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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

Debi Arach Children's Center 2017 Operating Budget

Description

The Paros Foundation launched the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri, Armenia on April 15, 2015 with the help of generous donors. The center, which provides 150 children each week the necessary academic, psychological, social and humanitarian support, has since been a source of positivity in this city. The residents of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city have endured very devastating realities since the tragic 1988 Spitak Earthquake. More than 100,000 residents were left homeless, and plagued with unemployment and rampant poverty for years to come. In turn, the fate of children in Gyumri has also been affected. Dealing with the difficulty of finding means to feed and care for their families, many parents are unable to provide their children with the proper guidance, supervision, educational aid and the financial resources for them to excel in school and have successful futures. The Debi Arach Children’s Center, which in Armenian means “moving forward,” helps these socially vulnerable children through a holistic approach providing them with both humanitarian and educational support. The center provides counseling and group therapy with a psychologist on staff, homework help and tutoring for almost every subject the children learn in school including English, Math, Art/Design, and Computer classes. Additionally, they are served a nutritious meal everyday, helping them receive the calories and/or nutrients they would otherwise not have. Furthermore, the Center addresses a very important hygienic need by providing the children in attendance with supervised bathing facilities. The goal is to help hundreds of children develop a vision for a successful future, and to give them the skills they need to reach these goals. This project is impacting the lives of hundreds of socially vulnerable children by helping them gain the guidance and support they need in order to create greater future opportunities, and become successful individuals and good citizens.

To date, the center has already had several important successes. Three children have been taken out of boarding schools and brought to 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 more healthier than before. 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.

Currently in its second year, the center is working on funding year three and raising additional funds in order to develop and add to the programs and classes offered with the ability to hire more educators, and get more supplies, and equipment. Funds will also be used to supplement daily activities, hold forums for guest speakers and provide educational and vocational training opportunities. $65,000 is needed to cover operating costs for the Center. In January of 2017, Debi Arach successfully launched its first program within its Vocational Training Center, teaching children computer programming, 3d printing and robotics curriculum. The goal of this newest component is to provide these children with marketable job skills in order to help them work themselves out of poverty.

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Region

Shirak

City / Village

Gyumri

Start Date

April 2017

End Date

March 2018

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

The Need
Thousands of children in Gyumri are living in extreme poverty, with no hope for a decent future. These socially vulnerable children are in need of a safe and enriching environment where they can receive additional guidance through social, psychological and academic support giving them a chance to break their cycle of poverty. The children’s center will continue to provide these children with the opportunity to attend afterschool and summer school programs providing them with the additional skills necessary for a successful future. Additionally, these children suffer from malnutrition and related illnesses due to a lack of well-balanced meals. The center will continue to provide each child with a nutritious meal everyday, helping them receive the calories and/or nutrients they need. Furthermore, many families were forced to take refuge in overseas shipping containers (domiks), or in condemned buildings after the devastating 1988 Spitak Earthquake or due to their poor socioeconomic status. An entire generation of children has grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat to take showers. The Center will address this very important hygienic need by continuing to provide the children in attendance with supervised new bathing facilities.
Short Term Impact
The short-term 150 children will receive immediate support and guidance to help them succeed for the second year. The Center will continue offer nutritious meals, bathing facilities, counseling opportunities, homework aid and tutoring and core classes including English, Computer, Art/Design, and Math.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, with the success of the Center’s current offerings, additional classes and programs will be added and attendance will rise. The number of children growing up in poverty in the future will decrease as the number of children successfully graduating from our program and continuing onto college or successful vocations increases. The number of “social orphans” and children temporarily residing in boarding schools in Gyumri will be reduced as parents become increasingly able to keep their children at home given the humanitarian support they receive at the center. Through ongoing employment opportunities created, several families will continue to receive a fair wage, hence improving Gyumri’s economy.
Sponsors Benefits
Your donation to sponsor the operating cost for 2017 of the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri will be recognized with a plaque at the Center and on the Center’s website and in their printed materials. Your name will also be listed as a sponsor on the Paros Foundation website and in appropriate press related to this important project. The Paros Foundation will proudly arrange a visit to the new Center when you are in Armenia.
Anonymous User
MP

Mr. Sevag Parsehian

PA, United States January 1, 2018
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YA

Youth Union of Armenians

France December 21, 2017
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GI

Gateway Industry Inc.

CA, United States December 14, 2017
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TN

Talar Nina

United Arab Emirates December 10, 2017
Anonymous User
MG

Ms. Ani Gevorgyan

Boston, MA December 2, 2017
Anonymous User
MA

Mr. & Mrs. Razmik & Suzanne Abnous

Danville, CA November 29, 2017
Anonymous User
MD

Mr. Alex Derderian

PA, United States November 29, 2017
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AK

Anonymous

CA, United States November 29, 2017
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MM

Ms. Lisa Manookian

Ardmore, PA November 29, 2017
Anonymous User
RZ

Anonymous

San Francisco, CA November 21, 2017
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MS

Ms. Maureen Stewart

PA, United States November 20, 2017
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DA

Dr. & Mrs. Gary & Linda Assarian

Bloomfield Hills, MI
November 10, 2017
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Updates: Images & Information

May 26, 2017

Students at Debi Arach are slowly making strides in learning new skills and making new things with the 3D printer in our Vocational Training Center.

 
June 7, 2017

Amazing news! Heghush is 18 years old and graduated from high school last week. Today, Heghush was accepted to college! She plans on attending Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute and majoring in Elementary Education. She’s been at Debi Arach since our opening two years ago. We wish her all the success in the world, congratulations Heghush!

 
July 3, 2017

The Mobile Dental Clinic will be at Debi Arach this month. They have been providing free of charge dental care to students and staff. Many of the students have never been to a dentist before, so it can be an intimidating moment for them, but Dr. Simonyan and Dr. Kuyumjyan - extra care and kindness - have made the idea of dental health fun.

 
July 7, 2017

Very grateful for the Sustainable Energy Development Fund, UITE, Phillip Morris Armenia LLC, and Arpi Solar for making it possible for Debi Arach to go solar! Now the center will be able to provide hot water for children to shower and to help heat the center in the winter months with renewable and clean energy.

 
July 22, 2017

Today SERVICE Armenia 2017 spent the day at the center to distribute backpacks and school supplies to each of our students through the Packs on Backs project.

 
September 21, 2017

Everyone at Debi Arach was so excited to have Congresswoman Jackie Speier and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo visit the center today. They were accompanied by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the United States of America, Grigor Hovhannissian, as well as the Chairman of The Paros Foundation, Roger Strauch. Thank you Mr. Josh Connolly, Chief of Staff, for planning and executing this visit.

 
September 25, 2017

Today, teachers began a six part training on how to properly use technology in the classroom with the help of Debi Arach computer teacher, Marina. This is an important step to help integrate new teaching techniques to help children learn.

 
December 10, 2017

Students at Debi Arach all received winter boots today with the help and sponsorship from Talar Nina.

 
February 8, 2018

Thanks to fundraising efforts and all donors and supporters, Debi Arach now has two SMARTBoards to help with new and innovative teaching methods!

 
Debi Arach is starting a bi-monthly career fair program for students 7-10th grade. The purpose of this program is to help students learn about possible career options, hear from professionals in those sectors, and learn the steps needed to become each profession.

Debi Arach is starting a bi-monthly career fair program for students 7-10th grade. The purpose of this program is to help students learn about possible career options, hear from professionals in those sectors, and learn the steps needed to become each profession.