Hi all!

My name is Nikita Katernyuk, I am 15 years old and I am in the 10th grade. I love 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, and 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 RVC. I also have a lot of good memories associated with this place, because as a child I attended a children’s camp from “KEDEM”, but then, I still did not 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 both the elderly and children. For me, 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 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 seminar “Sources of Mercy”, “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 “Sources of Mercy” project.

Volunteering has become for me a truly favorite thing, my journey in which is just beginning. I am very glad that I am part of the team of the Republican Volunteer Center! After all, it was here that I developed new abilities and talents in myself, and also learned that I am part of the Jewish people, for whom Jewish culture is important, and I want to learn more about it.”

Hi all! My name is Tsatskina Nastya and I am 14 years old. I am in the 9th grade of the lyceum. Nicolae Milescu – Spataru. I am Jewish and my dream is to leave to study and live in Israel.

From the age of 12 I wanted to become a volunteer, but I did not dare, because there was an inner fear. One day my mother found out about the Republican Volunteer Center, where I decided to go and try myself as a volunteer. I have been dancing for many years, devoting a lot of time to this direction, but I wanted to change something in my daily activities. At the moment, I began to devote all my free time to helping other people. It was when I became a volunteer at the Russian Exhibition Center that I realized that for me the most important thing in life is the help and support of people. This is what brings me pleasure and positive emotions, as well as the opportunity to develop and gain new knowledge and acquaintances. Despite the short period of my volunteer activity, I have already managed to try myself in various directions and projects, I believe that this is a big plus of the RVC, since there is an opportunity to study yourself and understand what you are interested in and in what direction you want to help.

I tried my hand at “Call Center” projects, where I talked with the elderly on the phone, held a lesson in a kindergarten, and also helped the elderly in the “Sources of Mercy” project. I also participate in the Science 2.0 project, where volunteers teach children through games the exact sciences: mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. RVC is a place where you can create, where you will be heard and where you can develop and try yourself.

For example, I came up with the idea of ​​one project called “Active Weekend”. Every Sunday, children from 7 to 10 years old can engage in creativity, sports, play educational games together and learn new things about the world that surrounds us. This proves that here you can be heard, that you will be helped and supported in new endeavors, and all our inner ideas can be realized here.

The Republican Volunteer Center is not only a place where you do something for others, help or teach, here you can also learn new things. As I said, I have Jewish roots and the history of the Jewish people is important to me.
So I took part in one of the educational seminars, where we discussed the important autumn Jewish holidays. Well, I was able to pass on the knowledge I received to the children from the Jewish kindergarten “Savivon”, where we held a master class for Rosh Hashanah with volunteers, remembered the history of the holiday with them and made an application of apples.

I am a volunteer! I am loaded with this and I can say that it is not scary to try to implement new ideas. I invite everyone to become part of our volunteer family and do good with us!

I am Nata Britkova. I am 33 years old, I am a director, theater and film actress. As a teenager, volunteering and non-formal education attracted my curious attention. For all the years that I was engaged in volunteering in various organizations, participated in various projects, both in Moldova and abroad, it turned out that the RVC was the best thing that could happen to me!

My volunteer work began after Good Deeds Day in 2022. Then I gradually began to get acquainted with the projects, and there were quite a lot of them at the RVC, and I wanted to take part in each of them. An interesting fact is that my teacher, an acting coach of the improvisation format, has Jewish roots, but before that I had little knowledge of Jewish culture. Thanks to the RVC, she began to get involved in educational meetings and seminars, thereby learning more about the holidays and traditions of the Jewish people.

The Republican Volunteer Center is a platform that allows you not only to help, but also to develop yourself and your abilities, and since I have knowledge of acting, I decided to create the IMPROart project. Some time later, after attending the Network of Volunteer Coordinators workshop, I became its co-coordinator. This project is about the art of improvisation, theater and cinema, which allows all volunteers to reveal their talents. Thanks to the volunteer center, I have the opportunity to continue the work of my teacher and her sister, who, as a person of science, also took part in the development of improvisation.

In addition to the mentioned project, I actively participate in environmental events, conduct team building events for volunteers and am a member of the logistics team, thereby developing my creative and creative visions to help the coordinators create unforgettable events.

I am proud to be a volunteer of the RVC! Volunteering is about real life!

I’m 17 years old. At the moment I’m not studying anywhere. I may say that my hobbies are learning English and doing sports. Moreover I enjoy philosophy and psychology.

About volunteering I’ve found out from my classmate but couldn’t decide to come to the Volunteer Center for a long time, because my free time was very limited. In February I’ve finally got this opportunity and I’ve decided to spend my free time with benefit. I like the possibilities which Volunteer Center provides. In addition to help people, I can develop my personality: gain new knowledge and communicate with interesting people. It is very valuable for me.

I take part in most of Center’s projects, but the most I enjoy the ones related to elderly. Communication with older people is a real pleasure for me.

Volunteering gives me invaluable experience and awesome memories. It has completely changed my life. I’ve become a different person, gained new knowledge and started to understand people better. I’m motivated by the fact that I may be useful for society and at the same time develop as an individual.

I’d like to wish volunteers not to lose faith in your favourite activity, but to improve yourself, to put your heart into the things you do, and to launch «The Boomerang of Good» which is going to return if you do it from your heart.

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!

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! My name is Lily, I am developing web design for mobile applications. I am a graphic designer by profession. I love active recreation, Hiking on mountain trails, I love to travel, this inspires me to new projects and their implementation. I also walk my videos sometimes.

I got into RVC thanks to your Facebook page and invitations to participate in events. As soon as I had time, I remembered that I wanted to devote it to helping people together with the team of the volunteer center. I myself have been engaged in volunteer activities for more than 9 years. But I like to do this more in RVC, because here your participation is encouraged, and this moves you forward, motivates you to develop further and, not least, encourages you to invite others. In short, I like the level that is supported here!

I continue to be a volunteer, because to be useful to someone, for me – it is to improve, create, influence, help – it is a continuous chain. I like it when people try to change for the better, or find answers to their questions when they turn to me for help, advice, or request.

If we talk about motivation, it is probably, in a sense, a miracle that happens when the right people find the right people. Have you watched the movie “Stars on earth”? The main character-a boy is forced to endure bullying until he finds the right (knowledgeable and not indifferent) teacher, who finds the reason and correctly explains it and everything falls into place. I’m motivated by meeting people and how we influence each other.

I try to participate in all projects, but the closest, of course, are those related to nature, its preservation, ecology. I also like projects that focus on training and development, both for the younger generation and the elderly.I believe that development is an important process in our life that needs a lot of attention. And projects related to creativity, transformation into the new, because through them people learn to see beauty.

One of the most striking events for me was the photo exhibition “Past Now”, with the participation of older people. The shots were represented by their transformation into their best version. Also at the exhibition, everyone could try out innovations in the field of mobile technologies and games. In fact, there was something memorable in every meeting, event, and a lot of love, knowledge, time, and work was invested in each event!

I want to wish the Republican Volunteer Center to become even better! Even more interesting! Create a lot of projects that are important to bring to life!

Thank you, you are great!!!

Hi all! My name is Mititelu Valentina, I am 16 years old and I am a first-year student at a teacher training college.

I learned about the Republican Volunteer Center from my friend and started volunteering almost two years ago. My first project was called “Limba Noastră” where I taught Romanian to children. Participation in this project helped me become more punctual and responsible, as I realized that I have obligations that I should fulfill.

In the volunteer movement, I especially like communication with different people, regardless of their age and interests. I love to learn something new and develop, as well as help people and see their smiles after helping. During my participation in the projects, I met a lot of wonderful people and there were many pleasant stories. One of them happened during the delivery of new phones.
To old people. We helped them figure it out by explaining how each program worked. It was very interesting to listen to their stories that happened to them throughout their lives, and it’s very nice to see smiles and joy on their faces. I understood that our communication was necessary for the elderly, and it brought pleasure to both of us.

I am proud of my decision to become a volunteer at the Republican Volunteer Center, and I do not regret my choice at all. Activities at the RVC brought me new knowledge, a large number of interesting acquaintances and vast experience of working with people.

My name is Anastasia. I am 26. I am studying at “UTM” or at the Technical University of Moldova, as a marketer – logistician.

I accidentally found out about RVC. An acquaintance of mine worked as a coordinator at RVC. He invited me to the volunteer center.

– I have been volunteering for 6 months.
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– Participated in the delivery of gifts, at master classes, as well as in the “Global Day” and in the action “Bring joy!”
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– My main activity is calling the elderly and volunteers.

In volunteering, I see a lot of pleasant and useful things! For example, I have the opportunity to apply my skills and knowledge for good purposes, I meet very interesting people, thereby expanding my horizons, etc.

Elderly people are mostly very lonely … I didn’t have grandparents, but now I have a lot of them! (Happy) I try to support them, to listen. I am always happy when I hear laughter on the other end of the line!

Elderly people are grown-up children. Lovely and at the same time wise! This makes them very interesting to me.

One day, I called an elderly man. By my voice, I mistakenly thought that this was my geography teacher, but it turned out that this interesting lady had worked as a shoemaker for 30 years. Surprisingly, this is hard work, not for a woman! And also, this is a very necessary profession. But often people are not attracted to becoming a master …

My name is Anya Doni and I am a volunteer. My first experience of volunteering was at school, my guys and I made New Year’s cards for children from the orphanage. And if we talk about a larger, serious project, then I took part in a national conference against violence, where, by the way, the idea of ​​a social project created at the Be Do Have summer school was born: “Spune NU Violenței”.
I was inspired to volunteer by the desire to help children, to do something good for them. At that stage of my life, I could say, it was like wearing pink glasses. Of course, I heard about violence, but it was somehow far from me and was taken more from films, books, and the topics raised at the conference, statistics and frightening facts greatly shocked me. As if I hadn’t expected that people can be so cruel, especially towards children.
I am motivated to volunteer most of all by the desire to give – strength, time, my energy, to share my positive, to help those who need it. And get positive emotions in return. This is probably my dope! I believe that positive emotions are the key to a happy life. Speaking about the projects in which I have participated, I immediately remember my sister’s participation in the project “School of life”. Masha asked me to give a lecture about sex education among teenagers. I gave this lesson, realized that I liked it, and most importantly, that the children liked the lecture! I also really enjoy working on my project “Spune NU violenței!” – this project is aimed at informing adolescents about different types of violence, as well as learning to recognize and respond to violence. One of the most striking recent events is the presentation of the project to the Summer School Be.Do. Have and obtaining a certificate from KMB. I didn’t expect to receive this certificate at all and, of course, when your work is appreciated, it’s very nice. And the very defense of the project was very exciting for me, I was very worried, because I understood that all responsibility for the project lay with me, and since I did not have a team, I could not take into account some shortcomings.

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!

Hey! I am 20 years old. I am a student, UTM, Electricity.

I learned about the RVC from a young man who was already an active volunteer for the center. Detachment began in July 2020 – she delivered hot meals to lonely, sedentary elderly.Today she is an active volunteer of the CALL CENTER – she is informing the elderly in Chisinau and the regions about RVC projects and the epidemiological situation in the country, helps with the delivery of food to lonely elderly people and congratulates them on the holidays.

Volunteering attracts her with a variety of stories, destinies of older people. With the usual planned informing of the elderly, I got acquainted with the stories of dozens of heads and grandfathers. Hearing various interesting stories from the elderly is one of the main motivators of her activity. For example, my grandmother, when calling, told about her occupation back in the Soviet Union. About how she was a mechanic, how much this profession fascinated her and how much she misses that time. Such short and insignificant, at first glance, things, but they make Leroux think about her profession, about how important it is to love what you do and truly get carried away with your craft and constantly grow and develop professionally.

A volunteer is a state of mind. The desire to do good, help people and make the world around you a better place. Age, profession in this case are not at all important, because the main thing is a sincere impulse.
Today our hero is Albina Borimechkova. Albina is 44 years old. Works as an office manager in a car service company.
“For many years I, together with my mother and family, participated in KEDEM’s events. I knew about the activities of the RVC for a long time and took part in one-time actions. I consciously started volunteering this year, decided that I want to devote more time to this. At the moment I am engaged in helping the elderly, being part of the Call-Center project. I am also ready to participate in other projects in this direction, as well as in the framework of the “Origins of Mercy”.
What motivates you? I would like to give good, to devote time and attention. Volunteering was brought up in me by my mother and I want to continue by my example to bring up a sense of care and responsibility for other people in my children.
Of course, in volunteering, you can’t do without funny stories. Once a funny situation happened to us. One granny gave me and the children clothes from her chest. And we had to dress like children from the dungeon every time we met to please her.
I am sure that volunteering is important. It is important for our society, for people. It develops a sense of responsibility, educates a person in you – very important qualities in modern society “

“Hello everyone! My name is Ksyusha and I recently moved to the 11th grade. I have a lot of hobbies – I like to read, go and want to master the art of photography. Very soon it will be time to go to university and there will be much less free time there, so I decided to volunteer, now that I’ve considered all the options, I’ve decided to opt for our Center! I never regretted it!
I started my activity with online conferences with the elderly and visiting animal shelters. First of all, I really like animals and I chose online conferences because there is no way to be present in the city and volunteer offline.
I am interested in participating intensely in RVC offers, meeting new people, communicating and gaining experience. I also really want to do something good for people, to take care of children, of the elderly. Help the animals. I hope very soon, to know you better and to be friends for a long, long time! “

My name is Irina, I am 57 years old. I am a retired engineer, accountant, and administrator. I like to lead an active lifestyle and be creative. I am also engaged in volunteering for the third year. I am always happy to help people, and now I can pay more attention to this, because I have free time and opportunities. At RVC, I was attracted by the interest in new activities and an existing organization that I saw great potential in. I am inspired to continue my active volunteer work by people who need my help, as well as the support of my beloved daughter and like-minded people. From the very beginning, I chose to help the elderly. I am interested in learning and developing in this field, giving joy and hope. My advice to new volunteers is to look around and find those who need your help, and then start giving a piece of yourself, your time, and your soul.

Good afternoon, my name is Igor Perchun and I am 50 years old. I own my own business, but due to the quarantine, I suspended the work of my enterprise in order to protect my employees. I joined the RVC recently. Having learned about the need to participate in the delivery of humanitarian aid and meals for the elderly, I realized that I could and should help. I deliver meals for the elderly, and also participate in the delivery of humanitarian aid as a driver, and I feel that my help is needed now more than ever. First of all, I like the activity and responsiveness of the coordinators of the Volunteer Center. They seem to work for two, or even three at once. I believe that this kind of adaptation to the conditions is necessary. Help must be provided and if volunteers are able to help people at a distance, it only warms my soul. I believe that the world needs good deeds. I myself was the most active pioneer, and from childhood I remember that the weak and needy need help. That is why now I am trying to make the world a better place and make my own modest contribution to the common good.

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!

Hello everyone, my name is Sergey Melnichenko, I am 19 years old and I am studying at the University of Economics. Before I found out about the RVC, I visited the Haverim youth platform, where on one of the Sabbaths I was offered to join the volunteer center. After some time, I decided to join the ranks of volunteers. I have always believed that I can help the world, although not on a global scale, but still somehow make it better little by little.

I joined the RVC team about six months ago and managed to participate in a variety of activities. At the moment, I mainly work in the ITKIDS project, where I teach computer literacy and IT skills to children, but in the future I am ready to try myself in other areas. Also, sometimes I participate in the delivery of food packages for the elderly and in environmental campaigns.

What I like about volunteering is that everything is done from the heart. I do what I love and as a results I bring joy to others as well as myself. It is like a reward to see smiles on their faces. Nothing compares to the true happiness of a person. I believe that kindness can save this world. I hope that I will be able to do what I truly love for a long time.

Volunteering teaches a lot. For example, once at the ITKIDS project, I was supposed to be replaced for a day, but the volunteers could not come. In such a situation, I had to quickly react and find a way to fix the situation and fortunately everything went smoothly. This experience taught me to always have a back up plan.

Hello everyone! My name is Elena, I am 38 years old and I am a volunteer of the Republican Center! Behind me I have two higher educations: journalism and psychology. After them, I worked for a long time in a bank and a leasing company. Today I am working on my own online project on eco-bags.
In my free time I dance, paint and meditate. How did I become a part of the Russian Exhibition Center? Two years ago, I organized an event to clean up the capital’s park. Pavel came to the cleaning service, who at that time was a volunteer at the Russian Exhibition Center in the “Clean Chisinau” project, and it was he who introduced me to the Center. For two years I took an active part in the “Clean Chisinau” project, and during the pandemic I decided to join the delivery of packages / products for the elderly. At the Center, I found like-minded people whom I did not find in my environment. I am convinced that making the world a better place is much easier for all together, as a team, than alone. I also really enjoy working with the coordinators of the RVC, they manage to gather and organize everyone, it motivates and inspires. And the girls working there are very cool and perky in themselves. For me, everything that happens in the Center is something absolutely amazing, so I cannot mention any one story.