Tavush, Armenia–Children in the Tavush border communities of Achajur and Varagavan now benefit from newly renovated and expanded kindergartens. These important projects were implemented through The Paros Foundation’s Prosperity on the Border initiative over the course of the last 18 months.

In the village of Achajur, an overcrowded kindergarten meant that almost 100 children that were of kindergarten age were unable to attend and receive the benefits of early education. To address this need, The Paros Foundation agreed to completely reconfigure and reconstruct the second floor of the large building that houses the kindergarten. A new dining room and three large classrooms to accommodate the addition of these new children we successfully added. The rebuild included a more powerful heating system for the entire kindergarten, new bathrooms, new windows, and work to the exterior of the building. Work on the kindergarten at Achajur was made possible through the generous support of benefactors Ara and Valarie Cherchian.

In the village of Varagavan, only one small portion of the building that housed the village kindergarten was able to be used for a partial day program for 19 children in the village. A total of more than 40 children are of kindergarten and preschool age, but none of the children in this community were able to fully benefit from a full day early education program. This large, two story building needed a complete rebuild including roof, water, electrical, sewer and gas systems. New windows, doors, stairs, flooring and kitchens and bathrooms were installed as part of The Paros Foundation’s Prosperity on the Border initiative. Work on the kindergarten at Varagavan was made possible through donations received primarily from the “Cocktails on the Terrace” fundraiser generously sponsored by Gregory and Kelley Badishkanian at their home. To view a video of the Varagavan Kindergarten, please visit www.parosfoundation.org and search for Varagavan Kindergarten.

Focus on Children Now partnered on both of these kindergarten projects to provide high quality playgrounds and furniture for the children.

“The effects of the July attacks, Covid 19 and the Artsakh War have weighed heavily on the children in these communities,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “Returning to beautifully renovated, safe and inviting kindergartens will dramatically improve these communities return to in-person education and significantly benefit these important villages and their residents in the long-run.”

We are in awe of the generosity that our community has shown towards our fundraising efforts! So far we have raised $240,968, which will be matched to total $481,936. As 2021 continues Armenians are still being confronted with the overwhelming task of providing assistance and securing housing for more than 100,000 refugees from Artsakh, and repairing damages in both Armenia and Artsakh from these brutal attacks. At the moment we have over 80 applicants as potential resettlement candidates. Our team is currently interviewing the families, and they will continue down the list in the coming days. With your donation we can ease the immense burden for these families.

Funds will be matched dollar for dollar up to $350,000 (by several anonymous donors who are contributing in honor of our brave fallen soldiers), for a total of $700,000. Let’s continue supporting our brothers and sisters in Armenia during this difficult time. Please help us meet this challenge.

Frequently visit the Emergency Relief and Reconstruction Artsakh project on The Paros Foundation website for updates, and follow us on social media. All donations made through this link will be matched up to $350,000 regardless of the amount. Please visit our website to donate or mail checks to the following address with a note saying “challenge grant”:

The Paros Foundation
2217 5th Street
Berkeley, CA 94710

The Paros Foundation has recently completed the complete reconstruction and furnishing of Suren G’s home in the border community of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur. Suren, his wife and three young children lived in a small home that was almost too unsafe to live in.

Thanks to the support of Jean-Marie Atamian and his family, we were able to completely reconstruct and furnish this family’s home to create a safe, clean and inviting environment for his family to grow.

Thanks to another anonymous donor, we are no
increasing our matching challenge to $600,000!

Thank you to everyone who has helped contribute to our matching relief efforts! So far we have raised $222,451 which will be matched to total $444,902. As Armenians enter a new year, they are still being confronted with the overwhelming task of evacuating and surrendering lands to Azerbaijan, providing assistance and securing housing for more than 100,000 refugees from Artsakh, and repairing damages in both Armenia and Artsakh from these brutal attacks. But we can help do something about it, together!

Funds will be matched dollar for dollar up to $300,000 (by several anonymous donors who are contributing in honor of our brave fallen soldiers), for a total of $600,000. Let’s start 2021 on a positive note. Please help us meet this challenge.

Frequently visit the Emergency Relief and Reconstruction Artsakh project on The Paros Foundation website for updates, and follow us on social media.

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All donations made through this link will be matched up to $300,000 regardless of the amount.

Paros Foundation Project Manager, Armen Simonyan, was recently interviewed by the Public TV of Armenia 1TV news segment about our new resettlement program for displaced families from Artsakh through our Emergency Relief & Reconstruction Artsakh Fund. Watch the clip to see more of the initial stages of our resettlement program and other projects on the border!

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Here are the highlights…

• Our first priority for families to resettle are those who are interested in moving to Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur in the Tavush Region. We have selected this village as the first place to move five or six families because we have completed considerable work in this village including renovation of the school, kindergarten and medical center, water infrastructure improvements, and the launch of several nearby economic development opportunities. Soon our team will begin taking families to visit this community, after which, we will select the families.
• The stories we are hearing from these families are absolutely heartbreaking. Our team has interviewed and met with 30 families from Artsakh and are continuing the interview process. Once we have approved the families for resettlement we will share their stories.
• We have already identified and are in the process of purchasing homes in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur and are beginning the renovation process soon.

Want to be part of the positive impact we are making for these families while doubling your impact? Consider donating to our Emergency Relief & Reconstruction – Artsakh matching donation challenge. Together we can help our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Artsakh who need it most.

We are closing in on the end of the year, and now is the time to finalize 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 a few of the changes that only apply this year due to the CARES Act.

Here are a few things you should know…

• ABOVE THE LINE DEDUCTION: One of the rules that can directly affect your charitable giving is that you can donate up to $300 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
• NEW DEDUCTION LIMIT FOR INDIVIDUALS & CORPORATIONS: 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. If donors give more than 100% of their AGI, that amount can be carried forward up to offset future income for up to five subsequent years.
• QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS: 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 charities and avoid paying tax on the distribution.

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

For more information, please feel free to visit the IRS website:
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-the-cares-act-changes-deducting-charitable-contributions

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide tax advice or make promises on rebates. You should consult your tax professional regarding your specific tax situation. This article is not a solicitation to work with EP Wealth Advisors, LLC. Talk to your own financial advisor or tax professional for help regarding individual financial situations.

Dear Paros Supporter,

Saying 2020 has been a difficult year is an understatement! Our homeland faced an unimaginable combination of hurdles and tragedies beginning with the Covid-19 pandemic – which claimed many lives, destroyed businesses and debilitated the economy – followed by the Azeri attacks on the Tavush Region and then later, the war on Artsakh. We are ending the year with tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters displaced from the war as refugees.

We are grateful to the Paros community for coming together and supporting our important projects. YOU helped make our response to the Azeri attacks on Armenia and Artsakh a reality! Immediate relief, resettlement and reconstruction are our priorities. To date, we have:

• Delivered 1,100 warm winter field coats and 200 warm winter pants for use by volunteer defenders.
• Purchased and airlifted critical medical equipment for both field and hospital use including defibrillators, mobile ultrasound equipment, electrosurgical units and other needed supplies.
• Purchased and delivered 160 gas heater cookers for use by refugees and volunteer defenders.
• Delivered three large winter tents to volunteer defenders on the border.
• Provided emergency relief to nine families in the form of lodging, food and/or supplies.
• Donated more than $108,000 to support the pan-community effort for Armenia Fund USA.
• Launched the reconstruction of a 24-unit apartment building in Aygepar, and a home in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur (NKA) both shelled by the Azeris.
• Made immediate repairs to the Aygepar kindergarten, which was also shelled by the Azeris.

We have launched our Refugee Resettlement Program for families who have lost their homes in Artsakh and cannot or are not willing to return – to resettle them into a renovated home in Armenia – complete with an economic opportunity for them to live and work.

Progress was also made on many of our other projects including:

• Construction work on village schools in Zorakan, Verin Getashen, and Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur (NKA) and on Abovyan 8, Nork 106, and Yerevan 154.
• Construction on kindergartens in Achajur, NKA, Nor Geghi, Paruyr Sevak, Varagavan, Paravakar and the addition of the Glen Klanian Memorial Footbridge in Baghanis.
• Operation of the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri.
• Economic projects including Armenia Support Fund Covid-19 small business grants, Aygepar Business Incubator and our Pilot Orchard Project in NKA.
• Feeding 800 senior and at-risk residents during the pandemic via our #FeedingArmenia – Tavush project.
• Rebuilding a home in NKA via our Border Home Repair program.
• Moving our 25th family as part of our Purchase a Home project in Gyumri.

If 2020 and the difficulties we faced taught us anything, it is that “together, we are stronger.” We appreciate our partnership and collaboration with The Organization for Humanitarian Services for Armenia (Developmental Services for Armenia), Focus on Children Now, Musical Armenia, GOALs, Armenia Tree Project, Shirak Center NGO and the Armenia Support Fund.

Our nation needs us to remain engaged. Join our efforts to help resettle the tens of thousands of refugees that are now homeless and looking for a new start, or risk them emigrating to Russia or the U.S. to pursue economic opportunities. Thank you again for your continued support of our nation and our work.

As the year draws to a close, on behalf of our staff in the US and Armenia, I would like to extend to you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

Sincerely,

Peter Abajian
Executive Director

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Although the year is coming to a close we are still working to help the many displaced families that have lost their homes as there is still lots of work left to do. Join us as we continue to help our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Artsakh!