Volunteering at shark agency: our story, our position, our part of the fight
For me, as the founder of shark agency, this topic is special.
I was born in the Luhansk region and saw war long before 2022. My family went through events that shaped my consciousness much earlier than I graduated from school. I remember how we collected care packages for the ATO at school, how children tried to do at least something to support the adults who defended the country.
My uncle Valeriy Marynets survived captivity after the Ilovaisk cauldron. Today he is a lawyer, a strong, dignified man whom I am very proud of.
When the full-scale war started, I was 22. I met the war in Kyiv.
It was scary, difficult, chaotic — but I did not stop the agency’s work for a single day.
We continued to work, provide jobs, and keep clients stable, because stability was the price of normalcy back then.
My first fundraisers were on Twitter. For foundations, for local volunteers, for those who needed to close urgent requests. In 2022, my other uncle, Oleksandr Budovyi, also went to the front. I remember that day, I remember the fear and tears, and I remember the thought:
if I can be useful even by 1%, I must do it.
Since then, I regularly run supporting fundraisers — for brigades, for acquaintances, for people who write via social media. Small but important pots when you need to quickly close an urgent request.
Volunteering inside shark agency
The agency also participated in charitable projects.
We helped several military units with SMM and communication for free when it was needed. Not for PR, not for show — simply because media presence sometimes saves lives, helps to close fundraisers faster, or pass on important information.
These were not client requests. These were requests from volunteers and acquaintances, and we got involved as a whole team.
We have never regretted it.
Almost everyone in the team has their own story.
Yulia helps her father’s brigade.
Vadym supports his relatives and friends who are fighting.
My uncle is fighting at the front, and many friends who have not seen a normal peaceful life for several years.
This is our common background.
This is part of us.
Vadym’s Story
My journey in volunteering: from the first days of war to international aid projects.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine became a moment that changed the lives of millions of Ukrainians forever. For me, this day was also the starting point of my personal volunteering story.
The first days were in Warsaw — this is where thousands of people, forced to leave their homes due to the war, arrived. I started helping displaced people: looking for housing, food, transport, helping with translation and documentation. It was a simple but very important human step — to support those in trouble.
Later, my efforts shifted to helping my father, who from the first days of the war joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Supporting the military became a matter of honor for me — I participated in fundraisers for ammunition, equipment, and necessary gear for various battalions and brigades.
The first charity foundation I started cooperating with was “Grace Foundation”. Together with the team, I helped raise funds for cars for the military, as well as electronic warfare (EW) systems, which increased the efficiency and safety of Ukrainian units at the front.
Later, I joined the activities of the “TOLOKA” foundation. For them, we helped find, purchase, and deliver five vehicles to Ukraine, which became important support for military units in the combat zone.
The newest stage of my volunteering activity was cooperation with the charity foundation “Tvoje Majbutnie” (Your Future). Together with the team, we organized fundraisers for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers, and also supported the children of fallen warriors — sending them on holidays and health recovery trips abroad.
Volunteering became not just help for me, but a way to live, act, and stay close to those who fight for Ukraine. This is where I see the true strength of unity and responsibility.
How we worked during the war
The full-scale war did not stop the agency.
By the second week, the team was back to work.
We knew why we were continuing: jobs, supporting businesses, stability at a time when there was almost none.
Due to the war, we adapted our processes:
- changed our approach to projects in sensitive niches (drones, special equipment, tech)
- built flexible conditions for each team member
- learned to live and work in the new reality
Today, in the fourth year of the war, we are proud of how we managed to organize our work — stably, honestly, and responsibly to our clients.
Social position of shark agency
We work in Ukraine.
We pay taxes.
We create jobs.
We promote Ukrainian businesses.
We show the world the quality of Ukrainian service and Ukrainian marketing.
This is also a contribution to victory.
No less than any other daily effort.
We help in a targeted way when we can:
for relatives, for friends, for those who reach out.
And we will continue as long as it is needed.
What keeps us working
There is no single specific thing that keeps us resourced.
We just do our job because we know — a stable Ukrainian business also supports the economy, and the economy supports the army.
We are a support for our clients:
through communication
through promotion
through systemic work
And we will do this as long as there is an opportunity.
The biggest achievement over these years is that our clients stayed with us.
They trust us for years, and we walk this path together.
What we want to convey
shark agency is about awareness, responsibility, and humanity.
About Ukrainian business working in difficult conditions, but working honestly.
About a team that helps not only clients but also those in need of support.
If you want to join the help — “Tvoje Majbutnie”
And if you want to work with us, develop your business and support the Ukrainian market —
we are always open to cooperation.