Beverly Hills, CA—Imelda Marcos, Philippine President Ferdinand Marco’s widow, refuted her reputation of excess by saying “I did not have 3,000 pairs of shoes, I had 1,060.”

While some dream of having that many pairs of shoes to choose from each day, many children in Armenia lack the basic necessity of a simple pair of sturdy shoes. The Share-a-Pair project of The Paros Foundation (www.parosfoundation.org) recently completed the distribution of 500 pairs of shoes to children in need in Armenia.

“This trip we focused our distributions on school shoes and winter boots for children at four of Armenia’s orphanages in and around Yerevan, Gavar and Vanadzor,” said Kristen Abajian. “It was really fulfilling to see the end result of our efforts. These children will now have a decent pair of shoes to wear to school. Early next year, we hope to have secured enough support to begin distributing shoes to needy children in the villages and other regions of Armenia.”

“The need for shoes for children is pretty much never ending, both because of the extreme change of seasons and the fact that these children are growing.” Said Bridget Abajian.

South Bay Chapter Founder Sofia Dilsizian commented, “The donors and supporters that met our request for funding and shoes made this effort possible and deserve a lot of thanks.”

“No one needs 1,060 pairs of shoes,” said Kristen Abajian, “but every kid needs a single pair of dependable shoes or boots. My goal is to make sure that no child goes to school without a decent pair of shoes on their feet.”

Share-a-Pair is able to purchase one quality pair of shoes for $10. Donations are welcomed in any amount. 100% of the proceeds will be spent buying new shoes. Donations of new practical shoes in all sizes are also appreciated and welcomed. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

For more information, please visit “http://www.paros-foundation.org/shareapair” or look for us and follow us on Facebook, search for “share a pair”.

Kristen and Bridget Abajian founded share-a-pair as a direct result of their experience living in Armenia and their subsequent visits seeing the difficult conditions of many of Armenia’s needy children and orphans. Sofia Dilsizian immediately joined the effort and founded the first
Share-a-Pair chapter in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Kristen, Bridget and Sofia have been friends since they were each three years old. All are currently high school seniors.

Yerevan, Armenia – The Paros Foundation, based in Berkeley, California, has launched a bold initiative called the Paros 100 for 100 Projects for Prosperity. Paros 100 for 100 will lead the implementation of 100 charitable projects in Armenia funded primarily by the Diaspora community working with local non-governmental organization (NGO) partners.

‘As the international community mobilizes to solemnly commemorate the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the staff and volunteers of The Paros Foundation, along with our NGO partners, stand ready to implement 100 projects over the next three and a half years to help strengthen the Armenian Republic and improve the lives of our brothers and sisters in Armenia.’ Said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. ‘Our people annually remember what we lost, this effort aims to memorialize those losses by empowering those who live.’

The Paros 100 for 100 is focused in four broad categories:

• Development — projects providing people the opportunity to work and care for their families and to the development of civil society, transparency and a stronger democracy in Armenia.
• Education — Ensure the intellectual development of future generations with new technology assistance to students and their schools.
• Cultural — Preserve and promote Armenia’s rich heritage and culture.
• Humanitarian — Improve the lives of the elderly, children and people with disabilities.

Individuals, families, groups and organizations are invited to participate by sponsoring a project, submitting a proposal for a project, and volunteering. To facilitate the sponsorship of the Paros 100 for 100, a new section on The Paros Foundation website was launched today detailing projects that are available for sponsorship, and inviting the community and NGOs in Armenia to submit their own projects or ideas. The website address is www.paros-foundation.org/paros100. The site will be continuously updated with newly accepted and completed projects.

‘Directly supporting a project that contributes to the development of Armenia, and helps improve the lives of its citizens has never been easier. People can quickly identify a project area, obtain additional information and determine the benefits of the specific project all within a matter of a few clicks on the website. I encourage the community to visit the website frequently to view newly listed projects and progress on existing projects.’ Said Abajian. ‘All project sponsors will be invited to participate on Paros Foundation led trip to Armenia in April, 2015 to commemorate the centennial of the Armenia Genocide and to visit several of the Paros 100 for 100 projects.’

Donations to The Paros Foundation are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The Paros Foundation is a 501(c)3 Private Foundation.

To learn more about the Paros 100 for 100 please visit www.paros-foundation.org/ or contact The Paros Foundation at (310) 400-9061 US or (091) 426 120 Armenia, or via email at peter@paros-foundation.org.