A person can be a battery to another person! The one that shares warmth and light, and charges you when your internal battery is almost down… We are charged by you, indomitable Ukrainians! Your care for others and your good deeds can brighten and warm the darkest times! School is not only a place that teaches children to read and write, but also a place that foremost teaches them goodness. And you know that the best upbringing is by a good example,” Nataliya Anysymova, deputy director of Zaporizhia Gymnasium 101 notes. “Our gymnasium annually takes part in charity events, in particular Giving Tuesday. So, recently, we collected 210 kilograms of grocery kits and sent them to the liberated Kherson.
We also helped stray animals, holding the Give a Paw, Friend campaign. Children with their parents, teachers — everyone helps, no one stands aside from someone else’s trouble!”
The gymnasium becomes a volunteer center
“With the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, our Zaporizhia, Ukraine, became kind of a large volunteer hub,” Ms. Nataliya says. “People from Mariupol and neighboring occupied regions came to us first. Ukrainians are a nation that immediately comes together in times of trouble and starts seeking opportunities and ways to lend a reliable hand to others. From the first days of the Russian invasion, our institution turned into a real volunteer center.”
“Each of our teachers realized that help for Ukrainians during the war is necessary and irreplaceable in the time of need. Since learning is now done remotely, in addition to teaching we have all been volunteering and helping others, and continue to do so because we simply can’t stay away!”
Holding the yellow and blue line!
“We, educators, hold the yellow and blue line by the blackboard or in Zoom, as well as on the volunteer field!”
“Currently, a regional information center operates based on Zaporizhia Gymnasium 101, aimed at providing humanitarian, medical, psychological and other help to Ukrainians during the war, and taking measures to eliminate negative consequences in case of an emergency in the city.”
“October and November were very difficult, tragic months for our Zaporizhia; the city constantly suffered from shelling, there was a lot of destruction…”
“At the beginning of October, a rocket hit the yard of a nine-story building in the service area of our informational center during another shelling. Windows in the building were broken, balconies and the surrounding area were ruined. The residents were left without electricity, water, and gas… We immediately started assisting these people.”
When even a chocolate is an unaffordable luxury…
“That’s how they met Valentina Vasylivna. An elderly woman was in an extremely dire circumstances. When we saw the information about the microgrant from Goodacity, we decided to help the old lady, so we filled out the application and waited. And we were incredibly happy to find out that we would receive a micro-grant for a good cause on Giving Tuesday!”
“We bought Ms. Valentina the necessary medicines, delicious cookies, tea, and sweets. You can’t imagine how happy the old lady was over an ordinary chocolate bar, it’s simply brought us to tears! I was glad that it was possible to buy the required medication for her, after her guardian visited the family doctor, who prescribed her the necessary treatment. Unfortunately, after the missile attack, the old lady no longer gets out of bed.”
“We are truly grateful to the Goodacity team for this opportunity! Valentina Vasylivna was delighted to have visitors, she was even able to sit on the bed with us for a little while. She asked to tell you her gratitude, she was happy with the medicine and chocolate, and most of all with the people and actions that fill us with faith and goodness!”
