The "Origins of Mercy" direction in RVC is a crucial part of the center's work. Through the projects in this direction, the needs of the elderly are addressed, their socialization is promoted, and volunteerism among older adults is developed.

From July 26 to 28, the educational seminar "Volunteer School" took place, with 45 volunteers working with elderly people participating. Volunteers from Chișinău, Bălți, Tiraspol, and Rîbnița attended the seminar. Each participant gained new knowledge on working with the elderly and had the opportunity to share experiences in various projects.

During the three days of the seminar, participants attended educational sessions with coordinators and guest lecturers. One of the key topics was dementia and how to work with people suffering from this condition. Volunteers discussed the importance of socializing the elderly. Other important seminar topics included time management, planning, stress management, and burnout prevention. Participants learned about methods to avoid burnout during volunteer activities.

In addition to educational sessions, the volunteers discussed teamwork and conflict resolution. One of the modern trends in volunteering is teamwork rather than individual work.

The seminar program also included evening activities. Volunteers became detectives, investigating "crimes." The quest featured actors portraying elderly characters from various literary works. The volunteers' task was to solve issues related to working with different categories of elderly people, based on the knowledge they gained during the seminar.

The "Volunteer School" seminar was an important step in developing volunteerism across all ages and strengthening the skills needed to work with elderly people.