# Volunteers, board, and team

Source: https://www.qaravan.org/annual-report/2023/team/

*The RUSA LGBTQ+ leadership team.*

This page covers the volunteers, board, staff, and meeting spaces of RUSA LGBTQ+ (now QARAVAN) in 2023, from the Capacity Building part of its Annual Report.

- **1,000+** volunteer hours in 2023
- **100+** volunteers
- **7** board members, all volunteers

## Volunteer engagement

In 2023, we streamlined our volunteer engagement by supporting several volunteer groups. We held volunteer orientations for Rainbow Connections volunteers, and asylum application volunteer training in partnership with SAFE Asylum.

Our core volunteer group is made up of asylum seekers and first- and second-generation immigrants. They support events, assist in the legal clinic, and moderate chat channels. We created task groups for the Brighton Beach Pride project, the Boston and Fort Lauderdale support groups, mutual aid, and in-person event support.

Over 1,000 volunteer hours in 2023, with 20 hours a week on average, helped us deliver our programs. With the new Rainbow Connections, the number of volunteer hours is increasing exponentially, with each volunteer giving at least two hours a week.

*Rashid*

## Board

RUSA LGBTQ+ has a seven-person board. All board members volunteer and provide day-to-day support by representing RUSA, welcoming newcomers, assisting with partnership building and communication strategy, and ensuring the organization stays focused on its mission. The board members are all immigrants and refugees from various countries, and most have been long-term RUSA LGBTQ+ community members and volunteers.

## Staffing and space

Our two paid part-time coordinators and acting executive director managed all of these activities and over 100 volunteers.

We plan to gather more support to increase salaried hours for three staff members, provide small stipends for core volunteer leaders, and meet essential communication, administration, and event expenses. We are also searching for free or low-cost office space.

In 2023, the Brooklyn Community Pride Center, Pier 57, Coney Island USA, and NYC Pride donated meeting spaces.

*Five people pose together in a room with a white brick wall.*

## Internal policies and procedures

We are creating various policies and procedures. We created a community agreement for all our community members and volunteers, which spells out the principles of our work, general rules, and sanctions to create and maintain a safe space for everyone. In December 2023, RUSA LGBTQ+ relaunched its website.

## Our leadership

- Yelena Goltsman, she/her, Founder and Board President, a Soviet-Jewish refugee from Ukraine
- Ezra Abdullabekov, he/him, Board Vice President, an asylee from Dagestan, Russia
- Tanzilya Saleemjan Oren, she/her, Treasurer, an immigrant from Uzbekistan
- Dante Matero, he/him, Board Secretary, a third-generation immigrant
- Lieb Fischbach, he/him/they/them, Board Member, an asylee from Russia
- Lyosha Gorshkov, Board Member, an asylee from Russia
- Nina Zaretsky, she/her, outgoing Board Member, a refugee from Belarus
- Alexandr Trifonov, he/him, incoming Board Member, an immigrant from Uzbekistan
- Olga Mamaeva, she/her, Coordinator, an immigrant from Russia
- Maxim Ibadov, they/them/fab, Coordinator, an immigrant born in the United States and raised in Russia

[PDF, 19 pages, 3.2 MB](https://www.qaravan.org/files/qaravan-annual-report-2023.pdf)