Penza, 9 October 2014. PenzaNews. A PC and a laser printer received by “Serebryanaya pora” [Silver time] volunteer group in spring of 2014 as part of the charitable program “Equipment for the Benefit” greatly improved the work routine of the non-profit organization, said Tatiana Barikaeva, head of “Serebryanaya pora” volunteer group, in an interview with PenzaNews agency.

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“Our organization consists mainly of pensioneers. We help the elderly, and children of war in particularly – those who were born before the Victory Day. We patronize all those who were minors until May 1945. We needed office equipment to not go to other other organizations asking to print something for us,” the agency interlocutor explained.

She noted that the administrative routine is an integral part of any organization, including those not working for profit, and the equipment presented as part of the program helped solve everyday problems more quickly.

Tatiana Barikaeva explained that she, being the head of the group, often has to print memos and work plans for the volunteers, as well as profiles for the people they work with.

“This all has to be distributed to each volunteer, and we have 250 of them. Without this information, they will not be able to remember where and when a particular event takes place, and where they need to go. Volunteers also often gather biographical data of a person who was a child in besieged Leningrad, in the occupation zone or in a concentration camp. In order to make the conversation easier, we make lists of interview questions. It helps: a volunteer knows what questions can and should be asked, what can be of particular interest to the children whom we subsequently will bring these stories to,” said the head of “Serebryanaya pora” volunteer group.

From her point of view, the importance of this work can hardly be overestimated.

“This works helpes pass on the historical memory. This generation, these children of war are the last of those left who can tell the truth. And what they are telling us is very striking — you won't find it in the schoolbooks. And the thing is, all the work our volunteers do requires documentary evidence. That is, all the collected information must be registered. Now that we have a computer and printer, we can do it by ourselves,” Tatiana Barikaeva stressed.

According to her, the charitable program “Equipment for the Benefit” should actively expand, since the second-hand computers and other devices that some people consider outdated can still be useful to others.

“People often write off still-working equipment. The program should be actively promoted so that people do not throw away, destroy or burn the equipment, but give it to those who need it: and there are a lot of those in need. Not everyone can buy a computer, because it’s not cheap, but it is something that almost everyone needs today,” Tatiana Barikaeva summarized.

The charity program “Equipment for the Benefit” has been ongoing in the Penza region upon the initiative of news agency PenzaNews by the “Civil Union” fund since December 2009. It is aimed to help those who really need second-hand but working computer equipment.

Over the years of the program there were given around 200 items of equipment to more than 60 recipients, including families in difficult life situation, people with disabilities, low-income citizens and non-governmental organizations involved in the civil society development.

Within the framework of the project “Equipment for the Benefit” the old office equipment was handed over by news agency “PenzaNews,” the Penza branch of OJSC Rostelecom, the Penza branch of OJSC MegaFon, the entertainment portal “Menupnz.ru,” the businessman S.V. Bichinov, the shopping center “Elcom,” the Penza City Duma deputy Alexander Seinov, the Penza resident Anatoly Bodrov, youth social organization “The Union of Child Welfare,” CJSC Istok, the Internet service “Penza-Sport,” Penza companies LLC Bait, LLC ProSTO, CJSC Volgostalmontazh, ARN-Auditor, LLC SKB Amrita, NPF Krug, LLC NPF Kristall, LLC Distribution Center KODEKS-Penza, the Penza branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rostechinventarizatsiya – Federal Technical Inventory Bureau, the firm Partner-Audit, LLC Svyatozar, LLC Penzagroproekt, CJSC Penznefteproduct and LLC Electromekhanika.

The expert board of the charity program “Equipment for the Benefit” consists of the founder of the project, the editor-in-chief of news agency PenzaNews Pavel Polosin, the executive director of the “Civil Union” fund Oleg Sharipkov, the press service head of the Penza branch OJSC Rostelecom Alexei Makarov, the PR-manager of the Penza department of OJSC MegaFon Olesya Postnykh and the chief specialist of analysis, planning, marketing and advertising of Bank Kuznetsky Maria Davydova.