When the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, Lidia Zambilovici, a Russian- and Romanian-speaking Jewish immigrant from Moldova, instantly felt the impact.

 

As the Director of External Relations for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, volunteer work was not part of her job description -- but for the past three summers, she has dedicated at least two weeks of her time to help Ukrainians displaced by the war through the Jewish Federations of North America’s Global Volunteer Hub, a network of skilled volunteers who do everything from rapid response activities, psychological support, translation, workforce preparedness training, educational activities, and language courses.

 

The Global Volunteer Hub has sent 272 in-person North American volunteers like Lidia, to serve in placements in nine countries through 21 partner organizations. Since 2024, around 85% are returning volunteers, with some having served anywhere from three to 12 times.

 

Lidia has worked with Ukrainian refugees of all ages – from senior citizens and retirees to teenagers and young children – at summer camps across Europe.

 

Along with other Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking North American volunteers, Lidia has provided Ukrainians with opportunities to both process their trauma and enjoy fun summer activities, including knitting, Twister, and lots of games of Uno. The Global Volunteer Hub’s network also helps prevent burnout of local staff and volunteers in partner communities, allowing organizations to increase both their internal capacity and creative bandwidth so they can better meet the needs of growing refugee populations.

 

Working with both Jewish and non-Jewish refugees, some of whom have disabilities, Lidia’s volunteer work is deeply personal and guided by a saying she grew up hearing from her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor: “When you give, make sure your fingers are not growing inwards.”

 

In other words: “If you choose to give, give with an open hand.”

 

Most recently, she supported the Green Gate camp in her hometown of Chisinau, Moldova, through Early Starters International, which is a Global Volunteer Hub partner.

 

“Volunteering is a giving experience, but how rewarding it is as well,” says Lidia. “You can and will see genuinely happy people, whether adults or kids, forgetting about something brutally and deeply horrible through a moment of joy and play, however quick it might be.”

 

The Global Volunteer Hub continues to place Russian- and/or Ukrainian-speaking volunteers with partners in Europe. If you are interested, apply here or visit the website for more information, including other opportunities to give back.