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The Paros Foundation underwrites all administrative and overhead costs allowing 100% of all donor contributions to go directly 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.

Contacts

2217 5th Street

Berkeley CA 94710

info@parosfoundation.org

(310) 400 9061

Newsletters
November 30, 2023

This Month at The Paros Foundation – November 2023

Update On Artsakh Refugee Support Fund
As a result of generous support from supporters of The Paros Foundation, 25 homes are now in the process of being purchased, renovated and given to families from Artsakh who have taken refuge in Armenia following the Azeri takeover of Artsakh in late September. This significant number of homes are located in the Kapan community of Kajaran, the Berd community of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur and the Vardenis community of Geghamasar. These 25 permanent homes for families is only the start, and other homes will be purchased, renovated and given to families as more funds are raised. Paros is also proud to be partnered with the Organization of Humanitarian Services for Armenia (DSA), who will be supplying needed appliances for homes for these families. In addition to this important program to help Artsakh refugee families, The Paros Foundation is continuing to distribute “Zadur Shoes” winter boots for women and children, and new clothing as needed.
Donate and learn more here.

Housing, Vocational, & Children’s
Center Groundbreaking
Government officials, staff, friends, and supporters all gathered for the official groundbreaking on October 30, 2023, of The Paros Foundation’s new housing, vocational training and children’s center building in Gyumri. The project budget to complete construction on the entire building is estimated to cost $800,000. $300,000 has already been raised towards this important effort. Learn more and donate here.

Fuel Through Firewood: Gyumri
The harsh winters and extreme poverty lead to people picking through trash to find something that they can burn to keep warm and cook food for their families. Due to the intense cold weather and toxic fumes, children often get sick and are unable to attend school. This effort will ensure that 300 families in Gyumri will receive fuel for heating and cooking through firewood for a month’s period. Donate here.

Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur Home Build
After losing her husband in an accident, Karine S. had little hope of having their new home remodeled and made livable for her two young sons. Thanks to the continued support of Jean-Marie Atamian and his family, who have continuously invested in both complete home remodels and home repairs in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur, Karine and her sons will soon be living in a newly renovated and expanded home. With this continued support from the Atamian Family, and our Prosperity on the Border initiative, more than 10% of the village’s homes have been rebuilt and have had significant improvements made to them, helping improve the living conditions and lives of the families in this important border community.

Stepanavan School Bathrooms
Students at the St. Gregory the Illuminator School in Stepanavan returned to school following their fall vacation to 8 of the school’s 15 restrooms fully renovated and ready for use! Construction on the school’s remaining seven restrooms will be completed within the next two weeks. Work on the school’s restrooms follows the replacement of the entire school’s heating system, windows and roof over the school’s gym. Efforts to improve conditions at the school are being led by significant donations from Diane Barsam and her family and friends in memory of her father, Vartkess Barsam, who carefully managed the school’s original construction following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake.

Vanadzor Heating System
In advance of the onslaught of winter, the Vanadzor Music School #3 has received a brand new heating system consisting of new boilers, pipes and radiators throughout the three floors of the school. The old heating system ceased operating at the end of last winter and needed to be completely replaced. This new system will work more efficiently and heat the school better, creating a comfortable environment for the teachers and students. This project was made possible by the generous support of brothers, Arman and Ara Bernardi and their respective families.

Save The Date: Med-Aid Armenia 2024

June 23, 2024 – July 5, 2024

Medical professionals and students are able to give back by joining our 2024 Med Aid Medical Mission to Armenia. For more information contact Dr. Krikor Deramerian Med Aid Mission Chair (818)416-7457.

Save The Date: SERVICE Armenia 2024

June 23, 2024 – July 14, 2024

Young people ages 17-22 are able to join us for three amazing weeks in Armenia. Serve, tour and have fun! Applications available soon. For more information, contact Peter Abajian (310) 400-9061.

Wake up to the sweet smell of soorj and learn about different regions in Armenia as we give you a quick dive into life throughout the country. Pari Louys with Paros is your connection to the motherland, where we will learn, grow, and better Armenia, together!

Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon.

 

 

the number of homes thus far that will be purchased, renovated, and given to refugee families from Artsakh

By Narine
Paros Blog
November 22, 2023

Update on Artsakh Refugee Support Fund

Dear friends and supporters,

Our team has accomplished much in a relatively short time and I would like to provide everyone with another short update as to our activities and approach to help our fellow Armenians, who are now refugees in Armenia, that have been ethnically cleansed from Artsakh.

During my recent trip to Armenia, our team visited the communities of Kapan and Kajaran in the South, Gyumri, Berd, Vardenis and Meds Masrik (East and North East of Lake Sevan). In each of these communities, we visited with local leaders and refugee families to discuss both short-term and long-term needs. From these visits and meetings, we determined to work on both short-term humanitarian assistance and long-term, permanent housing, both with the support of partners and donors.

Many people have asked what they can do to help. Honestly, at this moment in our nation’s history, our major focus must be on resettling our Artsakh families as quickly as possible. If we fail in this mission, I would expect a mass exodus to other countries come spring. Please know that our team in Armenia has the capacity to expand our permanent housing effort for our Artsakh families as funds are raised. A permanent home for a family costs approximately $30,000. To date, thanks to your generous support, we have raised just over $400,000 for this effort. Thank you to all of you for your support.

As of today, we have completed the following:

1. Firewood for heating and cooking – We completed the distribution of one month’s supply of firewood for heating and cooking to 20 families from Artsakh in the Vardenis community of Meds Masrik. This effort will continue based on need throughout the winter and will be expanded if needed. The area received its first snow of the season yesterday.

2. Winter boots – Thanks to the generosity of Zadur Shoes (a local Made in Armenia company) who generously partnered with Paros to distribute 500 pairs of high-quality winter boots, we have been able to already distribute 200+ pairs and the distribution will be continuing. In addition, thanks to generous support from St. Mary’s Armenian Church Parishioners, winter boots for children have also been ordered and up to 500 additional children will receive winter boots in the coming weeks.

3. Clothing – Clothing distributions are continuing and additional shipments of new clothing from the US have been shipped to Armenia.

4. Permanent Housing – After our assessment of several communities and visits to several vacant homes, our team has begun the purchase process for the first seven homes (three homes in Geghamasar, three homes in Kajaran and one in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur.) Work on renovating these homes will begin as soon as we take possession of these homes. The first two home purchases in Geghamasar are completed and the renovation of them will begin next week. In addition, our team is actively pursuing the identification and purchase of five additional homes within these same communities with the funds we have secured to date.

It is important to note that thanks to the generous partnership of our long-term partner organization and friend, Development Services for Armenia (DSA) also known as the Organization of Humanitarian Services for Armenia, these homes will be equipped with basic appliances as needed. We sincerely appreciate DSA’s friendship and support!

Thank You,
Peter Abajian
Executive Director

Support Now
By Narine
Press Releases
November 15, 2023

Paros Breaks Ground on Housing, After-School & Vocational Center

Government officials, staff, friends, and supporters all gathered for the official groundbreaking on October 30, 2023, of The Paros Foundation’s new housing, vocational training and children’s center building in Gyumri. Once completed, this new facility will have a significant impact on Gyumri’s housing problem with at least 22 new apartments for domik families. In addition, a second location of the Debi Arach Children’s Center will be located on the building’s first floor, which will provide services for more than 150 children daily. Finally, the Assarian Vocational Training Program and social enterprise consisting of training in the garment-making industry will train and employ an estimated 50 people a year. In all, it is expected that the economic impact of this new facility will top $1 million its first year of operation.

“Today is an exciting day that we have been working towards for the past year. I would like to thank the Municipality of Gyumri for its trust in us by suggesting this project, and to everyone that worked with such dedication in helping to transfer the property to us. Now our work will begin to develop this exciting project.”
Peter Abajian, Executive Director

Following seismic upgrades and the construction of one more story, the facility will house three floors of residential apartments. In addition, space on the first floor will be allocated for a sewing and vocational training center that will be The Paros Foundation’s second social enterprise in Gyumri. The project budget to complete construction on the entire building is estimated to cost $800,000. $300,000 has already been raised towards this important effort. Construction is estimated to take between 15 and 18 months depending on weather conditions.

Learn more and help us raise the remaining $500,000 to complete this project here.

Learn More & Donate
By Narine
Newsletters
November 1, 2023

This Month at The Paros Foundation – October 2023

To date we have raised about $220,000. Over the past few weeks, Executive Director Peter Abajian, and our entire Armenia team have been on the ground meeting with refugees, assessing their needs, and ultimately coming up with a plan to address their immediate and long-term needs.

Please read more about their findings and how we plan on addressing them here.

Donate Here

Wrestling Competition by ARMHOF
110 kids from 7 different villages and towns in the Tavush region, including participants from Artsakh, attended a wrestling competition, the first one in five years. This is the culmination of months of intramural wrestling support funded through the generosity of ARMHOF via the Paros Foundation including coaches, equipment and training.

Getahovit School Opening
Hovhannes Mardirossian and his wife Anahit visited the Getahovit School to install the plaque marking the completion of work they have led through a matching grant to install a new heating system throughout the school, renovate the school’s chemistry classroom and a new office. The work was done in memory of Hovhannes’ brother, Yessayi Mardirossian. Thank you to the Mardirossian Family for spearheading this project and to all of the donors who made this possible.

KOV Detroit Renovates School
The Knights of Vartan’s Nareg-Shavarashan Lodge of Greater Detroit, USA, has successfully orchestrated the comprehensive renovation of a two-story building at the Knights of Vartan 106th School in Yerevan. This latest round of renovations included the extensive renovation of a smaller building on the school’s campus inclusive of all 13 classrooms across two stories, stairways, and hallways.

Journey Through Armenia
Journey Through Armenia 2023 had a meaningful and productive trip this year! The group was able to visit several Paros project sites as well as implement an excursion with children from the Yerevan Children’s Home and distribute humanitarian aid. Thank you to everyone who joined for this memorable trip!

Artsakh Refugee Crisis
The mass exodus from Artsakh has begun, and the thousands of refugees arriving in Armenia are in need of food, shelter, and basic necessities. Executive Director Peter Abajian breaks down the ongoing crisis in our latest episode of Pari Louys With Paros.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon.

 

the number of pairs of boots donated and being distributed to refugee families through Paros with the support of Zadur Shoes

By Narine