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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

This Month at The Paros Foundation – November 2025

Gathering for a Good Cause
and a Good Time

This month, our community came together in an incredible way. The sold-out Yeraz Blend gathering welcomed 250 supporters for an unforgettable evening, raising $30,000 to propel our Gyumri Paros Housing, After-School & Vocational Center building project forward. In addition, the Paso Wine Weekend brought friends together once again, this time to champion Med-Aid Armenia, ensuring that vital medical support reaches the communities that need it most. Together, you are turning hope into concrete, lasting change.

Year End Campaign – Help Us build Tomorrow
Our year-end campaign is focusing on breaking the cycle of poverty for generations to come. With your support, we are taking a transformative step toward ending the suffering of families still living in heartbreaking “domik” conditions. By adding a fourth floor to our building, we will create 27 safe, permanent apartments, places where parents can breathe easier, children can sleep without fear, and families can finally begin rebuilding their lives with dignity.

But the impact doesn’t end with housing. This expanded building will also become home to a second Debi Arach Children’s Center, offering educational support, emotional care, and a stable community that empowers children to thrive. We are also building a vocational training center and social enterprise, where adults will gain the skills they need to secure stable employment, support their families, and step confidently out of generational poverty. With a recent anonymous contribution, the remaining funds needed to complete the building’s construction is complete. However, there is still more to be done to bring this building to life. Learn more and donate here.

Shgharshik School Gymnasium Renovation
A huge thank you to Arev Gabriel, Paros donor, friend, and the force behind the Shgharshik gym renovation! Arev and her daughter visited the newly completed gym for a joyful ribbon-cutting ceremony, where the community welcomed them with gratitude and pride. We’re deeply thankful to Arev, her family and friends, and our incredible partners at Hoops4Hayastan for making this transformation possible.

Sign Up Now – Paros Summer 2026

Summer 2026 will be full of fun trips for all age ranges and interests!

SERVICE Armenia
Ages 17-22 | July 2-July 23, 2026
More Info

Med-Aid
All ages welcome | June 25-July 8, 2026
More Info

SERVICE Armenia Young Professionals
Ages 23-45 | August 8-August 20, 2026
More Info

Across Armenia today, thousands of older adults, many of them refugees from Artsakh, are facing the most challenging chapter of their lives.
Uprooted from their homes, separated from familiar communities, and navigating the realities of aging under extraordinary stress, they are carrying both personal loss and the collective trauma of displacement. Listen to our latest podcast to learn more.
Listen now on
Spotify | Apple | Amazon

 

 

number of apartments that need to be fully furnished in Gyumri in the news Paros Housing, After-School & Vocational Center

Paros Blog

*GIVING TUESDAY* Help Us Build Tomorrow 🇦🇲

With your support this Giving Tuesday, the Paros Housing, After-School & Vocational Center can be one step closer to being complete! This new building will house a second Debi Arach Children’s Center, a vocational training space, and a new social enterprise—bringing stability, opportunity, and hope to Gyumri’s most vulnerable families. We will also add a fourth floor creating 27 safe, permanent apartments for “domik” families still living in heartbreaking conditions.

In the spring of 2022, the Gyumri Municipality proposed giving Paros one of Gyumri’s half-constructed buildings with the purpose of Paros completing the building’s construction and housing “domik” families. In addition to the apartments, the building will allow Paros to open a second Debi Arach Children’s Center, additional vocational training programs and a second social enterprise. Following seismic evaluations, it was determined a fourth floor addition was feasible, creating a total of 27 apartments and expanding this project’s benefit.

The 1988 Spitak Earthquake caused the death of more than 35,000 people and left more than 100,000 people homeless. Armenia’s second largest city, Gyumri, was most affected by the earthquake. In the years that followed, Armenia’s Independence, the Artsakh War and corrupt regional and local officials contributed to a massive housing crisis, the inability to emerge from this housing shortage, and generational poverty in Gyumri. Today, almost 2,000 domiks are still “home” to people in Gyumri.

Paros Blog

Help Establish Preventative Care as a Norm in Armenia!

This trip will provide essential healthcare delivery in Armenia, develop related programs & support individuals pursuing careers in the healthcare field.

We welcome medical professionals, residents, medical students, high school seniors and university aged pre-med students. An interview is required to approve participation.

Med-Aid participants will earn volunteer hours. The primary care team will conduct wellness screenings for several hundred families throughout Armenia who do not have regular access to healthcare.

To balance the labor of love, there will also be adventure, cultural immersion through visits & tours to several of Armenia’s historic sites, and rest. The trip will begin and end in Armenia’s vibrant capital, Yerevan.

Newsletters

This Month at The Paros Foundation – October 2025

The Paros Housing, After-School & Vocational Center
building in Gyumri now has seismic reinforcements!

Our team visited Gyumri to meet with our contractor and witness the construction work moving forward in full force. We are proud to be working on this project that will house 27 “domik” families in new homes, help more than 175 new children through a second Debi Arach children’s center location and provide life changing mentoring and vocational training through the Assarian Vocational Training Program.

Construction is estimated to be complete by the end of 2026, and it’s due to all of the dedicated people who have donated and are working to get this monumental project completed. With the construction fully funded, we are looking for funds to help furnish the interior spaces.

Meds Masrik Kindergarten Expansion

Thanks to the generous support of the Cultural Society of Armenians from Istanbul, construction is underway on the expansion that will house two new groups of kindergarten children, and the work is progressing well. However, additional funding is needed to renovate the existing building, including essential updates to the kitchen, so that every child can learn and grow in a safe, nurturing environment. Contribute to the expansion here.

Nourishing Armenia Greenhouse Opening

Now a year-round program, founder, Stephanie, joined the Debi Arach team and visitors, Paros friend and supporter Adrienne Krikorian and her Mer Hooys group, to celebrate the completion of construction and launch of the greenhouse program at Debi Arach. The greenhouse was memorialized in the name of Maritza Sudjian, Stephanie’s great grandmother. Children will now be working in this living classroom, learning how to grow their own healthy food.

SERVICE Armenia 2026 Young Professionals Application Available!

SERVICE Armenia Young Professionals is back, but this time in August! Join other 23-45 year olds for 10 unforgettable days of giving back, connecting, and discovering the beauty of Armenia, while making an impact that lasts a lifetime from August 8th-20th.
Learn more and apply here!

Space is still available to join us this weekend in Paso Robles to enjoy gourmet dining, exquisite wine & a spectacular environment to benefit Med-Aid Armenia! Join us November 7-9th to raise a glass and raise money for a good cause.

Yeraz Blend LA Young Professionals

Thank you to everyone who signed up to join Yeraz Blend on November 6th, the event is now sold out! We look forward to meting everyone this week and sharing more about the work Paros does. Follow Yeraz Blend and stay up-to-date on future events.

Summer 2026 will be full of fun trips for all age ranges and interests! Our SERVICE Armenia Young Professionals application is now live. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for the remaining applications to go live!

Next on our mini series, “What Have You Done”, we speak with Nick Cabraloff, one of the founders of Yeraz Blend, a new social group that is becoming a bridge: linking young Armenians to one another, to their heritage, and to opportunities for creating meaningful change.

Listen now on
Spotify | Apple | Amazon

 

 

number of Paros trips to Armenia happening summer 2026

Paros Blog

Young Professionals – Join Our 2026 Trip to Armenia!

SERVICE Armenia Young Professionals is back!

This trip is your chance to experience Armenia like never before. A 10-day adventure specifically designed for ages 23–45 who want to meet incredible people, give back, and create lifelong memories. Together, you’ll take part in meaningful service projects, explore Armenia through unique excursions and cultural experiences, and enjoy plenty of time for fun, relaxation, and bonding. Guided by the dedicated Paros team—whose deep experience in Armenia ensures every moment is meaningful—you’ll return home inspired, connected, and proud to have made a difference for Armenia’s future.

• Visit and tour Armenia, while gaining valuable life experiences
• Tour historical, religious and cultural sites throughout Armenia
• Meet other 23- 45-year-olds from throughout the United States
• Travel and adventure together
• Serve Armenia with both Diasporan and local volunteers
• You do not need to be Armenian to participate. Everyone is welcome!
• Professional and experienced, English speaking staff and guides
• Create a lifetime of great memories and friends!

Paros Blog

LA Young Professionals – Join Yeraz Blend on November 6th!

Less than one month until Yeraz Blend x Paros Foundation fundraiser event!

Join us Thursday, November 6 for an evening filled with specialty tastings, gourmet experiences and surprise musical performances. Proceeds will go towards our Paros Housing, After-School & Vocational Center in Gyumri. This center takes a holistic approach to helping impoverished children excel in school and develop career goals to work themselves out of poverty.

Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot now!
Meet Yeraz Blend

Yeraz Blend started with one mission: bring young Armenians together and give back to Armenia. From one small gathering to four sold-out events, we’ve built a growing community that has raised $120K+ and supported three nonprofits — with 100% of proceeds going directly to Armenia. 🇦🇲

Hear From The Co-Founder

Check out our latest episode of Pari Louys with Paros featuring Yeraz Blend Co-Founder, Nick Cabraloff, about the inspiration for this initiative to start a social group for young Armenians that also gives back.

This episode is part of our “What Have You Done?” series featuring Armenians throughout the diaspora who are making a positive difference.

Listen on Apple | Spotify | Amazon

Paros Blog

Building Hope in Gyumri

Seismic reinforcement of the Paros Housing, After-School & Vocational
Center building in Gyumri is progressing rapidly!

Our dedicated team recently traveled to Gyumri to meet with our contractor and to see firsthand the impressive progress being made on site. The construction work is advancing in full force, and every visit reinforces our excitement and pride in what this project represents, hope, safety, and opportunity for families who have endured decades of hardship.

Once completed, this transformative facility will become home to 27 domik families, finally moving them out of the unsafe temporary shelters they’ve lived in since the 1988 earthquake. Beyond providing secure housing, the building will also open its doors to more than 175 children through the second location of the Debi Arach Children’s Center, expanding access to after-school education, nutritious meals, and emotional support. Additionally, the Assarian Vocational Training Program will empower youth and adults alike with valuable skills, mentoring, and pathways toward meaningful employment — changing lives for generations to come.

Construction is currently on track for completion by the end of 2026, marking a major milestone in our mission to rebuild lives and strengthen communities in Gyumri. With the structural work now fully funded, our next goal is to raise funds to furnish and equip the interior spaces, transforming this building from concrete and steel into a true home and hub for learning, growth, and community.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every donor, partner, and supporter who has contributed to making this dream a reality. Together, we are not just building a structure, we are building hope, dignity, and a brighter future for hundreds of Armenian families.

Paros Blog

You’re Invited🍷 Wine Weekend Benefiting Med-Aid

Drink wine and support Med-Aid Armenia this November! Save the date for the weekend of November 7-9 for an unforgettable weekend enjoying wine, food, and great company, all in support of a great cause!

Terrace EXPERIENCE Dinner At Sensorio 

Exclusive access to the Private Terrace with guaranteed seating, private restrooms, Open Bar (Beer & Wine), fireside tables, heaters, and the best views of the Field of Light exhibit at Sensorio.

When the sun goes down in the hills of Paso Robles, the lights come up at Sensorio, one of California’s largest immersive art exhibitions.

SIXMILEBRIDGE Wine Tasting

Surrounded by wild beauty and vineyard stillness, Sixmilebridge tasting experience offers a pause from the busy and expected. Enjoy tastings led by expert educators, a grazing table and beautiful views.

Daou Vineyards Tasting & Gourmet Lunch 

Discover the hidden gem of California Wine Country. Experience breathtaking views, unparalleled hospitality, delectable tastings, and incredible wines.

Evening Dessert Reception 

Come together for an indulgent finale featuring decadent desserts paired with smooth, rich Armenian Cognac. This is the perfect chance to relax, mingle, and savor every sweet moment. Cigars available!

More Information

Donation to attend – $1,500 per person

You are welcome to book any accommodations you prefer.

If interested, group rates of $415 are available at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort for the Premium Prelude Rooms. To secure this special rate call (805) 369-2500 and let them know you are with The Paros Foundation.

Past Med-Aid Events

Learn more about the medical landscape in Armenia and the impactMed-Aid has made in Armenia on our podcast episodes with Dr. Krikor Deramerian!
Episode 1
Episode 2

Questions?

Peter Abajian | 310.400.9061 | peter@parosfoundation.org
Dr. Krikor Deramerian | 818.416.7457 | medaidarmenia@gmail.com

Newsletters

This Month at The Paros Foundation – September 2025

You’re Invited!

You are invited to Paso Robles to enjoy gourmet dining, exquisite wine & a spectacular environment to benefit Med-Aid Armenia! Join us November 7-9th to raise a glass and raise money for a good cause.

Space is limited so reserve your spot now!

Exclusive access to the Private Terrace with guaranteed seating, private restrooms, Open Bar (Beer & Wine), fireside tables, heaters, and the best views of the Field of Light exhibit at Sensorio.

Surrounded by wild beauty and vineyard stillness, Sixmilebridge tasting experience offers a pause from the busy and expected. Enjoy tastings led by expert educators, a grazing table and beautiful views.

Discover the hidden gem of California Wine Country. Experience breathtaking views, unparalleled hospitality, delectable tastings, and incredible wines.

and more!

Meds Masrik Kindergarten Expansion

Currently there are 75 children that attend the kindergarten, while 40 young children, in the village of Meds Masrik, are waiting for that chance. With only three of five buildings currently usable, and outdated facilities limiting what the kindergarten can offer, too many children are left behind. Reconstruction of two buildings has already begun thanks to the generous support of the Cultural Society of Armenians from Istanbul in Detroit. Contribute to the expansion here.

Aparan School Auditorium

Over the years, the school has proudly produced athletes who have competed in the Olympics and earned championship titles across Europe and around the world. Beyond sports, students have access to a variety of clubs and extracurricular programs, including a renowned dance ensemble that represents the school’s commitment to art and culture. To continue offering these opportunities and to strengthen its cultural programs, the school now requires a full renovation of its auditorium. Learn more and donate here.

Creating Vibrant Border Communities
for Displaced Artsakh Refugees

Continuity of care is a core pillar of our Med-Aid Armenia program, and we are proud to have Dr. Koko Deramerian as the leader of this initiative. Learn more about Med-Aid and everything Dr. Deramerian and his volunteers are doing to transform the medical landscape in Armenia in the full interview here.

Yeraz Blend LA Young Professionals

We’ve partnered with Los Angeles based young professionals group, Yeraz Blend for an event benefiting The Paros Foundation — and you’re invited! Join us Thursday, November 6 for an evening filled with specialty tastings, gourmet experiences and surprise musical performances. Proceeds will go towards our Gyumri housing, children’s center, and vocational training building. Register here.

Next up on our mini-series discussing involvement throughout the diaspora, Sunday School Superintendent, Gail Chelebian! She shares how the unique model her church adopted blends together all facets of being Armenian. Learn more about her dedication and how it has impacted many in our latest episode!
Listen now on
Apple | Amazon

 

number of additional students who will be able to now attend school once the Meds Masrik renovations are complete

Paros Blog

LA Young Professionals- You’re Invited!

📣 Attention Los Angeles based young professionals 📣
You’re invited to an exclusive event benefiting The Paros Foundation!

Exciting news! We’ve partnered with Los Angeles based young professionals group, Yeraz Blend for an event benefiting The Paros Foundation — and you’re invited! Join us Thursday, November 6 for an evening filled with specialty tastings, gourmet experiences and surprise musical performances. Proceeds will go towards our Paros Housing, After-School & Vocational Center in Gyumri. This center takes a holistic approach to helping impoverished children excel in school and develop career goals to work themselves out of poverty.

Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot now!

EVENT DETAILS
Date: Thursday, November 6
Time: 7 – 10pm
Location: Address provided after ticket purchase
Tickets: $150 minimum suggested donation per ticket to attend