When you see people who need help, fear takes a back seat: Serhii Zaluzhnii, Odesa

Serhii is a volunteer with the Ukrainian Red Cross emergency response team in the Odesa region. He joined the volunteer team almost two years ago while studying economics at university. He learned about the Ukrainian Red Cross through social media and decided to give it a try.

For his first year, Serhii volunteered with the emergency response team in Dnipro. Later, he moved to Odesa and continued volunteering there.

“I’m motivated by a desire to help people, contribute to my community and support those going through difficult circumstances. I believe that even a small act of help can make a big difference to someone who needs it.”

Over almost two years with the emergency response team, Serhii has taken part in numerous deployments, training sessions and challenging situations. But what stays with him most are not the numbers or the tasks completed, but the people. He recalls one moment in particular:

“I will never forget the hug from a daughter who was reunited with her mother, and the grandchildren who were able to hug their grandmother again after she was rescued from an area under shelling.” It is moments like these that remind Serhii why he does this work. “Knowing that my actions, or the work we do together as a team, can help someone return to their loved ones is one of my biggest motivations to keep helping.”

He says that fear is part of the job, too. Working in dangerous conditions without feeling fear is probably impossible. But when people nearby need help, your perspective changes.

“When you see people who need help, fear takes a back seat. You understand why you’re here and simply do what you can to help.”

Today, Serhii continues to develop his skills as a volunteer and learn new ones alongside his team.