I joined once – and have been here ever since: Yurii Cherniak, Volyn region

Yurii Cherniak from the Volyn region joined the Ukrainian Red Cross in 2014, when he was still in the eighth grade. His first step into volunteering was almost accidental: his grandmother had once worked for the Ukrainian Red Cross Patronage Service, and Yurii decided to join partly because he wanted to skip school.

But what began as a joke soon grew into something that stayed with him for years.

Yurii first volunteered in Stara Vyzhivka. After enrolling at university in Lutsk, he joined the Volyn regional branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross. Since 2018, he has been part of the Volyn emergency response team.

Transporting people, responding to emergencies, meeting evacuation trains, and providing first aid coverage at mass and sporting events are just some of Yurii’s responsibilities. He also takes part in regular training, because emergency response team members need to be ready to act when help is needed most. After the full-scale invasion began, this readiness became even more important.

Yurii continues to develop his skills. Since 2024, he has been a Life Skills facilitator and has recently become a first-aid instructor.

But what motivates him most is the opportunity not to stand aside.

“Not standing aside, but being part of this great team — that is my main motivation.”

He first joined almost by accident. Today, he knows for certain that volunteering means choosing to be where help is needed.

And to those who are still hesitating, Yurii has simple advice: the best time to become a volunteer is now.