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Rydalevskaya Elena Evgenievna.

Executive Director of the Diakonia Charitable Foundation.

Elena Evgenievna graduated from the Medical University named after. Pavlova with a degree in General Medicine. After college, Elena Evgenievna worked for more than 10 years at the Regional Public Organization “Return”, first as an employee and then as the head of the Rehabilitation Center. In 2004, Elena Evgenievna was invited to the position of coordinator of drug-AIDS programs at the KhMDS Association. At the moment, Elena Evgenievna holds the position of executive director of the Diakonia Charitable Foundation

Every place where the Lord has assigned me has its own difficulties and joys. The position of a leader carries with it great responsibility, because behind you are people who trust you, and in this case the most difficult thing is that their views, will and interests are often mutually contradictory. Therefore, finding points of common ground and reconciliation can be very difficult, each of us has many ambitions and it is important for me that a team is formed in which there is mutual understanding, respect and the desire to do things together.

Elena Evgenievna! For many years you headed the RPO “Return”. Looking at you, it’s hard to imagine that this difficult work of returning from the abyss fell on fragile women’s shoulders. However, don't get used to it. Especially in Russia. But not only…

These are too strong phrases. My colleagues and I discussed issues of working with drug addicts and came to the conclusion that this work, first of all, gave us a lot. In our presence, the transformation of the boys and girls took place, and this was their great work, which we witnessed, therefore this return of the “prodigal son,” just like Rembrandt’s painting, teaches our heart a lot, makes it larger and softer.

Tell us, what do you remember about these years? Was it difficult to communicate and help people with drug addiction? What are they? What did they teach you? Do you feel sorry for them?

“It’s a pity” is not the right word, because... loving patients is a gift from God. If you receive it, then it gives you inspiration and a desire to do it, but to whom it is given and why - I don’t know. They are pupils or patients, talented, sensitive, with bright creative abilities. It’s difficult at the beginning when you perceive each person too emotionally, then with professionalism comes an adequate sense of distance and your role - a very modest one. Because it is a person’s choice whether to recover or not. Of course, it is sad when young people die absurdly, often it happens suddenly, from an overdose, when something has already begun to work out, and it would seem that nothing foreshadowed death, things were going well, bright intervals appeared in the form of remission and relationships with loved ones were restored. But there is hope that since a person has already strived for reconciliation with himself and God, his efforts will not be in vain, and he will not be left without God’s mercy.

Which person did you remember most about your meeting? What is more in such meetings - grief or joy? Is there any hope for those who have become drug addicts to get out and, if so, how many of them are there - who could? Or is it forever? And how do people become drug addicts? Are these people necessarily weak, worthless, or self-confident?

Meeting a person who has been in remission for many years has become a friendship. I see him often and remember the Gospel: “We had to rejoice and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life, he was lost and has been found.” Luke 15:11-32……and I rejoice.

Do you regret that your life passes, as it were, on the border of good and evil? How do your loved ones tolerate, understand and support you?

Children like that mom is busy with something worthwhile. My husband is very supportive and covers my absence from home by taking care of the children. At work, I often communicate with interesting, enthusiastic people, mentally rich and beautiful. The limit of the struggle between good and evil lies in the heart of a person, and this is the only war worth waging in oneself. Therefore, someone’s struggle, which you see, helps you fight your own, because you become, as it were, comrades-in-arms - we fight together, each with evil within ourselves, but God forbid we fight with another or in another. Only if he asks you for advice or help, can you help him pose the right question so that he himself looks for the answer in the right direction.

Perhaps evil, albeit temporarily, is winning. How do you recover, what keeps you on the surface of the raging salty ocean of tears, despair, darkness...

What flag are you flying under, what are you bringing to people, why is this happening in your life? you never imagined that your patients would be people with a difficult fate? What if I take a lighter load? You believe?

She stopped flying the flag when she left pioneer age. I walk without flags and avoid processions altogether. The “Society of Impenetrable Optimists” saves me from despair - in this informal association there are many of my friends and relatives, as well as my favorite literary heroes - for example, Fr. Frances Chisholm from A. Cronin’s novel “Keys of the Kingdom.” Some of the members of the society do not even suspect that they are full members of this association. However, they are very important to me, without them it would be very difficult for my optimism to stay alive. And the only nourishing basis for this society is faith in God. It appeared in my childhood, then it grew, taking on various forms and shapes, until it grew to become a member of the Orthodox Church. And another special resource in my life was the deep love of my father, which gave me strength and love of life.

Tell us more about your foundation Diakonia? What is its fundamental difference from others? The very idea of ​​an interchurch - five Christian churches - unification is wonderful. What is preventing the whole world - despite political or, for example, national differences - from uniting against a common merciless enemy - drugs and those who distribute them - and if against terrorism - racial intolerance - against Nazis of all stripes?

The basis of our organization was social service, which is carried out by different Christian denominations and does not require absolute dogmatic unity. Because in order to feed the hungry, visit the prisoner and comfort the grieving, it does not matter what faith the person in need is, and it does not involve preaching, but specific, adequate actions to improve the situation. Therefore, Christian denominations that agree with the Creed have founded a foundation to support and develop social service. The world is usually hindered, as always - by pride, ambition or greed, as well as jealousy beyond reason.

Do you see at least a few positive trends in the fight against the drug mafia? In reducing the number of young drug addicts? Or is the situation as a whole only getting worse?

The involvement of various Christian churches in working with addicts is increasing. There is a desire to cooperate (at least declared - the state and the church, and the NGO sector). The number of heroin addicts has decreased, but in general drug use is expanding the list of psychoactive substances. A positive trend on a state scale is an attempt, initiated by the Federal Drug Control Service, to create a national system of rehabilitation centers and carry out public procurement of services from SO NPOs. This will allow organizations like ours to focus not on finding money to implement a rehabilitation program, but on improving and developing the rehabilitation itself.

Tell yourself a little. About family, about hobbies, hobbies, pets, about walks and vacations... About favorite books and favorite people - if possible. about books, about friends who helped you along the way.

First of all, this is the spiritual father and other priests, to whom you can come for help, advice and prayerful support. I love business trips, since it is not possible to travel at my own expense, so I satisfy my “wanderlust” through work. Cities in different parts of the world, nature, both the generous south and the restrained romantic north, books and films with which you can think and feel the world of people. I love all this. Without my loved ones I feel bad - lonely and sad. True, this loneliness is so rare that sometimes I dream of being alone longer. Four children, employees and friends create such an effect of presence that I am happy to ride in silence on the train when my cell phone does not receive a connection and my fellow passengers are silent. Basically I talk a lot and listen a lot. I rest when I go to bed early or sleep during the day on weekends. I love theatre, music and museums, books, films and nature.

What do you tell yourself when you give up, when only a thin candle light flickers in the pitch darkness...

I turn off the light, my mobile phone and go to bed or go to pray in an empty temple. Or I go to my beloved St. George’s parish in the Kineshma and Palekh diocese, where “I will be greeted and seated at the table in peace…” by fellow monks.

Has your opinion about the human race been shaken after communicating with less than its most successful representatives?

No, because successful people, as we understand them today, are often boring and self-satisfied. And our lost ones and others who have joined them in social service, laboring or sympathizing and helping - are searching, warm, alive, thinking and developing.

What worked and what didn’t, what would you like to wish for yourself?

And to all of us?

Learn to love each other, God and neighbor.

Compassionate service to people - what do you think this is? Is mercy more than help?

It's not how much you do that matters, but how much love you put into your work.

Mother Teresa

Charity is merciful only when it is addressed to the heart of a suffering person, and not only aimed at satisfying his material needs.

The concept of mercy is one of the central ones in Orthodoxy. Mercy is the active intervention of Christians in earthly affairs for the sake of destroying the very causes of suffering. This is a challenge to a way of life that has perpetuated social, economic and racial injustice, a challenge to our instincts, a challenge to the basic law of biological life, which presupposes the survival of the fittest.

Your favorite aphorism - verse - slogan.

“There is God, there is peace; they live forever.

But people's lives are momentary and miserable.

But a person contains everything within himself,

Who loves the world and believes in God." N. Gumilyov

In this essay, I will try to comprehend the path of formation that a non-profit rehabilitation of drug addicts took with the participation of the Orthodox Church in Russia.

In the late 80s, the first non-profit organization “Return” appeared in St. Petersburg, which united people seeking to help addicts, most of them had experience using opiates, so they knew the problem firsthand, some had been through doctors and prison and repeated Try to cope on your own. And having achieved remission in different ways, they had a desire to help others. They were guided by sympathy for those who were still struggling in this web, by the deep human need for community, realized through participation in each other. The country was experiencing global upheavals, the old ideology was collapsing, and many people born in the USSR, feeling the falsity of the entire social life of the Union, the inferiority of the primitive ideology, came to various forms of protest or withdrawal from the reality around them. Drug addiction in the early 90s had a different face than it does today. These people read G. Hesse, listened to hard rock, and were looking for, in a sense, a different “spirituality.” Among those who gathered at the “Return” at that time, the most important thing was the search for freedom not only from drugs, but also freedom in general, given to a person as a desired gift, but also dangerous. And along with the search for this freedom, the question of the meaning of life simultaneously arose. The then fashionable occult movements and practices associated with the books of H.P. Blavatsky, C. Castaneda and other eastern and esoteric gurus, when trying to use them in addiction therapy, did not bring tangible success. And then eyes turned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Trips to the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery began, searching for spiritual books and priests ready for open dialogue. We can say that the most important thing that happens in the life of someone seeking faith and God, and at the same time answers to many deep questions about the meaning of life, the mystery of death, relationships with people, gaining freedom - these are meetings with people who already have these answers, in whose lives there was this living and authentic meeting with God. And this is not some kind of intellectual achievement, but practical experience of life, the application of the Christian worldview in practice, the experience of heartfelt faith, prayer, and communion with God. These meetings took place. Thanks to them, a turn began to take place from occultism and Eastern teachings to the thousand-year experience of the Orthodox Church. I developed my own experience of fasting, prayer, and life in the Orthodox community, and it began to be used both among those helping themselves and used by them for rehabilitation. The first rehabilitation center where an attempt was made to rehabilitate addicts together with churching was “Mill Stream” or, in common parlance, “Mill”. The “Mill” experience showed that a dependent person in a Christian therapeutic environment based on mutual respect and cooperation easily adopts new forms of behavior. In fact, no serious psychological or psychotherapeutic work was carried out with the pupils at the “Melnitsa”. There were no attempts to implement a 12 step program. But there was an active and creative search for different forms of work. Deep sympathy for the students. For Melnitsa employees, work became a way of life. It may not be the most comfortable, but it is joyful and inspiring, filled with discovery, community and mutual gratitude. The ability to creatively comprehend the process of overcoming an illness led to the introduction of various forms of work into practice. The practical needs of the center determined the need for the work of the pupils: construction and repair of the center's buildings, farming, building a temple, and providing for everyday needs. This very opportunity for meaningful creation, in which the students were participants, made them happy and helped increase their self-esteem. They began to feel needed and

Dear people. Leisure, in the form of KVNs (a competition for cheerful drug addicts), during which the children could laugh at themselves and realize their creative abilities, poetry and song evenings decorated the life of the center and created a joyful and lively atmosphere that was so attractive that the worst punishment there was an expulsion. Few people left here of their own free will. The rules of the center were developed, a package of documents was developed, and the terms of rehabilitation were specified. Of course, there were various violations of discipline. Of which, the most tempting was the violation of distance with the opposite sex, since both boys and girls were in rehabilitation. There were also episodes of attempts to use psychoactive substances, primarily alcohol, due to its availability. The village "Melnichny Ruchey" is located in the Vsevolozhsky district of the Leningrad region and the nearest shops were within walking distance. There were also attempts to bring drugs with people coming from the city. But the center motivated a person to change his life, it gave him the existential experience that it was worth living soberly. Helped to find new values ​​and meanings, brought a person to the threshold of the temple, thanks to participation in the prayer rule, communication with the priest, and participation in church Sacraments. In fact, in the modern understanding of the stages of the rehabilitation process, it served as a motivational stage. Graduates, after 3 months of rehabilitation, either sought to continue churching in parishes or monasteries of the Orthodox Church, or sought support in the NA community, which began to appear in St. Petersburg. There was support from international donor agencies, whose funds were used to carry out the rehabilitation process. They also organized study trips to European countries and the USA, where rehabilitation experience had existed for many years. The experience of “Melnitsa” was in demand not only in St. Petersburg; everyone who wanted to help addicts came here from all over Russia and the CIS countries: priests, narcologists, psychologists. During its existence, thousands of addicts received help and began the process of overcoming the disease. The history of the development of church rehabilitation over the past 26 years resembles the Gospel parable about a grain that, having fallen into fertile soil, bears fruit. “Melnitsa” ceased operation in 2008, but was replaced by about 70 Orthodox rehabilitation centers from Siberia to Kaliningrad. Today, church rehabilitation is represented by a coordinating body at the level of the Synodal Department of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate - the Coordination Center for Combating Drug Addiction of the Department for Church Charity and Social Service (CC OCSBSS), a network of centers united by a single conceptual document - the regulations on the network. Bishop Methodius (Kondratyev) of Kamensk and Alapaevsk, who headed the (CC OCSBSS) of the Russian Orthodox Church, began working with addicts, agreeing to accept graduates of the “Mill” to St. George’s parish, where he was rector from 1989 to 2014. At a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on December 26, 2012, a conceptual document “On the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the rehabilitation of drug addicts” was adopted. It highlights three basic principles of church rehabilitation for an addicted person:

Principle 1. Rehabilitation in the Church is, first of all, the result of the action of Divine grace, manifested in the fullness of church life.

Principle 2. Inclusion of the rehabilitation process in the life of the church community.

The main stage of rehabilitation is carried out in parish and monastic communities, as well as in institutions created or patronized by the Church. In the latter case, the community is formed

From rehabilitators and believing employees. Community life here also takes place under the care of a priest, but separately from the parish, which in this case only provides the opportunity for the rehabilitation community to participate in its liturgical life. In rehabilitation carried out in the Church, special importance is attached to the life of rehabilitators among members of the church community and, above all, among people who have freed themselves from drug addiction and become members of the community.

Principle 3. Competence (professionalism) of members of the church community involved in rehabilitation.

Competence consists of an understanding of the spiritual and physical nature of addiction, the necessary knowledge and skills, and possession of information about the techniques used in secular rehabilitation institutions.

During the rehabilitation process, the helper must equip the rehabilitators with all the necessary knowledge about addiction and possible ways to overcome it.

The Diakonia Foundation today employs 10 people, whose recovery and development as specialists is connected with the Mill. Therefore, we can say that the rehabilitation process in the Foundation’s rehabilitation centers is a continuation and development of the experience we gained at the “Mill”.

Drug addiction has become one of the most global problems not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Sooner or later, every person on our planet faces this problem in one form or another. If you look at the statistics, you can see that the use of narcotic drugs is constantly increasing.

In his speech on March 14, 2014 at the meeting of the final Board of the Federal Service of the Russian Federation for Drug Control, dedicated to summing up the operational activities of the Service in 2013 and tasks for 2014, Director of the Federal Drug Control Service of Russia V.P. Ivanov. reported that in accordance with drug monitoring data, carried out according to methods approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, in Russia about 8 million people use drugs with varying degrees of regularity, about 2 million are on opiates, 2 million on synthetics and up to 4 million - cannabis consumers.

“09” April 2014 at the conference “On the participation of rehabilitation structures of the Russian Orthodox Church in the national system of rehabilitation and resocialization of drug addicted citizens,” Director of the Federal Drug Control Service of Russia V.P. Ivanov. emphasized: “The network of rehabilitation programs of the Russian Orthodox Church can become the cornerstone of the National System of Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Resocialization of Drug Users.”

Russia's national security depends on the level of fight against drug addiction. This is one of the important theses voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Presidium of the State Council “On the progress of implementation of the state anti-drug policy” in Novo-Ogarevo in June 2015. The President of the Russian Federation admitted that the tasks of social rehabilitation of drug addicts are now being solved not by the state, but by civil society structures - non-state rehabilitation centers. There are more than five hundred such organizations throughout the country. The President proposed to include them in the emerging national system of comprehensive rehabilitation and resocialization of drug users.

— a fund to support large, single-parent and foster families, created by the hands of ordinary people without millions of fortunes. The Foundation provides non-financial assistance, donating the most necessary things - clothes, food, stationery, household chemicals, children's products and more - everything that can be useful in everyday life.

Every day, dozens of fund activists perform painstaking work: They call those who need support, sort items arriving at the warehouse, coordinate the work of volunteers, collect and deliver aid directly to each family, maintain documentation, etc. Without receiving a salary. In free time from main work.

This seems strange in the era of consumerism. Why do they need this when they can go to a fitness club or bar, earn some more money or watch a movie with friends? Maybe they are incorrigible idealists with rose-colored glasses or help others from their own unfulfillment?

To be honest, when I went to meet Nastya Zhukova (one of the active participants in “The Heart Is”), I was afraid that she would talk about lofty matters, about how important it is to help others, to always smile and dream about what is in the world the era of universal happiness and love will come). This is exactly how I imagined a person who does charity work.

But in fact, I saw in front of me an adequate, sober-minded girl who was not trying to look pretentious and talk about the salvation of humanity. I understand that The “Heart is” team are professionals with a cool head and a warm heart.

Read the interview and you will be able to experience charity from the inside, learn about the difficulties and organization of this process. About gratitude, inspiration and most importantly, how small actions of each of us lead to stunning results!

Nastya preferred to talk about herself to a minimum, since “There is a heart” is, first of all, a common cause, and not the realization of everyone.

Nastya, how many people are in the project now?

If we take into account all the volunteers, then approximately 2000 people. This is everyone who has ever participated and helped the Heart Is. The main engine of the team is 20 people in Moscow, 10 people in St. Petersburg, 10 people in Murmansk and 10 people in Bryansk.

Tell us where the idea came from, how it all started?

The story began with the fact that Katya (Ekaterina Silaeva, founder of “The Heart Is”), together with her friends, found a family who asked for help, and on their own decided to collect and deliver to them clothes and other necessary things, whoever can do what, whoever has what . I joined the project a year later. For about six months, I was just an observer, a subscriber in the group. Then I also decided to give things away and it so happened that I was added to the team’s general chat. I began to slowly get involved in this process and joined in.

Fine. You've joined. What was your motive? Why did you want to do this?

I was simply ready to help with all my heart. It's not difficult and pleasant. In a team, everyone can do a little bit, but the total result is a lot.

Where does this desire come from for you, a girl who grew up in a wealthy family?

In our family, we have always had an attitude of giving and helping if you have such an opportunity. Because the more you give, the more comes back to you. This is especially easy when it doesn’t take much time and effort.

What does participating in this project give you now? How do you feel when you help?

It’s nice when you can do something not only for yourself; you like communicating with people, being part of a team with a big and pure mission. Also, recently I have been realizing my goals for development, gaining experience and skills. It’s interesting to organize processes in an area that I’ve never dealt with; many tasks arise that, probably, without the Heart Is, I would never have tackled.

I am happy when I see that the good deeds of the team inspire people to do good further down the chain. For example, on New Year’s Eve, Heart Is, held the “Letter to Santa Claus” campaign, because I really want to give children faith in miracles and, most importantly, make their dreams come true! At the end of the event, mothers wrote words of gratitude; they mentioned that their older children said that when they grow up, they will also help people and create miracles for others. For me this is the highest joy and reward. A string of goodness...

Another example: recently a mother from a foster family came to see me. I once personally gave them things and they were supported by the Foundation, but now she and her friend have organized a team to help people: they found a room, accept things and, like us, sort them and give to those in need.

When you started doing this, did you encounter misunderstandings from others?

I believe that everything depends on the environment. When I was a teenager, people often didn't understand me. I studied at a school where children prioritized the wealth of their parents and materialism. But then circumstances changed, I became older and began to communicate with people who gave me comfort in communication and supported me in my endeavors. After some time, many friends began to voluntarily become involved in my activities, including helping other people.

Have you ever thought that it would be better for everyone to solve their own problems? Have you ever thought that your help can make people weak and less adapted to life?

Our philosophy is: The Heart of Is is concerned with support, not content. When a family submits an application, we outline the capabilities of the fund, including mentioning that the assistance is one-time in nature, or may be periodic, but not more than once every six months. Everyone has difficult situations and dark spots, you can’t blame them for this, it’s better to encourage people to support and mutually help each other in difficult times.

Big families are great! They have so much love for life and strength, but they, like everyone else, sometimes need support.

If you yourself had serious financial difficulties, would you turn to such an organization?

At first, of course, I would try to solve everything on my own, but in case of failure... yes. For many people in difficult life situations, it is not easy to ask for help, because usually a person must solve his problems himself. Applying to a fund can be a very difficult step, and Heart Is's job is to make the entire process as smooth as possible. Anyone can find themselves in a difficult situation, and this does not mean that this event is a line when a person begins to differ from others; in any situation he was, is and will remain the same as he was, just like you and me.

How do you choose the people you want to help? Or do they apply on their own?

There is such a site - 24sos.ru, when Heart Is was just starting its activities, the guys there found requests from large families who called out for help and responded. Later, word of mouth began to work, and many turned to the fund on the advice of friends.

Do you think that the people you help are to blame for their plight, or whether the economy and the politics of our country also had an impact?

Every family has its own story. In the country as a whole, the situation with support for the institution of family has enormous potential for development, because Now many things raise questions, but in relation to each family individually, I cannot comment on these points.

In the village of Teriberka, Murmansk region, there are less than 1000 people. People there live poorly and there is little entertainment. Thanks to “There is a Heart,” these children now have equipment for winter sports.

That is, your position: “If you need help, then we will help. We do it and don’t think about why this happened?”

Not certainly in that way. There are fundamental aspects that influence refusal to help: drug addiction and alcoholism. Unfortunately, there is no legal way to help children directly, bypassing their parents, so in such cases they are forced to refuse. The profile of families that we want to help is a self-sufficient family, where parents (and maybe older children) work, but due to life difficulties they need help. For example, the husband left, and the mother was left with small children and benefits for them.

We communicate with each family personally, ask for information, and try to be as sure as possible that the family needs help and is not trying to live off funds. Personal contact between the volunteer and the family is very important; it helps to create a more complete picture. If a family, when communicating, behaves from the position of “we are owed,” then this indicates that people are accustomed to acts of help and do not want to provide for the family on their own.

Do you only help families with children?

Yes. Heart Is is a fund to support large, single-parent and foster families. The main emphasis is on large families with three or more children. If the mother is a single mother, then we can help even if there are 1-2 children. Having many children is wonderful, but parents face large financial expenses and, since salaries in the regions are low, it is very difficult to support a family.

I read that there is a certain problem with renting a warehouse, (the warehouse is the foundation's sorting center: volunteers bring things, food, etc. here, which are then sorted and, depending on the needs of each family, collected as parcels with the help of ) in terms of finances. Who finances your warehouse?

For several years we had a wonderful sponsor, the general director of Vedis Group, Sergei Vyacheslavovich Bobkov. He sponsored the rental of the warehouse, but at the moment the whole team is looking for a new sponsor and funds for rent. We raise a cry, and many volunteers help even with 100 rubles, which then add up the amount needed for rent. Together we can do a lot!

What is the situation with transporting food and belongings to families? This is also a cost...

When the package has been collected for the family, we put up a post on the wall of the public pages on VKontakte and Facebook, where we say that to such a family in such a place (usually the metro or the city provides a guide, we care about the safety of the families in our care) we ask you to take the collected help. If someone is traveling to those parts, and it is not difficult for him to stop by the warehouse and pick up a few packages for the family, then the volunteers themselves take and deliver. Based on the principle of “who is nearby and who is convenient”

Volunteers are located in other areas in the same way. There were cases when transport companies helped. Usually all the help is placed in a passenger car, but if you need to transport something bulky and heavy, for example, furniture or household appliances, then you cannot do without a truck, and looking for it is an adventure.

Unfortunately, things are the same for families all over Russia: we can collect help, but it’s difficult to send it. At the moment, families from the regions are invited to find a way to help us with the shipment. Therefore, we are actively looking for a transport company that would help us on an ongoing basis to make supporting the regions easier. There are a lot of needy families there.

Transport is never superfluous here

Can you tell a story where your help radically impacted and changed things?

There are a lot of such stories. Sometimes people write that there was no help even from close people, but complete strangers stepped up and helped. They write incredibly warm words, sometimes you want to cry with joy that your efforts are beneficial. I can tell you my personal story: there is one family in the Tver region who lived without a refrigerator for more than a year. I found it several times, but each time the circumstances were such that the delivery was disrupted. It was December, and our New Year’s campaign “Letter to Santa Claus” was gaining momentum.

I was involved in its management, I realized that many gifts were not yet under guardianship (when one of the volunteers was ready to purchase and give a gift on behalf of Santa Claus), and it was time to involve all my friends. I have a friend, he is Czech, but at that moment he was working in Nizhny Novgorod, I suggested that he choose a letter and become Santa Claus. He couldn't select a letter because... There are a lot of kids, and everyone wants to help, so he asked me to find an alternative to letters, but so that the help would be significant. I told her about the story with the refrigerator, and my friend went away to think and discuss it with colleagues.

And just imagine: on New Year’s Eve, a bell rings in this family’s apartment, Mom opens the door... and a courier with a refrigerator is standing on the threshold and asks you to sign for receipt! My mother writes to me and says, Nastya, you can’t imagine what happened just now! I read, I say, what are you talking about, what miracles, but I sit there, smile and cry. By the way, she never found out that it was from us :) After this interview, of course, the secret may be revealed. So the good wizards simply ordered a refrigerator via the Internet and paid for courier delivery, making a big gift for the New Year.

Report on the New Year's promotion: wishes come true for all 100 - sneakers, fighter jet and game tent

In fact, every volunteer can tell their own amazing story, even within the team we often exchange such stories.

Tell me, who are your main volunteers? Gender and age, interests, profession.

Absolutely different people in terms of worldview, professions and hobbies. All the guys on the team are wonderful, they take an active life position, work, study, run their own business, and in their free time they do Heart Is. The team functions as a single unit, they are all wizards! 3-4 years ago I would not have thought that this was even possible.

I saw posts on your VKontakte wall regarding the disposal of used batteries. I understand that the topic of excessive consumption and production of goods is close to you? It seems to me that the Heart of Is performs an important function in the sense that people do not just thoughtlessly throw away what could still serve, but give it to others.

Yes, sure. It turns out that the fund, in addition to providing assistance to those in need, also makes available and transparent the opportunity to give things a second life.

When there was no Heart There, I tried to donate things to the social center in my area. I collected out-of-date clothes, enlisted the support of a friend, and we brought 5 boxes to this center, where they told us that If everything doesn’t sell out in a couple of weeks, it will be thrown in the trash. Disappointment came immediately. I wanted to transfer things into good hands, but what I got was pure formalism and the absence of a process for providing assistance.

Heart Is is a place where you can give things, knowing that they will not be lost, but will be delivered to their destination. Moreover, things are not only clothes and shoes, but everything you need in everyday life: bed linen, baby strollers, cribs, irons, dishes, household appliances - everything. If you suddenly have doubts, then you can always participate in the entire process - from bringing things to the warehouse to sending them to your family - personally. Bring your things, we’ll check the lists to see which family needs them, we’ll put together a package, and you’ll take them to them. We'll be looking forward to it!

Photo report on the aid delivered

Great. In fact, many people don't know where to put things, especially furniture.

Yes, there is such a problem. Now one of the central issues for us is related to how to deliver furniture and large equipment. In the current realities, buying new clothes for the whole family is not easy, and replacing broken equipment or collapsed furniture is a completely impossible task. The applications show a great demand for large-sized aid; all that remains is to learn how to deliver it.

Many people associate charity with serious personal sacrifice. We are afraid that it will take a lot of time, which is always not enough. It turns out that these fears are in vain?

Yes, charity is very easy and really does not require much time. If you want to donate things, but you can’t bring them yourself, just open the card and call the nearest volunteer!

Were there any cases of ingratitude? When were people unhappy with the help?

Of course, there were such families. People are different, we try not to communicate with them later, this is not our family profile. Our ward families express gratitude for the support and write warm words. It's incredibly pleasant to communicate with them. When volunteers arrive, children and parents always greet us very happily. Let the families live modestly at the moment (and the whole team wishes them prosperity and well-being!), and now someone is going through a difficult period in life, but they express great love for life, optimism and reliance on each other within the family.

More positive overall?

Yes, negativity is a side effect. Unfortunately, everything is not perfect. Or fortunately :) Negativity shows weaknesses and what else needs to be worked on.

If an interview reader wants to help you, what exactly can they do?

The simplest thing is to give away things that you no longer need, but could serve someone else.

Expert interview with the head of the Alexander Nevsky Charitable Foundation

Good afternoon, Vera Alekseevna!

Hello!

Vera Alekseevna, tell us how the fund was created?

The Alexander Nevsky Charitable Foundation was created on December 8, 2005 to assist in the implementation of socially significant programs in the field of education, enlightenment, culture, spiritual and moral development of children and adolescents, promoting the protection of motherhood, childhood and paternity, and strengthening the prestige of the family in society. The founder of the fund is Tesar Management Company LLC, represented by the General Director - Chairman of the Board, individuals

The Foundation Council has organized a board of trustees, which carries out coordinating and trustee functions in the implementation of charitable and social programs, promotes the goals and objectives of the Foundation among the population, supervises the activities of the Foundation among the population in terms of the implementation of decisions made by the Foundation Council, and the Foundation’s compliance with current legislation. Quantitative composition: 3 people. The Foundation Directorate is the executive body of the Foundation, carries out the current management of the activities of the Foundation, organizes work to implement decisions of the Foundation Council, coordinates programs and projects with the Foundation Council and the Board of Trustees.

Tell us about the main activities of the fund

The Foundation operates in the field of social care, social support for families in disadvantaged conditions; social support for disabled children and children with disabilities; supporting youth initiatives and volunteering in the development of social programs.

Vera Alekseevna, tell us a little about what has a special influence on the formation of the Foundation’s image, about the projects.

We carry out projects to help solve social problems. A project is a tool for implementing social programs.

In 2006, the Alexander Nevsky Charitable Foundation became the winner of the regional competition of social and cultural projects of the TNK-BP company in the Saratov region. The winning project “Model of interaction between partner organizations and residents of the Oktyabrskoye Gorge microdistrict in solving social and cultural problems of the local community” became a project platform for the development of innovative social technologies for solving sociocultural problems of the local territory. The partnership project “organizing work with children in socially dangerous situations at their place of residence based on the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Slavic peoples” of the non-profit partnership “Creative Technologies” and the charitable foundation became the winner of the municipal competition of social and cultural projects.

2007 The project “Volunteering in the system of social support for low-income and socially vulnerable families” became the winner of the All-Russian competition of social and cultural projects of public organizations.

2008 The project “spiritual and cultural tradition of Russian folk toys in the revival of traditional family values”, short name “Russian Toy”, became the winner of the “Orthodox initiative” competition of the Foundation of St. Seraphim of Sarov. All this has a greater impact on the image of the Fund

Vera Alekseevna, what kind of image do you think the fund has developed in the eyes of target audiences, and is the Fund generally working to maintain this image?

In my opinion, the positive image of the Foundation is formed, as I have already said, through the implementation of socially oriented projects. We are doing great and necessary work to help those in need. Participation in the implementation of student volunteer projects also has a positive effect on the formation of a favorable image. The Foundation does a lot of important work, but this work is not covered regularly. It is necessary to pay more attention to informing target groups about the charitable activities of the Foundation.

The biggest achievement is that students came to work for the Foundation on a volunteer basis (31 people actually work).

1. Information promotion of initiatives and cases.

2. Partnership relations did not work out with the CSC of the Zavodsky district. They have not moved away from the stereotype “we will do it ourselves.” There was little interest on their part, and few resources on our part. It is necessary to personally dissuade the system from the intended partner.

Vera Alekseevna, tell us about your plans for the future.

Continue activities at a new level. It all depends on some factors: quality, relevance, luck. It is necessary to ensure that student volunteers remain in this work, to increase their competence, to train them in social audit, organizational audit, and the ability to develop self-organizational management elements. So that the structure that has begun to form does not disintegrate at the achieved level.

The Foundation operates in the field of social care, social support for families in disadvantaged conditions; social support for disabled children and children with disabilities; supporting youth initiatives and volunteering in the development of social programs. Winning social projects has a great influence on the formation of a positive image of the Foundation. He is doing great and important work, but this work is not being covered regularly. It is necessary to pay more attention to informing target groups about the charitable activities of the Foundation.

According to the manager, the image of the Foundation is presented in the eyes of target audiences on the positive side, due to the opportunity to position oneself, while participating in the implementation of projects, and establishing professional connections. Internal interpersonal communications also play an important role in the organization.

Dear respondents, please answer the questions in the survey.

1. Do you know the organization “Alexander Nevsky” Charitable Foundation?

2. What do you know about the Charitable Foundation?

A) a public organization engaged in volunteer activities

B) nothing

3. Where do you get information about the activities of the Foundation?

A) from print media

B) Foundation website

B) from friends

D) internet

D) other_______________________________________________________________

4 . Have you taken part in the implementation of the Foundation's projects?

5 .What projects of the Foundation did you take part in? List them

_________________________________________________________

7. What image of the Charitable Foundation as a public organization has developed in your eyes?

A) positive

B) negative

8. What or who, in your opinion, influences the formation of a positive image of the Foundation?

A) development and implementation of socially significant projects,

B) student volunteers

B) leader

D) visual image

D) other______________________________

9 .Do you personally know the head of the Foundation?

11 .Would you like to participate (continue to participate) in volunteer activities?

12. Indicate your university

A) PAGS B) SSTU C) ISO (branch in Saratov)

D) other_______________________

13 .Indicate your age

A) 17-18 B) 19-21 C) 21-23

2.6 Questionnaire

The survey was conducted among students; 50 students from 3 universities in Saratov PAGS, ISO (branch of RGSU in Saratov), ​​and SSTU took part in it. These are student volunteers who are the main target group of the Foundation.

The age of the respondents was 17-23 years. As a result of the survey, the following data were obtained:

To the question: Do you know a Charitable Foundation? All respondents gave a positive answer. They know the Foundation as an organization engaged in charitable activities. They receive information mainly from 30 (60%) people from the Foundation office - all of them are volunteers, and the rest - 17 (34%) people from their friends, 3 (6%) people read about the activities of the Foundation in newspapers. It should be noted that the Fund's activities are poorly represented in the media. Also, no one noted that they receive information from the Internet or from the Foundation’s website. And even if someone visited the site, they could notice that the information has not been updated for quite a long time.

30(60%) people responded that they took part in the implementation of the project “We are near. We will help." The image of the Foundation presented in the media does not exceed 2 points on a 5-point scale. This once again emphasizes the fact that the Fund's activities are poorly represented in the media.

The manager plays an important role in shaping the image of the organization. After all, it is he who controls all processes occurring in the organization, as well as representing it in the eyes of target audiences. All students taking part in projects (30 people) had to communicate with the leader personally. But the rest also noted the important role of the leader. This can be seen when analyzing the question of what or who influences the formation of a positive image. The majority of 20 (40%) people surveyed answered - manager, 5 (10%) people - project implementation, 15 (30%) people - students - volunteers, 5 (10%) people - visual image, 5 (10%) people answered that everything, to one degree or another, influences the construction of the image.

Based on all of the above, we can conclude that most people know about the Foundation and the great significant activities it carries out; they receive information directly from the Foundation’s office, from friends. No one noted the Internet as a means of obtaining information about the activities of a public organization. And only a small percentage mentioned print media. It became clear that the image of an organization is greatly influenced by the image of its leader. In general, all respondents assessed the image of the Charitable Foundation as an organization engaged in important activities aimed at helping those in need.

In the organization, student volunteers are approached by colleagues, which shows the importance of their opinion in solving emerging problems.

All respondents gave a positive answer to the question about continuing to participate in the activities of the Foundation.

Last December, Danila Kozlovsky became the face of the “Exit in St. Petersburg” charity foundation. Mikhail Rudin learned from the actor what the responsibilities of an official representative of the organization are and how his wards see him.

Since December last year, you have become the face of the charity foundation “Exit in St. Petersburg” - or the official representative, as it is correctly called?

More like the face of the fund. It happened quite spontaneously - on the other hand, nothing happens by chance. In fact, I have long wanted to be useful in some way.

Are you not contributing enough to society in your day job?

Maybe quite enough. But if you have opportunities to be useful to the world that go beyond the scope of your direct profession, you should make the most of them.

How did you find the foundation?

First, of course, I watched the film “Anton Is Right Here.” Later, Lyuba Arkus found out about my interest and offered to record a video message to draw attention to the foundation and the habilitation center. After some time, I realized that I wanted to do more for the foundation.

What are the conditions for working as a fund representative?

They didn't give me any conditions. Lyuba asked if I really wanted to do this, I said yes, and we began to figure out how I could be useful. And it turned out that the field of action for creativity is quite large. Let's leave aside issues related to raising funds and business - this is an intra-fund conversation. You are, rather, interested in the creative part of charity - for example, on March 8, we held a “Good Dessert” master class at Jamie's Italian restaurant together with the Ginza Project. This is one of the forms of charity that is interesting to me, as another opportunity to communicate with people, who follow my work, it is interesting to the guys from Ginza because it takes place on their territory, it is interesting to the foundation because it can attract funds and attention. This is a dialogue that can be interesting not only to those who ask for money, but also to those who give it .

Do you have any development plan for the year?

We have a whole cultural program planned. Now, for example, we are preparing a charity concert with Alexei Garibol. In my case, this is my first serious musical experience; I have never sung on stage in my life or played in musicals - and this is my dream. There is actually a lot of work. And there will always be work - this is one of the features of charity; there are never enough funds. You just have to accept it, there are always a little more problems than opportunities to solve them. But you can’t give up. Today you are alone, tomorrow there are two of you, the day after tomorrow there are three, in a week there are already ten people. We have plans to expand the center and children's camps in the future. So far we are working only in St. Petersburg, working with 73 families, and for our foundation this is a lot, considering that we opened only last year. I would like to create a platform based on the center, which could become - I say this very carefully - an assembly platform for directors, artists, poets, musicians. Autism is a feature of the development of the nervous system, and it is a very talented disease, if you can talk about a disease like that. These are rain people, very talented people, many of them are geniuses - just remember Perelman, Gates, Lincoln...

Don't you build castles in the air?

The peculiarity of castles in the air is that they can still acquire a wooden or even stone appearance. We need to plan, dream and realize dreams. I understand that this sounds crazy now. But when Lyuba was planning the center a year ago, it was also in many ways a castle in the air. And much more airy than the programs and tasks that we face now. I don’t give you any guarantees, because you’ll be the first to ask me in a year. These are plans, hopes, and we are trying to implement them.

Since you are the face of the foundation and the center, you have become the official representative of these people. What do you think they want to convey to society through you?

Unfortunately, I don’t meet with them very often; after all, I’m not a tutor, this is not my specialty. I see them when I’m in the center and show it to guests and partners. But I think that they want to say through me: don’t feel sorry for us, don’t treat us as disabled people or as alien people, superfluous people. And if you have the opportunity to make us part of your world, let's try. Because we can be useful to you in some way. When Lyuba Arkus said that they turned her whole life upside down, for a long time I did not understand what she meant. Now I understand: they have a completely different way of looking at things, different eyes; they have something that we are deprived of due to various reasons and circumstances, and which could be very useful to us. And they have it, they give it.

Children don’t perceive you as an actor; they probably associate you with one of the characters you played..

They're not that much of a child. We try to deal with the most socially vulnerable group of people - after 18 years. Until the age of 18, in our country they try to deal with this problem - poorly, of course, but at least somehow: there are specialized schools and boarding schools. And after 18, it is considered that a person is incurable and is simply abandoned. Although we also have small charges.

Anyway, what I was getting at was, which of the characters you played could be an example for them, or with whom they could identify?

A very difficult question. It’s not clear where what will catch whom. I sometimes learn from viewers completely unexpected and inexplicable thoughts and impressions about my roles. If I say that Kharlamov should be the role model, it will be too obvious. I think this hero could be Ralph from the Maly Drama Theater's play "Lord of the Flies". Maybe because he is a child and he is not poisoned by the adult world. And they are adults, but there is something cosmic about them, if you know what I'm talking about. And in this they are very defenseless. This is some kind of cosmic scale of naivety in the most charming sense of the word.

Kommersant-Lifestyle, together with Clinique, presents the #differencemaker project (#ThisChangesEverything), dedicated to people who change the world around them every day. Clinique's new initiative will create a charitable platform and unite international funds that support the development of education and healthcare systems. For several months, famous businessmen, actors, artists and doctors engaged in socially significant activities will talk about how we can make life on the planet better. The project continues with an interview with the founder of the Sheredar charity foundation, Mikhail Bondarev, who built the first children's health and rehabilitation center in the country.

We meet with the founder of the Sheredar charity foundation, Mikhail Bondarev, who built a children's health and rehabilitation center on the Sheredar River in 2012 in one of the Moscow hotels. Children returning from the foundation's programs are welcome here. Staff and parents gather in the conference room, and while we are photographing Bondarev on the street, a group of several mothers approaches him. After a couple of minutes of talking with them, he looks embarrassed: “I’ll never get used to these thanks.”

- How did the Sheredar Foundation start?

I’ll start not dryly, not with facts, but with history: now the children will come here, they are returning from “Sheredar”, from the program that ended the day before. And yesterday, when I found myself on the territory of the center, I saw a rainbow - right above the hall where the concert was taking place. And I even took a photo of her on my phone, she was so beautiful. And a few years ago, on the same September evening, I photographed another rainbow in Moscow. And that same night they wrote to me that Galya Chalikova, the main engine who was at the origins of the Gift of Life foundation, had passed away. Both then and now I posted these pictures on the Internet, and journalists called one of the publications in memory of Gala “She went over the rainbow.” This is what I’m telling you all this for: sometimes, when you do the right thing, the sky sends you a sign - it can be different, and it’s important to notice it. I won’t say that I am a very religious person, but it is my belief that when you are on the right path, such signs will definitely accompany you. Here's how we met Galya: I secretly transferred money to the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, because I don't think you need to shout to everyone that you are helping. I did this through my employee, and then, when she left, it turned out that she was transferring this money to Galya Chalikova - that’s how we met her, and then very quickly became friends. Then I didn’t know how to do charity work, but I liked helping, so I regularly sent money to children at the Russian Children’s Clinical Hospital. And then, when Galya founded the Gift of Life foundation, she asked me - she asked me, and I agreed to this role - to join the management of the foundation. She had been to the Sheredar River many times and spent her last vacation there. It was Galya who pushed me to create a full-fledged children's rehabilitation center, because at that time there was nothing like it in Russia.

- Let’s just talk about the difference between Russia and the world in the issue of child rehabilitation, is there any?

I want to immediately make a reservation that I am not the first in the country, before me they have already dealt with children’s rehabilitation after cancer, but I am the first in the sense that, in fact, a specialized center was built with my money, which is intended for children’s rehabilitation. I am convinced that the quality of our programs is at the level of the best European ones. We constantly send staff and volunteers to Europe and America so that they can observe the progress of such programs in advanced centers. And they learn and compare. Some parents who have been to European centers say that ours is better in many ways. However, about seven years ago, Russia lagged behind, because such centers simply did not exist. Back in 2012, we began holding a conference on child rehabilitation, and specialists came to us from all over the country and from other countries. I don’t want to say that the situation in society began to change thanks to us - we just found ourselves in the right place at the right time - but changes are happening, they are overdue, people began to understand that rehabilitation is no less necessary than the treatment itself. On the other hand, we need to continue to talk about it constantly. After all, not only doctors, but above all parents, as well as teachers, should know about the existence of rehabilitation programs. If we talk about our foundation, then everything we do is absolutely free for children, you just need to contact us. Often our center is idle, while tens of thousands of children need rehabilitation and do not receive it adequately.

- Does society understand the importance of rehabilitation?

This is something we all need to learn. It is very important to understand that a child who has survived an illness is not at all the same as those children who, for example, studied with him in the same class. Doctors dictate to him what and how to do, isolate him from society - he can no longer meet with peers - and cause him physical pain. He understands that he could die. This is terrible stress. This... I wouldn't even call it an injury. These are very significant, but reversible changes in the physiology, in the psychology of a person, he is different, he cannot immediately return to duty, be the same as he was before the illness. And we definitely need to help him. Moreover, this help and, what is important, understanding should come not only from doctors, rehabilitation centers and parents, but from school, friends, acquaintances and even neighbors. Our society is not ready yet, does not know this, and, of course, people need to be explained.

The issue that is always directly related to charity is the issue of finding funding. You can hear from the founders of many foundations that people are most willing to give money to sick children. That is, for example, it is much more difficult for foundations dealing with adults to raise funds. The same applies to primary needs versus rehabilitation. It turns out that it is easier to raise money for the treatment of a specific child than for rehabilitation in general. Can you agree with this?

All foundations need money, it’s true. It's like that. On the other hand, if there was enough money for everyone, how could we express ourselves in this society, how could we realize ourselves? Our foundation, however, is a happy exception to the rule. A significant difference between Sheredar and others is that the fund is usually forced to spend 10-20% of the fees on accounting, management, and the office. That is, he will collect a million, and 800 thousand will reach the children. Our fund will raise a million, and several million will reach the children, because there are additional sources of livelihood. For example, the foreign language school VKS-IH, which I own, all profits from its activities go to children's rehabilitation. I generally don’t understand those people who spend money on luxury. This is from limitation, in my opinion, or from unhappiness. It's unlucky not to have some hobby that brings you joy. Well, you bought a yacht, then your heirs will fight for it, why do you need this now, during your lifetime? We are still in the embryonic stage, we do not yet have this culture that Europe has. After all, for many decades in a row the state took care of everything and there was no talk of independent charitable assistance. But I think that all this will grow with us, because charity is not only an opportunity to be useful to society, it is also new acquaintances that teach a lot. This should be of interest to everyone, take entrepreneurs for example. All businessmen grow to a certain level, and then what is left for them? Just multiply what has been achieved. There is no qualitative leap. I faced the same thing until I started doing charity work. And when the center was built, a completely different picture of the world opened up. Now I look at business differently and communicate with people differently. It is clear that not everyone has money, not everyone can donate millions, but I am sure many have the opportunity to come as a volunteer, want to learn and devote their time to children.

If we talk about people, about the team, how did it develop? After all, in addition to doctors and professionals, there are also volunteers...

Yes! People are the most interesting thing in the world. And I must say that when I went into charity, I had the illusion that this was done by very special, wonderful and kind people, not of this world, almost saints. Then when I figured it out, I realized that people are the same everywhere. And if we compare charity and business, I will not say that charity is cleaner and more honest than business. Business is more open, more honest due to its goals. He says directly: my task is to earn money, and philanthropists don’t say anything. But anyway, no matter how you look at it, people are a completely separate issue. If we talk about volunteers: these are people who decided to devote two weeks of their lives, of their vacation, to helping children, spending time with them. And they leave the center completely different, they discover a lot about themselves. As for the team, it picked itself. I told you about the rainbow, when you do something good, the Universe or God - whoever believes in what - helps you. And people somehow come on their own. I'm not a professor, not a doctor, not a psychologist, I'm just an organizer. My goal is to gather people around me and show where we are going. That is, I, in principle, have two tasks: to say where we are moving, to select key people and to work with them. And we are constantly looking for new people, new employees, because the fund is expanding. And here you need to understand that “Sheredar”, like any other fund, is, on the one hand, doctors and psychologists, and on the other, talented managers and managers. I want to instill two very important things: transparency, which implies honesty, and pure interests, that is, the interests of the children of the country. In such funds there is always a contradiction between the financial component and the moral one. And if you go into the moral component, your finances may suffer. If you go into the financial component, then the opposite happens. I know a lot of examples, both from our own and from foreign foundations, when, concentrating on money, people lose their humanity. That is, when the foundation simply begins to work like a machine to attract funds and send them to parents, then kindness is lost. It turns out to be a business. In principle, any fund is first and foremost a business, speaking from the point of view of a businessman, and I am an entrepreneur, these are the same laws. So, it is very important that, despite all the financial component, there is kindness in people and that they see in every person, in every child, in every parent and volunteer, first of all, people and treat them responsively. So that they answer all letters, so that they answer all calls like a human being, and do not brush anyone off, this is very important.

- Does communicating with children help with this?

I usually don’t date children, which is both good and bad. I talk with employees, with volunteers, but I see children only from a distance. I won’t come to them with the words “but I’m the good guy who built everything.” It's too much. They don't need to know this, they came to have fun and communicate with the volunteers. In general, these children, literally, without any pathos, who looked death in the face, are special people, you can learn a lot from them.

____________________________________________________________________

Anastasia Kamenskaya