I am the author of the Goodacity blog, a journalist, and a translator. For 16 years, I have worked in professional journalism, contributing to regional and national publications, both in print and online media. I have written reports, conducted interviews, reviews, articles on cultural, social, and charitable topics, as well as materials in the style of "solution journalism" and communication materials.
My focus is on creating interesting and exclusive content. Journalism, to me, is primarily about human stories, to which I always find the key, empathize with the people I write about, and love all my heroes. Journalism, to me, means telling people about what truly matters to them, informing and inspiring them. It is not just a job, but a way of life, just like for all those who dream, create, and are inspired by it.
So, if you are looking for stories that inspire and motivate, that instill faith and help find meaning while believing in goodness, read my stories on the Goodacity website.
I am a manager of cultural affairs and a project manager with over 14 years of experience at United Thinkers. I have participated in the organization of numerous successful social and charitable projects and have implemented informational campaigns and communication cases.
As a marketing manager, I have been involved in organizing marketing and sociological research, working with media and partners, developing advertising and marketing strategies, as well as planning and implementing advertising campaigns.
I believe in the power of goodness and I am happy that as part of the Goodacity project, I can contribute to its expansion. I believe in the power of words and in the fact that communication can help make the world a better place. I know how, where and when to speak in order to be heard. And when you are heard, you can change the world!
Changing the World by Helping Others!
It all started with this message.
“Good day, my name is Solomiya, I am 14 years old. Your volunteer stories have inspired me, and recently I started engaging in volunteer work myself. And — I’ve experienced so many miracles! So, I want to share my volunteer story — it might not be as heroic as others, but perhaps it will inspire someone too…”
Of course, we couldn’t ignore such a touching and inspired letter, and we were delighted to meet and talk with the young volunteer Solomiya.
Her story is a vivid example of what volunteers do in Ukraine, and it also shows that volunteering is a gift that we can give to others while receiving a huge dose of joy and satisfaction in return. Moreover, it’s a reminder that small steps can lead to significant changes, and young hearts can inspire the world!
As Children Grow, So Does Goodness!
Volunteering is a story we build together, day by day, step by step, heart to heart. It’s a tale of an endless desire to help, to inspire, and to change the world for the better. This is the story of volunteer Solomiya, but it’s also the narrative of countless others who have discovered the magic of volunteering, making it alive every day. Solomiya’s story serves as a reminder that it’s never too early or too late to help others. To paraphrase a classic – volunteering, like love, is something everyone is capable of!
Solomiya is a ninth-grader from a small village called Karpylivka in the Rivne region of Ukraine. She’s a good student who loves to read, and more so, she’s trying her hand at writing. And — she’s actively volunteering!
“Even before the ‘big war,’ I had the desire to do something, to somehow help others. I often wondered what volunteers do in Ukraine, but I didn’t know how to put this into practice, thinking I was too young for it,” the girl shares. “But with the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, I realized that I shouldn’t postpone the desire to help — help is needed now!
Even before, I had a social media group with friends from different cities in Ukraine — girls and boys from Kyiv, Mariupol…
We were friends, communicated, everyone talked about themselves, about their city. But after February 24th, our communication changed drastically — everyone supported and comforted each other, shared what was happening in their city, and how, despite the horrors experienced, they were helping others. I was simply amazed by their incredible heroism and bravery — my peers talked about how they helped rescue people from the rubble of bombed buildings, how they volunteered day and night without rest…
I thought — what about me?.. Despite the fact that I was also volunteering at the time, constantly looking for new and new opportunities to be useful during the war, helping children learn, including those who had moved to our village to escape Russian aggression, I was constantly nagged by the thought that I was doing too little, not enough, not right, engaging in too insignificant tasks compared to others… But after some time, a girl I was teaching on a volunteer basis wrote to me. She thanked me: ‘Thank you for helping and inspiring me, it’s because of you that I decided to help others too…’ How these words uplifted me — it’s indescribable! They gave me the strength to continue volunteering, to keep doing what I love and am good at—working with children, helping them. Because by helping — we change the world… As children grow, so does goodness!”
Tutoring as Volunteering: How Volunteers Make a Difference in Ukraine
I’m a volunteer tutor: I teach kids English and programming for free. In these challenging times, children need as much care, love, and attention as we can give. Our region of Rivne has welcomed many children from occupied areas and regions where active combat is taking place, and they can always use help with their studies. My students come from various cities — Rivne, Kyiv, Mariupol, Ukraine. Hearing the children recount their escapes from the devastated city of Mariupol is heart-wrenching…
My youngest student is an 8-year-old girl, a little bundle of sunshine and an incredible “energizer,” very active and communicative; my oldest student is 15. Yes, it turns out I teach even those older than me! We speak English and learn from each other. In fact, this could be said about all my students — I don’t just teach them, I also learn from them, and I am filled with energy and inspiration!
For me, this story is primarily about the fact that, regardless of the activities volunteers in Ukraine engage in, volunteering brings joy and inspiration not only to those we help but also to the volunteer themselves. And that even small steps can bring significant change to the lives of others and our own. After all, every child who gets the opportunity to learn thanks to volunteer assistance transforms and grows into a future citizen capable of creating change.
Volunteering for me is something very important and meaningful. It’s not just work or a hobby, but magic that brings hope, change, and love into a world that desperately needs these forces of good. My parents work in a hospital, and with the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion, they showed me a great example of how volunteering helps to cope with panic, fear, and other negative emotions, inspiring me to continue helping. They advised me — you have good English, you can help by giving lessons. That’s what I did, and it like lifted all the anxious thoughts and panic away…
I fell in love with volunteering and now can’t imagine my life without it! I spend less time “hanging” on the phone, I’ve learned to structure and properly allocate my time. It inspires me. I’ve also noticed that when a person starts doing good, the Universe begins to help — my life has been filled with many little pleasant daily miracles since I started volunteering!
Sure, there are those who say, “Why bother, you could have rested or hung out instead,” not all my friends understand. But anyone who has tried dedicating even a portion of their time to good deeds understands that volunteering is not only about helping others but also an opportunity for personal development and growth; it feels how much it enriches spiritually and helps to unlock one’s potential. Before writing to you, I thought long about what adventure of mine could touch and impress people… Then I realized — what if it’s not an adventure, but just the daily realities, what a tutor-volunteer does almost every day. Look at what volunteers do in Ukraine — it’s a vast array of different daily activities! You don’t have to do something incredible every day, it’s enough to just do something good every day. People abandon volunteering because they think they’re not doing enough. But even daily acts of kindness, helping someone, should also be valued. It’s normal to want to do more for victory, for others, for all of us. Just don’t judge yourself for thinking you’re doing too little. The important thing is to do. Even something…
Every effort in volunteering can change an entire country and indeed the whole world!
How do I see myself in the future? As a psychologist, also a programmer and teacher, I want to try my hand in many fields and combine many professions. As they say — aspire to the impossible, and you will achieve your desires!”.
