Growing up in the United States, it seemed like everyone was volunteering all of the time and the spirit of volunteerism was something I took for granted. I’ve now lived in Russia for a little over three years and realize that that spirit isn’t necessarily entirely universal. But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t volunteering in Russia, there just isn’t the same cultural acceptance of volunteering that there is in America.
Through working with UGRAD [16] and Muskie [17] alumni and on the Youth Development Competencies Program, I’ve come across some of the most active people in Russia and believe that the spirit of volunteerism is growing. A key element of the UGRAD and Muskie programs is the community service the fellows do while in America. There, they catch the community service bug and start volunteering once they return home to Russia.
A recent, moving example of this spirit of volunteerism is the Christmas Charity Ball organized by the Muskie Club [18], a Moscow-based association of USG alumni. Elena Sadikova [19], a 2007-2008 UGRAD alumna, is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant and the US Government (USG) alumni community in Russia has rallied around her cause. I often work closely with the Muskie Club to plan alumni events and I suggested to Marina Zinovieva, the president of Muskie Club, that they dedicate their next happy hour to raising money for Elena. Marina called me back and said that a happy hour wouldn’t nearly be enough and set out to organize the charity ball. Members of the Muskie Club, including Marina Zinovieva, Anastasia Ekkert, Olga Kuleshova and many others, spent countless hours finding sponsors and VIPS, including Miss Russia 2010, handling all of the logistics, and recruiting additional volunteers. They were able to pull the impressive event together in only a few short months.
All of their efforts paid off and on Saturday November 27, 2010, hundreds of USG alumni and others attended the charity ball. Thanks to the event, they were able to raise around $70,000 for Elena!
On International Volunteer Day, I think it is important that we take a moment to thank the volunteers that we know and to make sure that we are not taking their hard work for granted. That being said, thank you Muskie Club and everyone that helped make the Christmas Charity Ball a success!
*Video: Russia Today [20] covered the the charity ball which featured interviews with Elena, her mom, and Marina.