My name is Alyona, I'm in the 12th grade at the "Petru Movilă" lyceum. I have always been interested in volunteering, because I wanted to help people, and I had always possessed the most important resources for this: time and desire. I started looking into volunteer centers and came across the Republican Volunteer Center (RVC). By the end of the summer, I filled out a registration form and was invited for an interview. This is how my volunteer journey began. At the moment I am participating in a project for children "How does it work?". In the classroom, I talk in a manner that is interesting for children about the work of the human body. I also work with older people in the "IT POP" project, which aims to teach mobile literacy to Hesed's wards. What I like about RVC is that absolutely everyone can find an outlet of expression for themselves here, as there are many projects for different age groups and interests. Volunteers are also not forgotten, for whom many educational seminars, training and master classes are held. I also want to note the coordinators who are always ready to help and make you feel at home as much as possible. I really enjoy being a volunteer and I'm glad to be a part of RVC!

Hi all! My name is Victoria, I am 28 years old. For more than 8 years I have been a volunteer in the Republican Volunteer Center. There was a time when I came here from time to time, but in 2019 I returned to volunteering in full force by participating in the Good Deeds Day. I believe that such large-scale events are a very convenient and suitable opportunity for those who want to try their hand at volunteering. I do volunteer work in my free time from my full-time job and other hobbies. I love creativity and I coordinate 2 wonderful projects: "IT Grandmother", where my friends, colleagues, and I teach older people computer skills, and "Our hands can do everything" - art workshops where everyone can try new techniques or remember what he once knew. Master classes are held online for both volunteers and elderly clients of Hesed. For me, volunteering is not only mutual assistance, but also an opportunity for self-development and communication. Everyone can share their knowledge and skills, even if they are not an expert or a master. Every contribution is important, no matter how small it is. I believe that such an atmosphere reigns in the Republican Volunteer Center, and this is one of the reasons why we all love this organization so much. The second reason is the connection with Jewish traditions, culture and community. This is exactly the place that allows me to be closer to my roots! Grow and help make this world a better place!

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!

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!

My Jewish history began with my great-grandmother, who was a Polish Jewess. When they moved to live in Ukraine, all documents indicated that they were Ukrainians. However, they did not forget about their traditions and kept them, which was passed on to my family. My husband has Jewish roots and is an Israeli citizen. For him, the traditions and culture of his people are very important, and he introduces our family to Jewish holidays and traditions. I am originally from Ukraine, but due to the war in my home country, I had to move to Chisinau with my two sons Roman (16 years old) and Maxim (11 years old). At first it was very difficult - a new city, everything is new. But I managed, and for almost a year now we have been living in Chisinau. Looking back, I remember how difficult, difficult and dangerous our departure was, since my city of Kherson was at that time, and there were battles. Immediately upon arrival in Moldova, I began to look for the Jewish community, as it was important for me to learn more about Jewishness, which would help me continue to live in Israel, because it is not in vain that they say that all Jews return to their native lands in Israel. Attending a Hebrew course was my first step in introducing and getting to know KEDEM. I began to learn about the projects and activities that exist there. Our whole family became actively involved in the life of the community, trying to attend all the events. My children are involved in many projects according to their age - Roman is actively involved in Haverim projects, and Maxim attends meetings within Haverim Junior, and they are delighted. I can say that the RVC Volunteer Center gave us life back! I am an RVC volunteer because I love people and I love helping! I learned about the volunteer center back in the summer, at the ANAVIM festival, and began to get acquainted with projects, choosing activities that were interesting for me. Now I'm part of a volunteer center. Since I don't currently have a full-time job, I have started to devote more time to RVC projects. As a professional psychologist, I chose to volunteer with the elderly and demented people because I understand how to work with them. In addition, I help to organize women's groups within the framework of the project "About self-love", so that every woman can feel confident and love herself. I want to express my gratitude to KEDEM and the Republican Volunteer Center for the opportunity not only to help people and make them happy, but also to develop myself and learn new things.

My name is Oleg Zaharia. My wife Elena and I have been volunteers at the Center for two years now, participating in the "Healthy Vitamin Box" project. Within the framework of the project, we deliver food packages to elderly individuals in need.

It can be said that our daughter led us to volunteering. She attended children's programs organized by RVC volunteers. We were grateful to the volunteers who were willing to share their time and knowledge with the children, and we decided that we could be useful too.

Volunteering brings us immense pleasure. We deliver food packages to elderly people for whom both material and moral support are important. Our beneficiaries willingly share their thoughts with us, talk about their hobbies and interests. After such visits, we feel that we are doing something very important and we experience joy in improving the lives of elderly people.

Some of our beneficiaries have become our regular clients, and we have established truly friendly relationships with them. From them, we learn a lot about the history and traditions of the Jewish people, which helps us remember our roots.

For us, volunteering is an opportunity to make the lives of other people better, to help and support those in need. Moreover, it sets a great example for our children, who, by looking at their parents, learn kindness and compassion towards others. Additionally, volunteering helps strengthen and maintain connections within the community. We are very glad that we once chose this path for ourselves!

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!

Hello, my name is Elena Berezovskaya, and I am a volunteer at RVC. Since childhood, I knew I wanted to help others and even dreamed of becoming a doctor. Perhaps this desire to be helpful was inspired by the behavior of my many neighbors from 14 apartments in a large old courtyard in Chisinau, where everyone lived harmoniously and was always ready to lend a hand. My family also had a great influence on me — we had an unspoken rule: anyone who came to our home should be fed, warmed, comforted, and helped.

I had my first volunteering experience in Rybnitsa, where I was invited to try myself as a volunteer at the Hesed Rachel Day Center. My first group consisted of elderly clients, and I felt like I was surrounded by my own grandparents, who were genuinely interested in me and what I was sharing. I felt the same warmth and involvement from the staff: the head of the Day Center Lilia Katz, the director of Hesed Raisa Moiseevna Akulova, and the wonderful cook Maya — I felt at home!

Later, from April 2000 to January 2007, I conducted group discussions with lonely elderly clients at the Day Center. Even after finishing my volunteer work at Hesed, I continued to gladly attend Shabbat gatherings and celebrate traditional holidays with members of the Jewish community.

In early March 2022, I decided to help Ukrainian refugees and brought clothes, dishes, and bedding to the RVC. But what I thought would be a one-time act turned out to be my entry ticket into the volunteer call center. Later, I participated in the RVC project "All About Everything" — leading group phone discussions with lonely elderly individuals. I’ve also been part of the “Phone Friendship” project for over two years.

I enjoy feeling like part of a big and friendly volunteer family, and seeing that my efforts bring real benefit to others!

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 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 Viorika Kelban. I joined RVC about two years ago thanks to a friend who was a volunteer at the center and enthusiastically told me about its activities. I wanted to become part of this wonderful project where compassion and caring for others are the main values.

My first volunteer projects were the Healthy Vitamin Box and "Memory Cafe" for elderly with dementia. I also participated in delivering Shabbat packages to our wards. After the Good Deeds Day, I became interested in the "Home Care" project, where I enjoy interacting with people of different generations, learning their life stories, and sharing my own.

The "Preserving the Memory of Jewish Life" project opened up the tragic pages of Jewish history in Moldova to me - pogroms and the Holocaust. I try to attend all events dedicated to these tragic events, which make me reflect on our history and the fate of the elderly who witnessed these events.

In this context, I was drawn to the "Origins of Mercy" project, which focuses on caring for the elderly. Volunteers strive to ease the lives of the elderly and fill them with bright colors. Thanks to volunteering, I have become a real "good wizard" who, together with others, is capable of changing lives and society for the better!

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.