Gyumri, Armenia–The Debi Arach Children’s Center successfully and safely re-opened its doors on August 17, 2020 to eager students. Several changes and new policies have been set in place for the safety of the kids and staff. Along with the emphasis on safety, the staff has been working hard to prepare students for the start of school schedule for September 15, 2020.

“Our goal in restarting the Debi Arach Children’s Center prior to the start of the school year is to help the children catch up for the difficulties they faced with online learning at the end of the last school year,” said Peter Abajian.

Throughout the Pandemic Debi Arach remained committed to providing consistent meals, psychological support, and structured in-home learning to the youth. Although the facility was closed We have committed to continue paying our staff during the closure.

• We are working closely with our on-staff psychologist, who is checking in with the kids each week to help them navigate their lives during this challenging time.
• We want to make sure the students still receive consistent, adequate nutrition so we are providing food packages for all families of Debi Arach with guidelines on safety protocols for receiving and cleaning the items.

The goal is to expand the center’s programming to continue to be able to serve all of our center’s children in a safe and responsible manner including changing the manner in which meals are served and constructing temporary outdoor classrooms by taking advantage of the warm weather. Furthermore, Debi Arach will be holding both morning and afternoon sessions to accommodate children who will now be attending schools in split sessions to promote social distancing in schools.

Everyone at Debi Arach is very excited to be able to continue providing children of Gyumri with the proper supplementary educational, thorough psychological and necessary humanitarian aids they need.

To date, the center has already had several important successes. At least nine children have been taken out of boarding schools, attend our center and now live back at home with their families. Many of the children who were receiving poor grades in school are now achieving top scores. The children have become socially well-adjusted and much healthier than before with the continued consumption of multi-vitamins and a daily well-balanced meal. Staff trainings have begun with an academic counsel of professionals from the United States and Armenia to ensure that the children are receiving the best care, treatment, and methods for their development.

Aygepar Kindergarten, Armenia – Recently renovated by Paros Foundation in 2018

In immediate response to the renewed Azeri attacks on civilian populations in the Berd Consolidated Communities of Armenia’s Tavush Region, The Paros Foundation announces the launch of its Emergency Reconstruction Fund. Funds raised will be immediately deployed to repair the most severely damaged homes and other infrastructure shelled in this recent Azeri attack.

Aygepar, Armenia – Photos via Hetq

Aygepar, Armenia – Photos via Hetq

“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, including the Aygepar Kindergarten that was reconstructed by Paros in 2018,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “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.”

Aygepar, Armenia – Photos via Hetq

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.

Azeri Protests – Photos via Civilnet

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, Azeri protests in several cities around the world are calling for war with Armenia.

Tavush, Armenia – Photo via Hetq

Berkeley, CA—Trust and a strong partnership can help accomplish many positive things.  This was demonstrated when World Vision, Focus on Children Now, The Noyemberyan Municipality and The Paros Foundation joined forces to address a shortage of kindergarten space at the Noyemberyan Kindergarten #2.  Noyemberyan is a border city located in the northern portion of Armenia’s Tavush Region.  The results of this partnership included the complete reconstruction of a third building on campus, which will now accommodate more than 50 additional children in two newly expanded groups.

The Paros Foundation was approached last year by the Noyemberyan Municipality with a request to help fund the reconstruction of the third building at Kindergarten #2.  World Vision had already committed to provide support for the construction materials. Focus on Children Now had agreed to provide needed furniture for the children.  What was needed was funding for labor for the construction work.  The Paros Foundation agreed to accept the responsibility of overseeing and implementing the building’s reconstruction.  The Noyemberyan Municipality provided funding and support for demolition, sewer connections and one half of the heating system related expenses.

“The project we implemented at the Noyemberyan Kindergarten #2 is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when organizations partner to support a single cause,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “Each partner organization brought to this project what they do best and together, along with our individual donors, we have made a tremendous positive impact for the children and community in Noyemberyan.”

The Paros Foundation was launched in 2006 and has implemented more than $7.7 million worth of projects in Armenia through its unique model of philanthropy and community partnership. These projects are located throughout the country-with the majority of work focused in Gyumri and in the Tavush Region, along the border with Azerbaijan. Thanks to the generous support of Paros Founder and Chairman, Roger Strauch and the Strauch Kulhanjian Family, all administrative expenses are underwritten, allowing 100% of donor contributions to be allocated in their entirety to the projects. To support the work of The Paros Foundation, please visit www.parosfoundation.org.

Representatives from the Noyemberyan Municipality, Focus on Children Now, The Paros Foundation and World Vision at the ribbon cutting of the rebuilt building at the Noyemberyan Kindergarten #2.

Berkeley, CA— With stay-at-home orders in place for communities throughout Armenia, The Paros Foundation has risen to the challenge of helping feed Armenia’s elderly, at-risk and impoverished populations.

In the Berd Consolidated Communities, which is comprised of 17 towns and villages in Armenia’s North Eastern border with Azerbaijan, The Paros Foundation responded to an urgent need for food packets to be distributed to 800 elderly and disabled residents in these communities. With financial support from the Armenian diaspora, Paros staff quickly contracted with food suppliers to get the food staples delivered to the Berd municipality where staff and volunteers coordinated this massive distribution effort. This process has been repeated twice to date.

Food packages for the families of children at the Debi Arach Children Center ready for distribution.

When the spread of Covid-19 closed schools throughout Armenia, the staff at the Debi Arach Children’s Center took similar safety precautions and closed its doors temporarily. This, however, created another problem. Many of the children that attend this academically focused after school program count on the nutrition they receive as their main meal of the day. The Paros Staff worked closely with leadership at the Debi Arach Children’s Center to prepare and distribute food packets based on the number of children in each household to all the Debi Arach families. This process has been repeated twice to date.

“We launched the #FeedingArmenia campaign to immediately respond to this important need,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “Our next challenge is how to reopen and operate centers like Debi Arach in a safe and effective manner, while staying true to its core mission. While this challenge presents itself to every organizations, I am proud of the fact that our team is already engaged in these discussions and planning.”

An elderly resident of Tavush’s Verin Tsakhavan Village receives a food packet distribution.

In the town of Nor Geghi, the mayor led an effort to provide food support for his town’s elderly and at risk population. With support from the Nor Keghi Association and its Detroit-based leadership and members, 25 families in need received a large food pack to support them for approximately one month.

Armenia’s current stay-at-home order is slowly being lifted, and the hope is that the virus will not spread, but it is unclear when the need for #FeedingArmenia will cease. While much still remains uncertain, one thing is becoming clearer—Armenia will reopen to a new reality. Masks, greater personal space and distancing and enhanced personal hygiene will all become part of Armenia’s future. To support #FeedingArmenia, or other projects of The Paros Foundation, please visit www.parosfoundation.org.

As stimulus checks start going out and new tax law is in place, we have received a few questions on how this affects your charitable giving in 2020. With the help of The Paros Foundation friend and donor, Eric Nikssarian, CFP® a wealth advisor with EP Wealth Advisors, we were able to understand some of these changes.

• One of the rules that can directly affect your charitable giving is that you can now donate up to $300 ($600 for joint filers) to The Paros Foundation or any bona fide 501(c)3 organization and deduct it above-the-line on your tax return in 2020 directly lowering your taxable income. This new rule is available for taxpayers who do not itemize deductions in 2020. *Please note this rule change is only in effect for 2020 and donations to a Donor Advised Fund do not count for this deduction.
• For those that are itemizing, charitable deduction limits have increased from 60% of adjusted gross income to 100% of adjusted gross income for 2020 only. Charitable deduction limits for corporations have also increased to 25% of their taxable income, up from 10% for 2020 only.  *Please note donations made to Donor Advised Funds again do not count for this incentive. Be advised if you plan to donate property, securities, and other non-cash assets that they may not qualify.
• Lastly, required minimum distributions have been waived for 2020 in most cases. However, individuals who want to donate from their IRA can still make qualified charitable distributions to 501(c)3 organizations, even though there is no incentive to do so.

The silver lining to these trying times is that we can still make a positive impact. If you have any questions about donations feel free to direct your questions to Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. If you’d like to contact Paros friend Eric Nikssarian, CFP®, a Wealth Advisor at EP Wealth Advisors, you can email him at enikssarian@epwealth.com.

Together with the head of the consolidated community in Berd we are working on #FeedingArmenia. In the 17 villages and towns in the Berd area, there is some 800 people including the elderly and disabled, who are in urgent need of food. With the stay at home mandates from the government, the people in these border villages can no longer work, resulting in a lack of food and other essentials for survival. Donate today and make a difference for someone in Armenia today.

Food packs from the March distribution. With additional funds, more necessary food packs can be delivered.

As the Covid-19 Virus impacts people around the world, I would like to update the Paros community regarding the pandemic’s effects on Armenia and Paros’ work in the homeland.

• To the best of our knowledge, our supporters, beneficiaries and
  staff are safe and healthy.
• Armenia has more than 700 cases of the virus. Seven people have passed away. Armenia is in the midst of a national stay at home order. Police are enforcing this mandate with the hope of containing the spread. All none essential work has stopped throughout Armenia including construction.
• Our team is working from their homes and respecting the seriousness of this pandemic, while strategizing and planning for the lifting of the stay at home order. At the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri, we have committed to continue paying our staff during the closure, our on-staff psychologist is checking in with the children regularly, and we are providing food packages for all families of Debi Arach with guidelines on safety protocols for receiving and cleaning the delivered items.
• In the United States, The Paros Team is also respecting the stay at home order and are preparing for the future – Armenia will need our support more than ever, once this virus impact subsides. We continue to accept new contributions, new project submissions and inquiries.

Please…stay healthy and be cautious,

Peter J. Abajian
Executive Director