Candidates for HOH Volunteer of the Year 2025
- Nov 25
- 9 min read
House of Helsinki has an annual tradition of recognising one volunteer as our Volunteer of the Year. The announcement is made each year on International Volunteer Day, 5 December.
Nowadays, most of our volunteers are actively engaged in the REFUFIN project, supporting people from Ukraine who are building their lives in Finland. At the same time, volunteers continue contributing to many other House of Helsinki activities like representing House of Helsinki on different events like Maailma Kylässä or supporting partner organisations in their activities. The voting process includes two rounds.
Round one – Volunteers anonymously nominate their peers and share why they believe their candidate deserves the recognition.
Round two – All members of House of Helsinki — including the Board, volunteers, support members and employees — vote for the shortlisted candidates.
P.S. A voting link has been shared with the Board, volunteers, support members and employees of House of Helsinki.
Below you can read more about the candidates who were nominated this year.
Candidate 1: Nadja Ridal
Nadja joined the organisation in 2023 and has been actively supporting people from Ukraine both online and in person (face to face) . She has exceptional soft skills and a remarkable ability to work with vulnerable individuals. Kind, positive, and always ready to help. We truly value having Nadja as part of our team.
Highlights of her contribution in 2025:
Handled several critical crisis situations, including cases where she needed to connect people with emergency services;
Met 54 newly arrived people at the harbour terminal and airport, helping them with their very first steps upon arrival in Finland;
Accompanied people to the bank more than ten times and supported them with Finnish language when opening bank accounts;
Represented House of Helsinki at Maailma kylässä in May 2025;
Coordinated REFUFIN volunteers for two weeks in July 2025 during the staff summer vacation period;
Volunteered at the birthday celebration of our partner organisation Moniheli and helped with the event organisation;
Volunteered at the EO STEM JAM children’s math and science festival and supported the organisational team.
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Nadja:
"I chose this volunteer because she makes an enormous contribution to supporting Ukrainians. She dedicates a lot of her personal time to organising meetings, providing help, accompanying people, and resolving difficult situations. Her attitude, sincerity, and readiness to help are admirable and inspiring. Thanks to people like her, you feel supported, safe, and cared for — which is especially important right now."
Candidate 2: Jukka Sulku
Jukka joined our volunteer team in 2024 and quickly became one of the most active volunteers meeting newcomers from Ukraine. He has strong crisis-management and problem-solving skills and approaches every case with professionalism and care. Volunteers often share that working with Jukka is truly a pleasure since he brings calmness, reliability, and kindness to every situation.
Even though Jukka does not speak Ukrainian, he consistently manages to resolve cases and offer meaningful support to Ukrainians arriving in Finland.
Highlights of his contribution in 2025:
Met 32 newly arrived people at the harbour terminal and airport, helping them with their very first steps upon arrival;
Supported elderly people and people with physical disabilities by using his own car to take them between different authorities — an invaluable help;
Proactively communicated with the police when their assistance was needed;
Assisted people with job seeking, including helping them write CVs and prepare for employment-related steps;
Touching story: took initiative in a one case where he met an elderly man in a wheelchair at harbour terminal and drove him to a store to buy new shoes and socks, as the man did not have any.
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Jukka:
"I chose Jukka because he is one of the most dependable volunteers in our team. Even in stressful situations, he stays calm and finds solutions that really help people."
Candidate 3: Andrii Platonov
Andrii joined our volunteer team in the beginning of 2024 and quickly became a trusted and valued part of REFUFIN. He is kind, smart, and learns fast , he takes responsibility naturally and approaches people with calm respect. Andrii first supported newcomers in Hämeenlinna, and after moving to Helsinki he continued volunteering actively here, staying committed to the project and the people who rely on it.
He is also an engaged participant in our monthly volunteer meetings, where he shares his experience and insights and helps other volunteers feel supported and confident.
Highlights of his contribution in 2025:
Met 39 newly arrived people from Ukraine at the harbour terminal and airport, helping them with their very first steps upon arrival in Finland;
Assisted in several crisis cases involving people with physical disabilities and wheelchair users who needed extra support;
Volunteered at the birthday celebration of our partner
organisation Moniheli and supported the event organisation;
Translated a large amount of REFUFIN materials into Ukrainian, making essential information accessible for newcomers.
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Andrii (translated):
"He has done so much this year to help people."
Candidate 4: Daria Rodina
Daria joined the team in 2025 and she is a volunteer who combines independence, intelligence, and a genuinely proactive approach to helping others. She learns fast, works confidently on her own, and navigates Finnish authorities with skill and calmness. Daria doesn’t only support people from Ukraine directly, she also strengthens the REFUFIN project itself by investigating how different procedures work in practice, clarifying unclear situations, and reporting her findings back to the team so that our support stays accurate and effective.
She has strong interpersonal skills, communicates warmly and clearly, and is especially supportive toward new volunteers, helping them overcome challenges and feel more confident in their roles.
Highlights of her contribution in 2025:
Met 54 newly arrived people from Ukraine at the harbour terminal and airport, helping them with their very first steps upon arrival in Finland;
Participated in training sessions to deepen her understanding of municipal services, so she could provide even better support to people in need;
Proactively explored how specific procedures work in real life, and shared this knowledge with the project team to improve our guidance;
Supported new volunteers in their challenges, offering advice, reassurance, and practical help.
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Daria:
"Responsible, experienced, and very empathetic :) And simply a truly lovely person :)”
Candidate(s) 5: Oleh Ermakov and Anel Ermakova
This year, some volunteers nominated a married couple together rather than separately. The House of Helsinki team agreed with this approach, because Oleh and Anel do most of their volunteering side by side, as a couple. Their support is inseparable in practice and that shared commitment is exactly what makes their contribution so special.
Oleh and Anel joined us in September 2025 and immediately became the most active volunteers of the autumn. They take on a large share of our offline cases, especially meeting newcomers from Ukraine arriving in Finland. They are not afraid of responsibility or challenging situations: they confidently support big groups of people: sometimes 10, 15, or even 20 at once — coordinating arrivals at the ferry terminal, connecting people with the police when needed, and ensuring everyone gets safely to the reception centre.
Highlights of their contribution in 2025:
Met 123 newly arrived people from Ukraine at the harbour terminal and airport, helping them with their very first steps upon arrival in Finland;
Proactively explored how specific procedures work in real life, and shared this knowledge with the project team to improve our guidance;
Volunteered at the birthday celebration of our partner organisation Moniheli and supported the event organisation;
Volunteered at the EO STEM JAM children’s math and science festival and helped the organisational team.
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Oleh and Anel:
"They take on the hardest and most demanding cases — both physically and emotionally. They do so much, are incredibly proactive, and always take real initiative when help is needed."
Candidate 6: Elena Romanova
Elena joined the REFUFIN project in 2022 and was one of the volunteers who helped build the project from the very beginning. We cannot overlook her exceptional resilience during that first intense year. When many volunteers needed to pause because of the very real risk of burnout, Elena continued supporting newcomers from Ukraine. By the end of 2022, she was the only REFUFIN volunteer still actively helping.
After REFUFIN received STEA funding in 2023, Elena took a well-deserved break and passed her responsibilities to the growing team. In 2025, she returned to volunteering and once again became a steady source of support for people in need.
Highlights of her contribution in 2025:
Met 52 newly arrived people at the harbour terminal and airport, helping them with their very first steps upon arrival in Finland;
Shares her long-term experience of supporting people from Ukraine since 2022 with the team and other volunteers during monthly volunteer meetings.
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Elena (translated):
"She is a very pleasant person. We often took cases together and met people side by side. She does her work with real quality and genuine interest."
Candidate 7: Lubov Takiianuzova
Lubov is our most active volunteer in Rovaniemi and our key person for Ukrainians settling in the north of Finland. Her support is not only practical but deeply human: she listens carefully, notices when someone needs to talk, and creates a feeling of safety at the exact moment people are going through adaptation and uncertainty. Many newcomers describe her as the kind of person who helps you breathe a little easier.
Lubov provides wide-ranging guidance for Ukrainians in Rovaniemi: from the first steps of integration to complex life situations. She has helped people transition to municipal residency and services, supported them with applications, police visits, housing search, rental documents, and consistent accompaniment through difficult bureaucratic processes. A very important part of her work has also been empowering people to communicate confidently with Kela and handle their own matters independently. Over time, her support has expanded to more sensitive cases too, such as helping people navigate divorce and child maintenance procedures.
Highlights of her contribution in 2025:
Provided long-term support to around 40 people in Rovaniemi. Offered guidance and accompaniment — not one-time help, but continuous support over months, with countless encounters and practical steps along the way.
Helped newcomers adapt to life in Finland through listening, emotional support, and timely conversations, alongside concrete assistance with authorities and documentation;
Travelled from Rovaniemi to Helsinki to volunteer at the birthday celebration of our partner organisation Moniheli, supporting the event organisation.
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Lubov (translated):
"She is such a kind person to talk to, and at the same time she has a very professional, confident way of solving problems."
Candidate 8: Maria Kaunianen
Maria joined REFUFIN in 2024 and since then especially throughout 2025 — has been one of our most active volunteers in online support. Through the support chat she has provided guidance, clear information, and calm reassurance to people from Ukraine who are navigating life in Finland. Maria is highly responsible and reliable: she takes tasks seriously, follows through, and is always ready to step in when support is needed.
Highlights of her contribution in 2025:
Answered more than 200 online support requests on a wide range of integration topics in Finland;
Represented House of Helsinki at Maailma kylässä in May 2025;
Supported offline cases remotely by guiding Finnish-speaking volunteers and helping with communication between them and Ukrainian newcomers;
Organised a Kaupunki Kaverit walk / small excursion to the Finnish Parliament for the REFUFIN team: together we attended kyselytunti — the weekly parliamentary Q&A session where the opposition questions the government.
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Maria (translated):
"She is always ready to support the team, while also understanding the importance of taking care of her own wellbeing."
Candidate 9: Aleksandr Slobozhanin
Aleksandr joined the project in early 2024 and has become an important volunteer for REFUFIN support in Turku. He actively helps people from Ukraine both locally and through our online support chat. Aleksandr has excellent communication skills with vulnerable people and truly puts his heart into the work, always aiming to do the maximum for those who need help. His initiative and responsiveness are highly valued by the team, and people he supports online often express sincere gratitude for his guidance and care.
Highlights of his contribution in 2025:
Answered 322 online support requests on a wide range of integration topics in Finland;
Helped organise the House of Helsinki 6th Birthday celebration in June 2025
Here is a comment from an anonymous volunteer who nominated Aleksandr (translated):
"He is a kind and active person. I’ve heard many times how he has helped people online. You can see that he supports not only those under temporary protection but also other volunteers. He always tries to help, and it is very noticeable and truly appreciated."
Candidate 10: Artur Sumarokov
Artur joined our volunteer team in 2024 and has already become a deeply valued part of REFUFIN. From the very beginning, he has shown himself to be a kind, talented, and genuinely dependable volunteer. Artur brings a calm, friendly presence into every situation, which helps both the people we support and the volunteers working alongside him feel safe and grounded.
A particularly important part of Artur’s contribution is his translation work into Ukrainian. He does not just translate texts, he makes sure that critical information is understood quickly and clearly by the people who need it most. On many occasions his fast and accurate translations have been truly life-saving, enabling us to respond immediately in urgent situations and provide support when time really mattered. Thanks to Artur’s commitment, essential REFUFIN materials and guidance are accessible to newcomers, and our help reaches people faster, more effectively, and with more dignity.
Highlights of his contribution in 2025:
Answered around 100 online support requests on a wide range of integration topics in Finland
Translated a large amount of REFUFIN materials into Ukrainian, making essential information accessible for newcomers
Translated many materials for other partner organisations into Ukrainian, when House of Helsinki is asked with some translation support.
A warm thank you to all House of Helsinki volunteers. Your important contribution and support are felt every day! Without you, this work wouldn’t be possible.
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