May is the month when our volunteers and program participants were introduced to wonderful spring holidays such as Lag ba Omer and Shavuot. We also continue to spend educational time for the elderly and children, and to hold the long-awaited actions of the Day of Good Deeds, an event that everyone has been waiting for.

Chisinau.

• On May 9, the Volunteer Center carried out transportation for 14 veterans of the city of Chisinau and Strasen. From 10 o’clock in the morning, volunteers took public transport to reach the elderly, congratulated them, gave flowers and small gifts as a token of gratitude.
• Also on May 9 at 17:00 the Volunteer Center opened the photo exhibition «The Story of One Photo». We conducted an online interview with one of the project participants, who told her life story as a child of war. In addition, we interviewed three volunteers participating in the project and discussed how they collected the stories of older people and why it is so important to celebrate Victory Day. In the future, the photo exhibition can be seen in Tilda and in the hall of Kedem. This project united the stories of the elderly in 3 cities: Chisinau, Balti, Rybnitsa. Link to view the exhibition. http://jcc.kedem.md/photoexhibition 
• During the period from May 3 to May 12, the volunteers of the Russian Exhibition Center — Call Center, congratulated 122 elderly people by telephone on May Day and Victory Day. Among the elderly, with whom the volunteers spoke were victims of Nazism, children of the war — those for whom the Great Patriotic War will forever remain in their memory, and Victory Day is practically their second birthday.
• We held an «Online Marathon» about Lag Ba Omer. We conducted online programs for seniors and volunteers about this holiday. The elderly took part in a holiday quiz, doing crosswords, celebrating Shabbat, watching many educational videos and singing.
• The month of May will be remembered for the holiday of Lag ba Omer, an event where you can meet family and friends in nature and spend paddle time, lighting bonfires and archery. Our volunteer center also hosted an off-site event, in which 10 people took part. This meeting took place in a very warm and friendly atmosphere. The participants got to know more about the tradition and history of the holiday, were able to participate in active games and communicate with each other, share new events.
• Within the framework of the direction of work with children, two new projects were launched: Limba Noastra and Merry Mathematics; in June, the We Dance project is launched.

Good Deeds Day

• On May 23, the “Good Deeds Day” started in Moldova. From May 23 to June 6, volunteer actions will be held throughout the republic. On June 6, the results of this large-scale event will be summed up, but there is already news about some of the actions of the volunteer center.
• On May 23, the first stage of the action Shopper vs Avos`ka of the Day of Good Deeds in Moldova took place!

Volunteers painted eco-bags that will be delivered on May 30 to drivers and paramedics of ambulances as a token of gratitude for the fight against Covid-19! On this day, 2 sessions of master classes were held so that everyone could paint 20 eco-bags without endangering themselves and keeping a distance. We take into account all security measures in carrying out all promotions! 10 volunteers have already taken part in the first stage of the action, the master class was conducted by the volunteer coordinator E. Nyagu.

• As part of the two-day campaign of the international volunteer project «Day of Good Deeds», an environmental campaign «Change the paper for good» was held. The event brought together the most active and environmentally friendly volunteers who helped pack paper products, separate cardboard boxes from adhesive tape and additional waste, and collect paper from organizations that also care about the environment and sort paper. With this action, we wanted to tell you how important it is to sort the paper, which can be recycled later. With the proceeds, RVC volunteers will thank junior medical personnel for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• On May 23, within the framework of the Good Deeds Day in Moldova, a bright and very welcoming action Give a smile took place. 15 volunteers, together with volunteer coordinator Katya Tukan, went to the parks of Chisinau to share information about volunteering, talk about the Day of Good Deeds and charge Chisinau residents with a good mood. It was easy to distinguish the volunteers from ordinary residents and guests of the capital by their white Good Deeds Day T-shirts, bright bibs with the RVC logo and a large number of balloons kindly provided by Jacobasan.

• The Week of Good Deeds has started and one of the first actions on May 23 was the action «Give Lapu». Our volunteers went to the animal shelter in the town of Cricova. For four hours, the volunteers walked, combed and fed the dogs and cats. The volunteers are not limited to this and will go to the shelter again on the 30th. In general, more than 15 people will take part in the action.

Balti.

• On the eve of the Victory Day, the volunteers of the project «Origins of Mercy» in Balti, with the support of the Hesed Yehuda EBC Chisinau, in cooperation with the Hesed Yaakov Business Center and AICI PENTRU TINE JSC, congratulated the wards who survived the Catastrophe.

This holiday is moving away from us every year, but we must never forget about those heroic deeds that our ancestors performed in the name of freedom, honor and a prosperous life.

May the echoes of the war remain only in books and films, and may pride for the heroic deeds of the heroes of the Fatherland live in our hearts.

Issuance of humanitarian aid.

On 11.05 and 23.05, humanitarian aid (things, shoes, dishes) was handed out for wards and members of the Jewish Community.

Humanitarian aid was provided by the sponsor of the Charity Center JSC «Aici Рentru Tine».

Volunteers of the «Origins of Mercy» project took an active part in informing clients about the day and time of issue, as well as in the very issue of humanitarian aid.

Rybnita.

• Creative workshop for volunteers

05/06/2021 a creative workshop for the manufacture of gift boxes for congratulating the elderly on Victory Day was held.

Volunteers of the «Origins of Mercy» project with great trepidation made boxes to congratulate 1 veteran and 6 former ghetto prisoners. Wrapping paper, glue, cardboard, ribbons and a little bit of work — the result is very cute boxes that are filled with sweet treats. In the process of work, they talked about the events of the Great Patriotic War, recalled stories from the family chronicle of volunteers, because this war touched almost every family.

• Congratulations to veterans and former ghetto prisoners on Victory Day

On May 7, volunteers of the «Origins of Mercy» project congratulated 1 veteran of the Great Patriotic War and 6 former ghetto prisoners on behalf of Hesed and the volunteer movement.

Attention and care is the least that we can give to these wonderful people — people who have gone through difficult trials, but continue to inspire us with their temper, character and wisdom!

Among those who received congratulations was Anna Vasilievna Fashko, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. Next year Anna Vasilievna will celebrate her 100th anniversary! In 1941 she was 22 years old. It’s time to love and start a family, but order the war differently. She was working on the collective farm in Mogilev-Podolsky when the Romanians broke in. They rounded up young girls, among whom was Anna Vasilievna, locked up on an old farm and forced them to work in the fields. After about a month, she fled and joined the Soviet partisans. Throughout the war, Anna Vasilievna worked in the army’s subsidiary farm — she fed the Soviet soldiers. I met the long-awaited victory in Hungary.

The volunteers presented the elderly with gifts on behalf of Hesed, and also presented beautiful boxes of sweets, made with the soul, by the hands of volunteers. And of course, many warm words and heartfelt congratulations were said.

• Working meeting with volunteers of the project «Origins of Mercy» in Rybnitsa

On May 13, a working online meeting with volunteers on planning activities for the near future took place.

During the zoom conference, we once again recalled important aspects of accompanying the elderly by phone, coordinated the upcoming actions within the «Congratulations» project, discussed upcoming volunteer events and actions.

Good deeds day in Rybnitsa

On May 23, Rybnitsa volunteers joined the worldwide Good Deeds Day movement.

We spent Sunday cleaning in the courtyard of a wonderful, kind person — Tatiana Ryshanovskaya. Unfortunately, Tatyana’s husband recently suffered a stroke, so not only caring for her husband, but all household chores fell on the shoulders of this woman.

5 volunteers and 1 coordinator took part in the action. In 4 hours of hard work, we painted the gate, removed weeds and branches, chopped and stacked firewood, poured sand, whitewashed the trees and planted flowers.

It is rightly said that labor ennobles! And also fresh air, May bloom, sincere conversations, mint tea, and most importantly — satisfaction from the work done!

Lecture «Physical activity in the prevention of coronavirus»

On May 27, a lecture for the elderly will be held with a volunteer of the «Origins of Mercy» project — a physical rehabilitation instructor.

The volunteer will talk about the role of physical activity in the life of an elderly person, about the impact on the protective functions of the body in the context of the prevention of coronavirus and other diseases. Shows a set of simple but useful exercises. The topic of rehabilitation after the postponed coronavirus will also be touched upon.

Happy birthday to the elderly

In May, Hesed’s elderly clients continue to receive congratulations from volunteers.

The volunteers have already congratulated the 8 May birthday people on their birthday, and two more will also not be left without attention this month. A postcard made by the hands of caring people and a sweet present are, of course, so little, but at the same time so much for a person to feel that they are thinking about him!