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!
Who are the volunteers with big hearts!
A small room in a rural club, along which a net base is stretched, and people are gathered around it – there is no room to swing a cat! They weave ribbon after ribbon into the net – thin children’s fingers, knotty elderly hands, and even the hands of a defender in camouflage… And they sing, oh how incredibly they sing! “Oh, in the meadow there’s a red viburnum” – it touches the heart with sincerity and moves to tears…
Antonovychi village in Chernihiv region – a little smaller than small… But it is the homeland of people with big hearts! And now all its residents have united in a common cause – to help the Ukrainian army. Who are the volunteers? Every one of them is a volunteer!
A small village with a big heart
“The war united us all, making us one big volunteer family,” says volunteer Katerina Fedeleš from Antonovychi. “Who are volunteers? They are people with caring hearts! And we have plenty of them…
“We got involved in providing assistance from the first day of the full-scale invasion,” recalls the woman. “On February 25th, I celebrated my birthday by delivering products and food to our defense fighters. And literally the next day, enemy equipment had already entered our territory, and for a month Antonovychi were under occupation… How we waited for the yellow-blue flags, how we cried when we saw them on our vehicles! We saw the incredible feat of our military and decided to devote ourselves to helping them as much as possible! When the next day, after the de-occupation, we started collecting products for the military, people brought everything!”
When we started collecting supplies for the military the next day after de-occupation, people brought everything they had at home – canned goods, grains, whatever they had, even if it was not much… And since then, in the village of one hundred people, we have one hundred volunteers!” Katerina laughs. “We don’t have many young people, almost all of them have left our village, but those who are here are very active and proactive! We collected and dried herbs for tea all summer, including mint, thyme, and lime, dried apples and pears at home in the oven, and made vitamin mixes for the boys on the front line – lemon with honey.
You know what was touching? Elderly grandmothers who couldn’t leave their homes also wanted to help! They dried apples and pears at home and then called us, saying, “Katyusha, come, my child, I’ll give the dried fruit to our boys…”
And then it was time for trench candles and warm socks… The same grandmothers helped us, and with such inspiration and enthusiasm! We have two particularly energetic knitters, both over 85 years old – one unraveling sweaters into thread, and the other knitting. And they encouraged and prodded each other: “Come on, knit faster, because I’ve already unraveled a lot of thread…” By New Year’s, we had sent 300 pairs of socks to the front – and probably twice as many after New Year’s!
Only before New Year’s were 3,500 trench candles sent to the front, and no fewer after. The agricultural firm where I work, together with others, distributed seeds for free in the villages last spring – we had such an interesting project called “Borscht”. A local farmer shared with us the carrots that grew from these seeds, and others picked up his initiative – and so we made over 500 liters of Korean carrots and sauerkraut for the front.
We share what we do not for fame or publicity, but so that our people can see and understand how much they have accomplished – because it is primarily thanks to them! We want them to see that their work is needed and that it helps! And when our guys send us pictures from the front – with boxes, with children’s drawings – believe me, it’s not just a report, it’s such inspiration! We sent our guys from the village who are currently serving trench candles – and when they sent us a video of how the candle burns, how they dry their soaked shoes near it in the trench – then you understand how important it is and work with double enthusiasm! Or when the guys come and say, “You know, your candle saved me from frostbite this winter – it was very cold, luckily I took it with me and warmed myself up with it…” The village is small, but almost every family has someone serving. And those who are not in the military work for the military! In Antonovychi, in our community, in the eldership, everyone helps! In our community, in the eldership, everyone helps: the residents of the village of Shybyryneve, the school, FAP, kindergarten, and eldership workers also knit socks and always bring everything necessary.
Our main volunteer base is the club in Antonovychi, where everyone gathers to weave nets. There are families who weave net frames for us – they buy the threads themselves and weave them, which is a huge help on their part.
Our youngest volunteers are girls who regularly come to weave nets at the age of 7. They have exchanged carefree games and rest for daily hard work to help our army. Volunteers also come from neighboring villages, such as Tanya, a mother of five who is a frequent guest with her children!
"A great victory is made up of small victories"
“Volunteering is a way of life,” and that’s certainly true for Tetiana Skobeleva!
“Our children really want to contribute to our Victory,” says Mrs. Tetiana. “And believe me, even though our volunteers are small, their contribution is huge! We have a large family: we have three children and two more whom we’ve ‘born in our hearts,’ so there’s a lot of help from the kids!
“Everything we do, we do together. The children help us fill sandbags and pour candles, dry teas, and make delicious honey-nut treats for the front line. While I’m at work, the girls themselves clean and chop apples, load them into the dryer, and collect and dry teas. They even helped with Korean-style carrots.
“And you should see them weaving nets! Our children are like little spiders – while we adults cut the fabric for the nets, they have already woven their little hands and incorporated strips into the net. They find it interesting, and they’ve done a useful thing! Children who grow up in such an atmosphere – when they see every day how parents help our army and are also involved in assistance – have patriotism in their DNA.”
The man built a little house in the yard for our boys, and they brought a Ukrainian flag there themselves and hung it on the house – real Ukrainians are growing up! Sometimes we come home tired from work, and the kids are like, “Mom, let’s go to Antonovychi and weave nets!”
They want to help themselves – and they can’t imagine themselves without it anymore. These kids saw tanks with “zeks” driving by our yard, saw the horror and destruction caused by them. They don’t need to be explained why and why we are helping our army – they see and understand everything themselves…
I throw all the kids into the car – and we all go to Antonovychi together! We are always on the move, always working – otherwise we can’t do it. The oldest son is already a student, but he also helps us with everything we need.
Who are volunteers? They are all those who help bring our Victory closer! I often tell children – and not only them – that our great Victory, which will surely come, is made up of small victories. And we win every time we contribute, even if it’s just a few hryvnias to the front, when we weave nets or prepare goodies, when we light candles or draw pictures… Every time we are not indifferent, every time we do not stand aside, every time we all unite and help, then we all – win!
