Anna Hlech, Chernihiv region: “Respond when it is needed”

Anna is a volunteer with the emergency response team of the Ukrainian Red Cross in the Chernihiv region and a mine risk education coordinator. For her, volunteering is not a separate role, but a daily way of being useful to people at a time when support is needed most.

Anna began her volunteering journey in October 2023. However, from the very first days of the full-scale invasion, she felt an inner need to help — to do everything possible for those who required support.

After learning about the Ukrainian Red Cross, Anna realised that this was the place where her desire to help could become structured and systematic. In April 2024, she joined the emergency response team.

Today, together with her team, Anna takes part in transporting people with limited mobility, responds to emergencies, provides first aid, and contributes to various humanitarian initiatives.

At the same time, she works as a mine risk education coordinator, combining both roles in order to address people’s needs more broadly. For Anna, it is important not to stop and to continue finding new ways to help