbekistan in 2024. I was attracted to the youth club and the intellectual game “What? Where? When?”. Soon, from a guest, I turned into an organizer and now actively help conduct the game within the framework of the “Jewish Revival” project, as well as organize meetings in the Youth Club.

I enjoy coming to the center, where I feel like a member of a big, friendly family. Here I can gain new experiences, develop my creative talents, and make new friends. Most importantly, I can bring real benefits to people and make their lives better! I invite everyone who cannot pass by someone else's misfortune to join our big and very necessary cause!

Elizabeth Koshkina, 45 years old. Economist. She likes to travel in Russia.

Elizabeth was actively involved in the life of the Jewish community of the city after returning from Israel in 2011. She teaches Hebrew and introduces children to the traditions of Jews abroad. Here Elizabeth got acquainted with the Kesher project, through which the scrolls of the Torah were given to the Jewish community of Nizhny Tagil.

Participation in the volunteer movement allows Elizabeth to maintain a connection with Jewry in an assimilated society.

The last project, in which Elizabeth takes part, is called the Jewish Ural.

Hello, my name is Katya Prokofyeva, and I'm 18 years old. I work as a barista, and in my free time, I'm passionate about visual arts and play the ukulele. In fact, since joining the community in October 2022, I have been volunteering for a whole year now.

Why did I start volunteering? Well, here in the community, it seems like almost everyone is somehow involved in volunteering. Initially, I just came to join my friends, and in the end, I enjoyed it so much that I decided to stay.

Volunteering gives me a sense of being part of something big and good. It's an opportunity to make a contribution to making the world a better place and helping others. Because when you're a volunteer, you feel like a part of a society that cares for each other.

My wish for all volunteers is to always stay resourceful! Don't lose your inspiration, kindness, and the desire to make the world better. Keep up your noble work!

Hello! My name is Yaroslava, I am 16 years old and I study in the 10th form of the Theoretical Lyceum "Alexander Pushkin". I enjoy playing the piano, playing sports and writing articles, as I dream of becoming a journalist. A year ago I became interested in volunteering, the war that started in a neighboring country played a big role in this. From February to July 2022, my mother and I actively helped refugees. We prepared a large amount of food and delivered it to those in need. Then I became interested in whether we have volunteer organizations in Moldova and remembered the RVC, which my friend told me about. First, I got into the "School of Volunteers", where I learned from the coordinators what the Republican Volunteer Center is. I liked it right away. I realized that here I can develop myself, learn and gain new skills, communicate and help people, which is what I always wanted. I have been at the RVC for a year now, during which time I managed to try myself in various projects. Most of all I like "Call Center", as well as projects related to children. One of the projects that I lead is "Talking English", where I teach children English in an interactive way. During my activity there were many interesting cases, but most of all I remember the case from the "Clean Chisinau" project. Then we were cleaning the "Eight" park and collected about 15 bags of garbage. We had a real quest to get garbage out of the lake. We understood that it would not be possible to clean everything. Then a man who had nothing to do with volunteering came to help us. He literally climbed into the lake and helped us pull out a large number of bottles and other debris. After the action, we were glad that we managed to clean up the park a little and make it more pleasant. Being engaged in volunteer activities, I feel useful, I feel that people need my help and I believe that volunteering is my calling!

Hi all! My name is Nikita Katernyuk, I am 15 years old and I am in the 10th grade. I like making new friends and trying new things. For a long time my main goal was to improve my communication skills, to become a more sociable person. Then I realized that volunteering is a great opportunity for my socialization. After a long search for a suitable volunteer center, I settled on the Republican Volunteer Center (RVC). I have many good memories associated with this place, because even as a child I attended a children's camp from KEDEM, but then I did not yet know about my Jewish roots. When I first came to the RVC, I was struck by the huge number of projects that are aimed at helping the elderly and children. The opportunity to get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the Jewish people, which is provided by the RVC, is also very important for me. For 2 months of my volunteer activity, I managed to participate in such projects and promotions as delivery within the framework of the Healthy Vitamin Box, Call Center, "The Origins of Mercy" seminar, "Love Story", "IT-DED", "All to the museum” and “Chisinau residents of the 20th century”. I try to join all directions of the RVC, but for the most part I specialize in the project "The Origins of Mercy". Volunteering has become a real passion for me, and I am just starting my journey in this field. I am very glad that I am part of the team of the Republican Volunteer Center! It was here that I developed new abilities and talents, and also learned that I am part of the Jewish people. Jewish culture has become very important to me and I will learn more about it.

Hello, my name is Lilia Braga, and I am a volunteer with Hesed in Rybnitsa. My desire to help those in need and the realization that I can truly be useful to people led me to volunteering. Throughout my volunteer activities, I have participated in various volunteer initiatives and continue to lead an active volunteer life today.

I enjoy organizing Shabbat gatherings for our clients and assisting with the distribution of matzah and food packages. I have also been involved in projects such as "Visiting the Day Center" and "Peer to Peer." Currently, I have two clients whom I regularly call to check on their health, provide necessary assistance, and inform them about upcoming interesting events.

For me, volunteering is an opportunity to contribute to the betterment of our society. It brings new acquaintances and new knowledge, as well as a sea of positive emotions when you hear words of gratitude from your clients.