Larisa Bondar: Good is something anyone can do

26 november 2025

Our November issue of the About People and Good Deeds column features Larisa Bondar, a product group leader at SIBUR, discussing her corporate volunteering journey and recounting the genesis of the From Heart to Heart campaign, from its inception to maturity, and how this has helped rally members of the company’s staff around the idea of supporting children undergoing treatment. Bondar also talks about her trepidation ahead of her very first children’s hospice visit, a sentiment that gave way to her profound admiration for the children’s courage and fortitude, and shares her thoughts on why it is important to keep the conversation going about palliative care, and how volunteering helps one learn to treasure each day and inspires to do even more good.

How did you become a part of SIBUR’s volunteering community?
I’d been hearing about various charitable initiatives for some time. And then it happened so that just as my vision for a particular way for assisting others crystallized, I received a Formula for Good Deeds newsletter containing an announcement about a contest for volunteering projects. We applied by filling out a simple form and ended up securing a grant in support of our idea. It turns out it’s not as difficult as some might imagine: all you need to do is describe your idea in simple terms and with sincerity.

What motivates you to keep going and devoting your time to social initiatives?
It’s seeing joy in the eyes of all these people: the kids, their families, members of the hospice team, and our fellow volunteers. Knowing that our team provides real meaningful support to the hospice is what makes it all worthwhile.

At SIBUR’s 6^th Volunteering Forum you were presented with the Social Volunteering award. What does this recognition mean to you?
By celebrating good causes we give rise to more of similar deeds. I’m just gratified that this award helps raise awareness of children’s hospices’ role and the critical importance of palliative care. I am hopeful that by leveraging SIBUR’s extensive reach we will help advance this notion elsewhere. The momentum is already visible: the From Heart to Heart initiative isn’t just a Moscow thing anymore.

How did the vision for the From Heart to Heart project, one of the key initiatives of your volunteering program, emerge?
A few years ago, as I was going through a period of grieving in my own life, I met the head physician of the Elizavetinsky Children’s Hospice. I clearly remember the apprehension I felt during my first visit to the hospice. My mind was racing through thoughts like: “It’s a hospice, there are sick children suffering, how am I going to face it all?” But in reality it was nothing like I had imagined it to be. It turned out to be a very warm place imbued with love and care. Thanks to exemplary expertise of the professional medical staff the children do not suffer there. They are incredibly curious, open, and eager to create and connect to others. That preciousness of life is palpable there. And this changes everything. Following that trip, I felt compelled to show this place to others, as it is a place where one not only offers help but receive lessons in joyfulness, acceptance, and gratitude.

What guided your decision to focus specifically on helping children undergoing treatment?
A combination of several reasons. The doctors at the hospice had recounted several remarkable stories of recovery, where three children in the End-of-Life Care program got cured – thanks to doctors’ professional excellence and perhaps a God’s miracle – and had their status of patients under palliative care lifted. The truth is that palliative care in our country is still in its nascent stages. Families frequently confront these challenges in isolation, as conventional hospitals often lack the means to help them and hospices are the only ones who can provide the necessary support. And yet they are few and far between and not all families can get this help. This is what made this mission deeply personal for me.

What avenues of participation in the campaign are available to those based in Moscow?
We wanted to make participation in our campaign as easy as possible. The easiest way is to donate cash directly to the hospice. One can also donate needed items by dropping them into the Box of Courage bins. This can be anything from everyday essentials to medicines to care products. Or, you can participate in one of our scheduled volunteering visits, each designed to be truly special and emotional.

What are the items that your colleagues donate most frequently? What elicits particular delight on the part of the recipients?
It’s the hygiene products that are the most common: diapers, nappies, baby food, medicines. But toys are what really makes the kids especially happy. Our active colleagues have been bringing them soft toys: avocados, stuffed cats, nightlights shaped as unicorn.

Describe what a typical volunteering visit to the hospice is like? What do you do together with the children?
We give creative master classes: on crafting keepsakes, making decorations and, souvenirs. Sometimes we bring with us a magician or arrange animal visits. Each visit is unique, molded by the volunteers’ creativity and driven by what’s possible on that particular day at the hospice. The staff are exceptionally open, and as a result we always manage to create a genuine atmosphere of joy and warmth.

How do volunteers usually feel afterwards, following their visit?
While individual sentiments may vary, people invariably leave the place elated and deeply moved. Most want to come back. We have established a roster of regulars who are eager to mentor newcomers which is a testament to the strong desire to be a part of it all.

Is there a singular memory from this campaign that has stayed with you?
Yes! The visit featuring a pony was particularly memorable. Everyone was in awe including the kids, their parents, and the staff. For families with children with disabilities a visit to a zoo is often out of bounds, so having a pony right there to hug and pet was pure magic for everyone. And I would like to extend my thanks to the colleagues who made it happen.

What has the campaign accomplished since its launch?
In three years, our cause has attracted over 300 caring colleagues. We have arranged hospice visits for some 80 individuals, and established a core team of 35 dedicated volunteers. We’ve also helped the hospice purchase vital equipment including oxygen concentrators, control panels, and precise infusion pumps for medicines. That means they can now care for more children who need this equipment. And I think we’ve tried our hand at just about every creative activity imaginable together.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from all this experience?
Help can come in many forms, and it’s always needed. It’s not just about financial support. Frequently, one’s gifts of attention, care, and simple human warmth matter the most. Good is something anyone can do.

To find out more about upcoming kind activities, visit SIBUR Volunteers’ groups on VKontakte and on Telegram.