The fund «Ukrainian Efforts» was created in the first days of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Alena Seryodkin is a board member and volunteer of «Ukrainian Efforts». This organization is in United States and has been providing assistance to Ukrainians in their fight against Russia.
What inspired you to become a volunteer and help Ukrainians in the war against Russia? How did the idea of creating your organization come about?
-What inspired me is the fact that I am from Ukraine originally and even though I have lived here for many years, I have a lot of relatives still in Ukraine. So naturally, I felt the need to help somehow. The idea of creating our own organization came to my husband later on, when we realized it’s getting bigger than we initially anticipated.
What kind of work do you do as a volunteer?
-I’ll do what I can when I have spare time, usually, I volunteer for different events to help set up our tent and sell our products which were made by volunteers and donated to us. Also, I would help pack the items that need to be shipped. Also, I try my best to help out with planning.
How has your experience been working with Ukrainian people, and what have you learned from them?
-Since I am Ukrainian, I only have good things to say about my people. I love the spirit, I love the thirst for freedom and justice. Ukrainians are usually very welcoming and kind to everyone, with a strong sense of heritage.
What challenges have you faced while volunteering, and how have you overcome them?
-I would say the main challenge would have to be the tight budget, which we usually overcome by having people donate items to us, instead of purchasing them, so we only use our budget for shipping costs.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming a volunteer?
-My advice would be to stay open-minded, and not get discouraged. There are periods when it seems like all the operations have been stalled but it’s only a temporary setback due to outside forces. If the volunteers stay motivated, the organization’s operations will continue and will be successful regardless.
What do you hope to accomplish through your volunteer work, and what impact do you hope to have on the local community?
-What I hope to accomplish is to help as many people as possible in Ukraine, but also bring out awareness in our local community. Since a lot of people are still unaware of what’s going on and how they can help.
What role do you think volunteers can play in promoting peace and how can people support your efforts?
-Volunteers play a huge role in promoting peace, especially when it comes to small nonprofit organizations like ours because we don’t have a budget to pay them for their work. So when they volunteer their time and effort, that means they care more than others. That tells us they are committed to helping the Ukrainian people, and that tells us that they want peace for everyone just as much as we do. Other people can support us by purchasing items from us, coming to local events where we have our tents and tables, helping us by donating items, and volunteering with us as well if they are willing.
If you want to contact «Ukrainian Efforts» or assist with donations visit the website below:
