The Paros Foundation underwrites all administrative and overhead costs allowing 100% of all donor contributions to godirectly towards projects and supported organizations.
Donations to The Paros Foundation Projects for Prosperity are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. To sponsor a project through The Paros Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization (Tax ID 20-5094630), or learn more about specific projects in need of funding, please contact us using the information below.
The Shirak Center NGO, established in 2006, has been an instrumental organization aimed at helping Gyumri and its residents. Chairman, Vahan Tumasyan, and his staff have worked tirelessly for years fighting for the rights of impoverished residents, helping bring humanitarian aid and supplies to their families and helping shed light on their devastating living conditions. Furthermore, the Shirak Center NGO aims at bridging differences between local authorities and communities in Gyumri through coalition building and conflict resolution, and promotes homeless advocacy, and economic and social rights and civil liberties.
The Shirak Center NGO is also an important partner of The Paros Foundation and together we have successfully implemented several projects in Gyumri’s impoverished neighborhoods including the distribution of winter boots and coats for children, firewood for fuel to keep families warm and give them the ability to cook in the winter, identified and moved families out of domiks into homes and worked with children from these neighborhoods.
In order to continue this important work the Shirak Center NGO is always in need of additional funding. Sponsorship of this project will provide the funds needed to allow Shirak Center NGO to continue to distribute firewood for fuel for heating and cooking. Gyumri’s harsh winters and extreme poverty has led to families burning trash to keep warm and cook food for their families. Shirak Center NGO will also use the funds in order to locate and identify the vacant domiks in Gyumri, purchase the domiks from their owners, demolish them and distribute the remaining scraps of wood to other families in need who are still living in domiks and condemned buildings. Demolishing these domiks has several benefits including raising the communities morale, returning land to its former use and providing firewood for fuel to impoverished families. Finally, some of the funds will also be used to promote the work the organizations does through marketing, social media and communications and administration costs.
The Shirak Center NGO and the aid they provide impoverished families in Gyumri have become a vital part of these family’s future well-being and success. They are in need of funding in order to continue their important work.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, the Shirak Center NGO will be able to immediately continue their programs and distribute firewood to domik families, tear down abandoned domiks and distribute the firewood for heat to families, market their organization and cover some administrative costs.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, the advocacy work led by the Shirak Center NGO, combined with the humanitarian aid they provide Gyumri’s impoverished families will help these families come out of their devastating conditions gradually and will steer them towards a positive future.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors of this project will be recognized on all relevant press regarding this project and on The Paros Foundation and Shirak Center NGO websites and social media outlets.
[vp_give_donor_wall
donors_per_page=12
show_total=false
show_modal=true
form_id=”63129″]
On the morning of September 27th, Azerbaijan, with a population of 9 million people launched an attack on the small Christian Armenian civilian population of only 150,000 people who have lived in territory of Artsakh for thousands of years. More than 800 Armenians have been killed and more than 110,000 civilians have been displaced. Internationally banned cluster-bombs are being used against the civilian population in Artsakh. Schools, churches, hospitals and more than 2700 residential structures have been damaged and destroyed by continuing shelling of these civilian targets. Azerbaijan’s oil-rich corrupt dictator, Ilham Aliyev, has said he will not stop the attack until there are no Armenians left in Artsakh.
Funds raised through this project will be allocated 100% to assist with the massive immediate humanitarian needs of people from Artsakh who have left and taken shelter in the Vayots Dzor region of Armenia.
Because of this attack, a massive humanitarian crisis has been created throughout Armenia and Artsakh. More than 100,000 displaced people have left their homes and belongs in Artsakh, and have fled to Armenia with only basic essentials, if anything at all.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, the Paros team will reach out and help provide refugee families staying in the Vayots Dzor region of Armenia with immediate humanitarian aid.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, families who received aid through this effort will be in a stable position to return back to their homes when the crisis is over.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation website and in relevant press.
To support the refugees staying at the camp, funds were used to offset costs relating to food and hygiene.
May 22, 2021
Funding has also been used to support the children from Artsakh attending the Yegheknadzor Kindergarten by offsetting their tuition. The kindergarten has also hired several new employees who were displaced from Artsakh whose salaries we are helping fund.
A new axis of terror is being formed on a new front in the world—in Nagorno Karabakh or Artsakh with its historical name. On the morning of September 27th, Azerbaijan, with a population of 9 million people launched an attack on the small Christian Armenian civilian population of only 150,000 people who have lived in territory of Artsakh for thousands of years. More than 800 Armenians have been killed and more than 110,000 civilians have been displaced. Internationally banned cluster-bombs are being used against the civilian population in Artsakh. Azerbaijan is committing war crimes as they torture and kill POWs including the video recording of an Armenian soldier being beheaded and posted to social media. Schools, churches, hospitals and more than 2700 residential structures have been damaged and destroyed by continuing shelling of these civilian targets. Azerbaijan’s oil-rich corrupt dictator, Ilham Aliyev, has said he will not stop the attack until there are no Armenians left in Artsakh.
Azerbaijan is doing all of this with the direct support and involvement of the Republic of Turkey, its population of 90+ million people, and its own corrupt dictator, Recep Erdogan and those countries including Israel that supply sophisticated weapon systems to Azerbaijan. Turkey, a NATO ally, is recruiting and transporting Syrian Jihadists to fight against Armenians with the goal of genocide and Turkish expansionism through the caucuses. Erdogan has stated that Turkey’s goal is to complete their ancestors’ failed attempt to exterminate the Armenian race during the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923.
Funds raised through this project will be allocated 100% to assist with the massive immediate humanitarian needs. Any funds remaining will be allocated to reconstruction efforts following a future ceasefire.
Because of this attack, a massive humanitarian crisis has been created throughout Armenia and Artsakh. More than 100,000 displaced people have left their homes and belongs in Artsakh, and have fled to Armenia with only basic essentials, if anything at all. Hospitals have become overwhelmed with both increasing Covid-19 patients and wounded soldiers and civilians. This coupled with the large scale mobilization of volunteers from throughout Armenia has created immediate needs for both food, medicine and basic clothing.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, the Paros team will reach out and help provide refugee families with immediate support in the form of food and financial support. Paros will work closely with Armenia’s government to help meet its immediate medical needs including medicine and hospital equipment.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, following a future ceasefire, Paros will help with the rebuilding efforts in Artsakh.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation website and in relevant press.
[vp_give_donor_wall
donors_per_page=12
show_total=false
show_modal=true
form_id=”63064″]
Updates: Images & Information
October 17, 2020
October 25, 2020
November 5, 2020
November 5, 2020
November 11, 2020
November 12, 2020
November 12, 2020
November 12, 2020
November 25, 2020
December 1, 2020
December 1, 2020
December 12, 2020
December 10, 2020
December 15, 2020
July 9, 2021
July 19, 2021
July 19, 2021
September 14, 2021
September 15, 2021
October 2, 2021
October 11, 2021
October 12, 2021
April 5, 2022
April 6, 2022
September 3, 2022
April 14, 2023
July 28, 2023
December 14, 2023
Previous
Next
October 17, 2020
These are some of the faces of the humanitarian crises in Artsakh. Yesterday the Paros team visited two families that have been displaced from Artsakh because of the Azeri attack to provide them with some financial support, staples and some toys for the children. Paros will continue supporting these and other families throughout this crisis.
October 25, 2020
Today the Paros team has launched #HeatForOurHeroes. Our goal is to supply a minimum of 1,000 warm winter coats to our brothers and sisters in Hayastan.
November 5, 2020Thanks to all who supported our #HeatForOurHeroes effort, we are proud to report that 600 warm winter coats and 200 warm pants have already arrived in Armenia. Another batch of 600 coats will be arriving within the next two weeks.
November 9, 2020
Thanks to our amazing donors, we were able to help meet the Ministry of Health’s immediate need with the purchase and air shipment of 7 Electro Surgical Units to Armenia. These units will be distributed to hospitals and be put to immediate use. $17,000 was allocated to for these units, their supplies and air freight.
November 11, 2020
Thanks to several amazing donors, we have launched a matching challenge grant to raise a total of $400,000 for the Relief, Resettlement and Reconstruction effort. These funds will be used to help refugees displaced because of the war or peace agreement, resettle in Armenia and Artsakh.
November 12, 2020
160 heater/cookers were purchased in Armenia, filled with natural gas, and distributed for use by the military and refugees. 100 heaters were provided to the Defense Ministry for use in the field. The other 60 were provided to refugee families from Artsakh through a coordinated effort with the Ministry of Social and Labor Issues. $1,920 was allocated for the purchase of these heater cookers.
November 13, 2020
We LOVE partnerships. Our friends at Focus on Children Now asked for our support and involvement to help fund and install a heating system at the Arevik Hotel at Lake Sevan that will soon be housing 300 displaced people from Artsakh. FOCN and Paros are each contributing up to $5,000 for this important project.
November 30, 2020
Your matching donations have helped Nelli -a sniper, lawyer, single-mother- and her 3 year old daughter pay their rent while she looks for a new job. Nelli volunteered in the Four-Day War in 2016 and received a shrapnel wound to the leg. On September 27th, she once again bravely went to fight for her country for the past 2.5 months. We admire Nelli’s strength and bravery and thank her for her service.
December 2, 2020
Today we launched The Paros Foundation’s Resettlement Program, which will take a comprehensive approach to refugee resettlement including thoroughly screening families, securing them permanent homes in Armenia (including renovation and furnishings), and engaging the families in appropriate economic activities to help them provide for themselves. Our goal is to help these families so they can successfully stay in Armenia.
December 13, 2020
Dr. Haig left the fighting in Syria several years ago and moved along with his three daughters to Ishkhanadzor, Artsakh. There, he was working in the village medical center and tending to his cows and pomegranate orchard. When the war broke out, Haig was forced to evacuate and try and move his cows when the Azeris overran Ishkhanadzor. He made it to Berdzor, where our staff rented trucks to move his cows to a temporary barn we found for him in the village of Nor Geghi, one of our beneficiary villages near Yerevan. Haig’s cows and a newborn calf are safe and Haig and his daughters are now in Yerevan. This family joins thousands of other families who now need to be resettled in Armenia. Join us and help our resettlement fundraising efforts to help Dr. Haig’s family and so many more like them.
December 15, 2020
Most recently we were able to purchase three three high quality winter tents for use by our volunteer defenders along the new borders as winter sets in. These tents cost a total of $5,250 and were completely funded by your donations to our Emergency Relief Fund for Artsakh. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to make this happen.
February 26, 2021
Focus on Children Now (FCN), Sahman NGO, Teach For Armenia, and The Paros Foundation have entered into a coalition agreement to form the Armenian Resettlement Coalition (ARC) to help restart these families’ lives in Armenia. The Paros Foundation is financially responsible for purchasing homes and home renovations. Sahman NGO, will implement a significant economic support effort such as providing livestock. Focus on Children Now (FCN) will completely furnish the homes with major appliances and will supplement each of the family’s children with a three-month nutrition. Teach For Armenia will provide each school-aged child a computer tablet and internet connection.
July 19, 2021
Thanks to the Armenian Resettlement Coalition, the first five families are settled in their newly renovated homes in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur.
October 12, 2021
In Medz Masrik, five displaced families successfully move into newly renovated homes.
September 3, 2022
Three more families receive homes in Metz Masrik. More families will be receiving homes in 2023.
December 14, 2023
During the second half of 2023, four displaced Artsakh families received new homes. Thank you to our fellow members of the Armenian Resettlement Coalition for helping us make this possible.
On the 27 September, the worst fighting in decades erupted over Nagorno Karabakh. The recent fighting began as helicopter, drone and tank clashes on the line of contact and has escalated with rocket and artillery attacks.
Families have been forced to abandon their homes and flee to bomb shelters.
Since 2001, HALO has been the only international organization working to protect the people of Artsakh from explosives. They are currently on the ground, providing families that have been forced to flee to shelters with aid and supplies.
Their teams have also taken to the streets to mark and isolate cluster bombs and other explosives so they can be cleared. And as families remain threatened by scattered unexploded items, they are going to shelters and homes, alerting people with how to avoid these hazards.
The threat posed to civilians remains dire and HALO needs support now more than ever. Every donation towards the program in Artsakh will be matched by an anonymous donor.
The threat posed to civilians remains dire and we need your support now more than ever to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to people in bunkers in urban areas in Artsakh, along with alerting people to the hazards of unexploded cluster bombs and other explosives littering their communities.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, HALO staff in Armenia and Artsakh will coordinate immediate humanitarian relief for people in bunkers including food, medicine and other needed supplies. In addition they will work to provide important education on how to avoid unexploded ordinances.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, HALO will continue to map and ultimately clear unexploded ordinances through urban areas of Artsakh with the goal of saving people’s lives. HALO will do this work through its team of trained clearance specialists.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors to this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation website.
As people took refuge in Stepanakert during the war, Halo continued to provide humanitarian assistance to those who were sheltering in place. Following the ceasefire, Halo began the monumental task of clearing unexploded munitions in Artsakh.
The Paros Foundation opened the Debi Arach Children’s Center in April of 2015. Since then, it has grown to serving more than 200 children and young people on a weekly basis. It’s holistic approach to working intensively with children has positively altered the lives of these children. Because of the Covid 19 pandemic, a number of new safety measures and precautions must be implemented to ensure the safety of the children. These include provide all students and staff with disposable masks, changing the manner in which meals are served to utilizing disposable lunch boxes and cups, creating outdoor classrooms, implementing systematic temperature checks and creating hand sanitizing stations in each classroom. These unexpected expenses were not budgeted into the center’s annual budget, but are essential to keep the children and staff safe.
1. Masks. The center needs approximately 9,000 masks to last through the end of the year. This takes into account half the number of kids until school starts and full occupancy from the start of school until the end of the year. The mask cost for this period will be 9,000 x $.26 or total of $2,340. The center has already purchased 5,000 masks, and needs an additional 4,000 which will cost $1,040. (Total cost $1,040)
2. Food containers. Food for the children will now be served individually rather than family style. This will enable the children to take their meal and go sit someplace socially distanced. We will have space both inside and out for the children to eat. It is worth noting that many of the children really do count on this meal as their primary meal of the day. The need is for 9,000 to go containers. The cost is about 10 cents each so the quantity we need to cover meals through the end of the year is $900.
3. Hand washing. Disposable paper towels will be utilized throughout the center, and the center is also are required to install hand sanitizer stations outside of each classroom. These additions will cost $500 from August to the end of the year.
4. Temperature checks. Two infrared thermometers for temperature checks will be purchased and utilized. They cost about just under $50 each. Total cost is $100.
5. Four pop up tents will enable the center to conduct classes outside until the weather becomes too cold. The cost is $75 each. Total cost is $300.
Reopening the Debi Arach Children’s Center requires new safety precautions. These include provide all students and staff with disposable masks, changing the manner in which meals are served to utilizing disposable lunch boxes and cups, creating outdoor classrooms, implementing systematic temperature checks and creating hand sanitizing stations in each classroom.
Short Term Impact
Upholding the center and its operation to a new safety standard will help keep the children and staff safe during this uncertain time of Covid 19. Children will learn how to best protect themselves and their families and this will also contribute to helping combat the virus.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, these safety changes are important for the overall health of the children and their families at Debi Arach. The goal is to set a high standard with the hope that children will follow similar precautions at home to combat the virus.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation website, and on the donor wall at the Debi Arach Children’s Center, and in relevant press. Visits to the Debi Arach Children’s Center can be arranged for visitors during their family vacations to Armenia.
Health care for residents living in Armenia’s remote and/or poverty stricken areas is very hard to find and difficult to afford. Residents in these communities have a high rate of health issues that could otherwise be prevented or cured if they had access to simple medical care. In order to help remedy this unfortunate situation, The Paros Foundation has launched Med-Aid ARMENIA.
Sponsorship of this project will help raise the necessary funds needed to obtain basic medical equipment, supplies and medicine. In-kind donations of any of these items are also welcomed. Furthermore, we specifically need physicians, nurses, pharmacists and more to help our volunteers conduct physical exams and provide basic medical care.
Region
Throughout Armenia
City / Village
Throughout Armenia
Start Date
January 2020
End Date
December 2022
The Need
Health care for residents living in Armenia’s remote and/or poverty stricken areas is very hard to find and almost impossible to afford. This can cause a lifetime of medical issues, which can be otherwise prevented. Residents living in these areas are in need of basic medical aid in order to prevent serious health issues in the future
Short Term Impact
In the short term, equipment and medical supplies will be provided to clinics in impoverished areas to be used for patient care.
Long Term Impact
Residents of remote and poverty stricken villages will have a decreased occurrence of health issues in the future. As this program expands, repeat visits will create more access to health care and in turn increase the overall health and well being of this population.
Sponsors Benefits
Your donation to sponsor the Med-Aid ARMENIA 2020 will be recognized on The Paros Foundation website and in all appropriate press related to this important project.
[vp_give_donor_wall
donors_per_page=12
show_total=false
show_modal=true
form_id=”63108″]
Previous
Next
Updates: Images & Information
July 2, 2021
Audrey Boghosian, a pre-med student and part of this summer’s SERVICE Armenia program launches an effort to help a villager in Nor Hachen receive the hip replacement she needs.
June 27, 2022
Med Aid 2022 spends the day working and consulting with the Nor Hachen Medical Center. Among what is learned is the need for a new X-Ray machine.
August 5, 2022
To better serve students at the school in Meds Mastrik, construction on a nurses station was launched and completed. Now the school has an onsite nurse and sanitary conditions in which to operate.
Help us meet our match! We have received challenge grants from two anonymous donors, who are matching donations up to $50,000 combined, which will allow us to donate $100,000 to ArmeniaFund in support of Artsakh with your help!
The Azeri attack on civilian targets throughout Artsakh and parts of Armenia have created a humanitarian crisis. Turkey’s involvement, and that of confirmed jihadist fighters threatens the Armenian nation’s existence. The time is now to support Armenia and Artsakh’s humanitarian needs by joining the worldwide effort to support Armenia Fund. Donate now and donate generously to help our brothers and sisters in this time of need.
All donations made through this link will be matched up to $50,000 regardless of the amount.
or mail checks to the following address with a note saying “challenge grant”:
The Paros Foundation 2217 5th Street Berkeley, CA 94710
Funds from this challenge grant will be donated to support Armenia Fund in their entirety. For more information about this effort, please contact (310) 400-9061 or email: info@parosfoundation.org.
The Azeri attack on civilian targets throughout Artsakh and parts of Armenia have created a refugee and humanitarian crisis. Immediate support is needed to help support our people
With your help, we raised $50,000 that was matched by our gracious anonymous donors to total $100,000 for ArmeniaFund. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.
In immediate response to the renewed Azeri attacks on civilian populations in the Berd Consolidated Communities of Armenia’s Tavush Region, The Paros Foundation launched an Emergency Reconstruction Fund. Funds raised will be immediately deployed to repair the most severely damaged homes shelled in this recent Azeri attack.
Azerbaijan has once again targeted the civilian population in villages along the Armenian border. Many homes in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur, Aygepar and Chinari received varying degrees of damage. Our goal is to quickly deploy our work crews in the area to not only repair the damage but make improvements to these families’ homes.
On July 12, during the midst of the global pandemic surrounding Covid-19, Azerbaijan renewed its attack on Armenia in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Over the next two days, Azerbaijan launched artillery of various calibers at the Armenian civilian populations of several communities within Berd Consolidated Communities of Armenia’s Tavush Region. Families in these villages have experienced material losses on their homes and property. Thankfully, villagers remain safe and there has been no civilian loss of life during this period. While the Armenian government has already visited many to assist, The Paros Foundation’s Emergency Reconstruction Fund will work to not only make repairs to these damaged homes, but, will make substantial improvements for them.
The best way for our compatriots to know the diaspora stands with them during this tense time is for us to not slow our work in this area, but to accelerate it by supporting these improvements within their communities.
As of July 15, 2020, four Armenian soldiers were killed during the fighting and several have been wounded including one in critical condition. The Armenian army has shot down 10 Azeri combat drones, including a Elbit Hermes 900 UAV with an estimated $30 million price tag. Moreover, two strategic Azeri military posts are now under Armenian control.
While the military losses on the Azeri side are reported to be substantial including the death of an Azeri general, Baku was the site of large protests by thousands of Azeris last night calling for war with Armenia.
Several homes in these frontier communities were damaged to varying degrees and need immediate repair. Villagers need to know that the diaspora stands with them in this time of need.
Short Term Impact
As funding becomes available, homes with the greatest need for repairs will be addressed in a priority manner. Reconstruction materials will be purchased locally and the work will be completed with local labor crews.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, homes in these communities will be improved beyond their previous condition. In addition, quickly removing these scars of war will improve villager’s attitudes and moral, which is equally as important as their living conditions.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website and in all press related to this project. Visits to these communities can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
Previous
Next
https://youtu.be/DEBBoibbM7Uhttps://youtu.be/oJGA_V1LdPI
July 15, 2020
A video shows the protests in Baku calling on a resumption of war with Armenia.
July 16, 2020
The kindergarten in the village of Aygepar was hit by Azeri artillery this morning. We had finished the complete renovation of this kindergarten in 2018 and will assess the damage and rebuild again as soon as possible! We build, they destroy!
July 21, 2020
Members of The Paros Foundation team joined Tavush Governor Hayk Chobanyan, Berd Consolidated Communities head Harutyun Manucharyan, representatives of the Prime Minister’s office, and local village representatives to visit the Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur, Aygepar and Chinari communities to assess the damage and to strategize and coordinate the next steps forward.
August 15, 2020
The Paros Foundation committed today to rebuild a 24 unit apartment building that was damaged from both the war in the 90s and the Azeri attack last month. The budget for this work is approximately $220,000 which will include the complete renovation of any apartment that is occupied, plus the renovation of doors, windows, the hallway and facade of the entire building, and structural work to the building’s balconies.
February 20, 2022
Renovations to 15 apartments that are currently occupied with residents have been completed. The residents of this building are very pleased with the work. The rear balconies that were struck by Azeri bombs have been demolished and the access to them blocked closed.
March 1, 2022
The Paros team is ready to begin working on the common stairwells and the building’s facade as soon as funding is available. We need $50,000 to complete this important work.
September 3, 2022
The local community has decided to complete renovation on the staircase and hallways of the apartment building.
Following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, tens of thousands of people were left homeless in the City of Gyumri. Many of these families took refuge in the overseas shipping containers (domiks) that were shipped into Armenia loaded with humanitarian relief supplies, or in condemned buildings. An entire generation of children has grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat. The Armenian government has provided most of the families that lost their homes in the Earthquake with new housing units.
As people moved out of those makeshift housing units, others moved in. The 2,500 or so families that remain are Gyumri’s desolate families, who are not in line to receive a government provided apartment. Many of these families are comprised of single mothers, multiple children and/or the disabled.
We have identified Karen Bdoyan, his wife, two sons and mother as a family that would benefit from a new home. Karen was seriously injured in a work accident in Russia last year. Their current domik is located immediately under high voltage power lines. In addition, part of the floor has already collapsed, making it even less safe.
Once the move is complete, the make shift housing unit will be destroyed to prevent its future occupancy.
2,500 families live in the city of Gyumri in temporary, make shift housing. These units are neither safe nor sanitary. These families and their children need a normal apartment in which to live.
Short Term Impact
Immediately a family will be identified and an appropriate apartment purchased for them. The make shift housing unit which they currently occupy will be destroyed.
Long Term Impact
In addition to this family and their improved mental state changing through the fact that they will be living in a normal housing situation, the city of Gyumri itself will improve with the removal of these make shift housing units.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors will be recognized on all relevant press regarding this project and on The Paros Foundation website.
[vp_give_donor_wall
donors_per_page=12
show_total=false
show_modal=true
form_id=”63058″]
Updates: Images & Information
July 6, 2020
Previous
Next
January 17, 2020
The Paros team met with the Bdoyan Family in their “domik” and gave them the good news that Mr. Edward Godoshian has sponsored a new home for them.
July 6, 2020
With the help of our partners from The Shirak Center NGO, the Bdoyan Family moves into their new home.
Following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, tens of thousands of people were left homeless in the City of Gyumri. Many of these families took refuge in the overseas shipping containers (domiks) that were shipped into Armenia loaded with humanitarian relief supplies, or in condemned buildings. An entire generation of children has grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat. The Armenian government has provided most of the families that lost their homes in the Earthquake with new housing units.
As people moved out of those makeshift housing units, others moved in. The 2,500 or so families that remain are Gyumri’s desolate families, who are not in line to receive a government provided apartment. Many of these families are comprised of single mothers, multiple children and/or the disabled.
Karen Khachatryan, his wife, two sons and mother have been identified as a family that would dramatically benefit from a new apartment. Karen currently works at a carwash in Gyumri to try and support his family. Once the move is complete, the make shift housing unit will be destroyed to prevent its future occupancy.
2,500 families live in the City of Gyumri in temporary, make shift housing. These units are neither safe nor sanitary. These families and their children need a normal apartment in which to live.
Short Term Impact
Immediately a family will be identified and an appropriate apartment purchased for them. The make shift housing unit which they currently occupy will be destroyed.
Long Term Impact
In addition to this family and their improved mental state changing through the fact that they will be living in a normal housing situation, the City of Gyumri itself will improve with the removal of these make shift housing units.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors will be recognized on all relevant press regarding this project and on The Paros Foundation website.
