For the NGO "Zahody", volunteering has long been a part of our lives and our team. We have many people who have been doing this for years: supporting communities, helping families, conducting initiatives, creating space for development and always being there where it is needed.

Many of our team started volunteering in 2022. Someone came to Dnipro, turned to the humanitarian hub for help and realized that they wanted to be where others are helped. Someone had been helping orphanages for years and volunteering has always been a part of their life for them. Someone found themselves in a difficult situation and this gave rise to the desire to support those who are going through difficult times.

Each of them came to volunteering in their own way. But everyone stayed because they saw the same thing: their help really does matter.

In 2025, the team received the “Volunteer of Donetsk Region” award. For us, this is not just an award — it is recognition of the daily, quiet work that often goes unnoticed, but changes lives.

One of those who has been there in humanitarian work from the first days is Dmytro. He has been volunteering at the hub since May 2022 and very accurately describes what distinguishes volunteers:

“You have a goal — to help people who are going through difficult times. And nothing can stop you from doing it. Mood, weather, shelling — everything fades into the background.”

And it’s true: when you see people coming for support, you no longer think about the little things — you only think about how to make their day a little easier.

Over the years, the hub where Dmytro works has provided assistance to over half a million displaced people from different parts of Ukraine. And these are just documented cases — at the beginning of 2022, assistance was provided to everyone who needed it.

For Maksym, volunteering has also long ceased to be a separate activity — it is part of his character and way of life.

“I do not separate the issues of volunteering and mutual aid. For me, it has long been a part of my life…”

His story shows: sometimes volunteering is born gradually, from small things that later become an important part of your identity.

Bohdan began his volunteer journey by unloading trucks with food and hygiene kits. And it was in such daily, routine work that he saw something that is rarely spoken aloud:

“Volunteers are the spark that should ignite the fire of civic activism.”

Next to him is Nika, who is also from Mariupol. She started volunteering with her husband at the end of 2022: she packed humanitarian aid kits, dealt with the issuance and registration of displaced persons in the Dnipro.

“Volunteering for me is about uniting like-minded people in the direction of helping people.”

Their stories show that volunteering can unite not only communities, but also close people, giving a common meaning and common causes.

In times when the country is experiencing many challenges, volunteers keep the space of support open and remind us: we are not alone. And each of us can become someone who will lift a person up, support a community, or simply give a little warmth.

Today we want to say simple and very sincere words to all volunteers:

Thank you for your kindness.

Thank you for your hands and your hearts.

Thank you for making Ukraine more humane every day.

Happy Volunteer Day