A panel discussion on the development of volunteerism in the Saratov region was held in the conference hall in Bldg. X. The event is timed to coincide with the International Volunteer Day.
The meeting brought together activists of the Council of Undergraduates and Postgraduates, the Volunteer Centre, the Headquarters of Student Brigades, employees of the #WEARETOGETHER Headquarters, volunteers of the Situational Support Centre for Citizens, the Health Headquarters, the Victory Volunteers public organisation, and the Abilimpics regional volunteer centre.
Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work Anton Golovchenko made a welcoming speech to the audience, he stressed the importance of volunteer movements in modern realities and pointed out the valuable qualities of a volunteer: "You are really those people who do good throughout their studies, and then all their lives, unite people around them and do so, therefore, every day the world at least a little bit, but it gets better."
In addition, he congratulated on Volunteers Day on behalf of SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko.
The Vice-rector for Secondary Vocational Education and Social Work Olga Nesterova also congratulated the volunteers. ‘It is honourable and prestigious to be a volunteer today. This activity is very necessary for our society. It is important that volunteers are engaged in such work that no one but them can do. Volunteering is also a way of self–realization, growth and promotion. I wish you strength, health and not to stop there – to continue your work and involve as many young people as possible in volunteer movements.’
Acting Chair of the SSU Council of Undergraduates and Postgraduates Vladislav Bykov spoke about the results of the work of the volunteer headquarters working within the framework of the #WEARETOGETHER campaign, and stressed that the headquarters is an urgent direction, since its main goal is to collect humanitarian aid for residents of the PRD and PRL, mobilized and their families.
Victoria Nikolayeva reported on the activities of the SSU Volunteer Centre, which unites volunteers from all faculties and institutes. In her report, she spoke about helping the Rich animal shelter, as well as about the planned action – a photo shoot of activists with the wards of the shelter so that they would find their homes sooner. O.E. Nesterova pointed out the need to talk more often about this direction of volunteerism.
The next was the report of the representative of the eco-volunteer Anastasia Karpova. She presented to the audience the results of the Ecotour on the Rivers of Saratov Region project. According to her, for ten years in a row, SSU students have been rafting on the rivers of the Saratov region and collecting garbage, cleaning the banks and water spaces.
The first results of the work within the Be the Best with RSB! project were shared by the commander of the SSU Headquarters of the Student Brigades Sergei Kulik. Saratov University joined this project recently, in October 2022, however, volunteers have already been recruited and trained to work with children evacuated from the PRD and PRL, and in the foreseeable future a meeting with children and their parents will take place at the Udarnik recreation park.
Elizaveta Menyailo, head of the SSU Health Headquarters, spoke about the development vectors and about participation in the Generation Z marathon, and Daniil Prokhorenko, a student of the Faculty of Sociology, spoke about his activities as an operator in the Situational Support Centre for Citizens. Daniil spoke about the working conditions at the centre, the number of volunteers involved, the incoming requests and frequently asked questions.
According to Evgenia Mokshina, an activist of the Victory Volunteers volunteer movement, the regional headquarters of this organization includes more than 7 thousand volunteers. In addition, she spoke about the directions "Communication of generations", "My story", "My Victory", "Our victories" and "Garden of Memory". A separate topic of her speech was the privileges that the volunteers of the Victory Volunteers movement receive, for example, participation in international events, meetings with famous people, unique attributes, quotas for attending events and training in various areas. Concluding her report, Evgenia Mokshina expressed her desire to start cooperation with SSU.
The round table also discussed inclusive volunteerism – a special area of volunteer activity, which, on the one hand, specializes in helping people with disabilities, and on the other – on their integration into volunteerism. The report on the work of the Abilimpics regional volunteer centre in SSU was presented by its head – Irina Nikolayeva. She told about the actions and partners, as well as about the Best Abilimpics Volunteer of Saratov Region contest, about the success of volunteers and trends in the development of the community.
The meeting ended on a positive note, Anton Golovchenko once again congratulated the volunteers on the holiday and thanked them for their responsiveness, mercy and useful deeds.
