They say 60 is the new 50 and our Executive Director, Peter Abajian, is making sure we don’t forget that! To celebrate this milestone birthday we are raising $50,000 to go towards Debi Arach Children’s Center! If anyone knows Peter they know he is full of life and joy, and ultimately has the biggest giving heart so we thought it would be perfect to give in a big way. Join us in celebrating 50 as the new 60 and let’s make a sizeable dent in the Debi Arach operation budget for this upcoming year!

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 185 children each week the necessary academic, psychological, social and humanitarian support, has since been a source of positivity in this city.

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 take place 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..

Nor Ughi Village is located in Armenia’s Ararat Region and is home to the Vedi Alcohol Company.  Almost 2,000 people call Nor Ughi and neighboring Ginevet Village their home. Many in these villages are employed at Vedi Alcohol factory or are engaged in agricultural activities. 

170 students attend the village school, including 10 displaced students from Artsakh. The students are from both the neighboring villages of Ginevet and Nor Ughi. Recently, the school gym was renovated through the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. John & June Mangassarian from Rhode Island and they want to continue positively impacting Nor Ughi. In collaboration with GOALS – Girls of Armenia Leadership Soccer, a brand new soccer field will be built on the school’s grounds. The city has agreed to clear the field and remove the initial layers of soil in preparation for the field. The new high quality soccer field will be made of artificial turf and equipped with benches and lighting. The soccer field will be at the level that other organizations, such as the Football Federation, can use it for practice and tournaments. Therefore, it will serve as a space for both the students and the community. 

The budget to construct the soccer field at the school is $53,000. Two separate entities have generously agreed to match all donations. Ricky, Rebecca (Rafaelian), Victoria and C.J. Caruolo will be matching all donations to honor Ralph and Lucy Rafaelian. John and June Mangassarian will also match all contributions. Therefore, for every $1, we move $3 toward our goal!

The Paros Foundation established the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri, Armenia on April 15, 2015 with the help of generous donors. The center, which provides 180 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. Furthermore, freezing temperatures and extreme poverty have created humanitarian crisis in Gyumri as well.

One very important need, especially during the winter, is winter coats. Sponsorship towards this effort will ensure that 180 children attending the Debi Arach Children’s Center will receive new warm winter coats in the late fall of 2024. Each winter coat costs $25. With warm winter coats these children will be able to stay healthy, and be able to continue to attend school.

The Packs on Backs initiative, was started by the The Heros Humanitarian Foundation (HHF), a former Los Angeles based non-profit organization that supported children in need and their educational advancement. HHF partnered with The Paros Foundation to bring their Packs on Backs initiative to Armenia, and together successfully distributed 380 backpacks and school supplies to children in Gyumri and Vanadzor in the summer of 2015 and 225 backpacks to the children at the Kharpert Children’s Home in the summer of 2016. Since then, the Packs on Backs initiative continues to impact the lives of children in need in Armenia with this essential need.

Our next distribution will be for the kids attending the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri. Socially vulnerable children attend the center after their school and receive both humanitarian and educational support through a holistic approach. The Paros Foundation established the Debi Arach Children’s Center on April 15, 2015 and has since provided children each week the necessary academic, psychological, social and humanitarian support they need to succeed. Gyumri’s devastating history has left more than 100,000 residents homeless, and plagued with unemployment and rampant poverty. These families often struggle to provide their children with life’s basic necessities; therefore making backpacks and school supplies a distant priority. Children at the center were recipients of backpacks and school supplies during our first distribution in 2015 and distributions have continued in years since. This distribution will meet the ongoing needs of all of the children. Our goal is to distribute backpacks and supplies for 180 children attending Debi Arach. A donation of $35 will help obtain one backpack filled with supplies for one child. School supplies will be grade appropriate and include a combination of pencils, pens, pencil cases, notebooks, folders, erasers, sharpeners, glue, scissors, rulers, highlighters, and crayons. In-kind donations of the items listed are also welcomed.

Nestled in the upper northeast region of Armenia, the village of Azatamut is located in the Tavush region. It is an isolated border community with a population of 2,513. The Armenian Government previously renovated the Azatamut Clinic, however, they did not run gas to the building during their renovations leaving them without heat during the rough winters. The local Governor’s Office approached The Paros Foundation and asked us to complete this important project for the community. 

Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur is an important border village with a population of more than 1,100 residents in the Berd area of Armenia’s Tavush Region. Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur is a beneficiary village of the Paros Foundation’s Prosperity on the Border Initiative. With major financial support of Jean-Marie Atamian and his family over the last ten years, much of the village’s infrastructure has been completely rebuilt and improved including, but not limited to, its large secondary school, expanded kindergarten, medical center, emergency services building and water distribution system. In addition, several families have benefited from agribusiness and animal husbandry projects. Having funded the rebuilding of NKA’s infrastructure, the Atamian family is now focusing its attention on the reconstruction a severely damaged home to provide a decent and safe home for a deserving family displaced from Artsakh. Since 2012, a variety of work (ranging from $2,500 to $30,000) has taken place on more than 20 homes in the village thanks to the leadership of the Atamian family.

To date, The Paros Foundation has successfully facilitated the relocation of seven displaced families from Artsakh to newly renovated homes in NKA. This forthcoming family will mark the eighth displaced family from Artsakh to benefit from this initiative. This opportunity will enable them to join the community in NKA, where numerous families from Artsakh have already resettled in the wake of the 2020 War.

Representatives of The Paros Foundation have visited more than 100 schools throughout Armenia. While some schools have either been renovated thanks to the Armenian government or as a result of the generosity of international donors, many remain in deplorable conditions and have little hope of being renovated in the near future. These conditions affect both the ability for students to learn, as well as the health of students and teachers. How is a student supposed to learn if there are not proper desks, chairs or windows in the classroom?

The Paros Foundation will directly oversee the renovation of a classroom in the Nor Ughi  Village School. Nor Ughi Village is located in Armenia’s Ararat Region. Almost 2,000 people call Nor Ughi and neighboring Ginevet Village their home. Many in these villages are employed at Vedi Alcohol factory or are engaged in agricultural activities.

162 students attend the village school from both the neighboring village of Ginevet and Nor Ughi, which is in overall poor condition. Portions of the school have been modestly renovated using the school’s annual budget.

Currently, we will be raising funds to renovate one classroom including new doors, flooring, lighting, ceiling, paint and new furniture. 

More than 1,200 children live in Armenia’s 15 orphanages. These facilities provide for the children’s basic needs, but their limited budgets do not allow these children to participate in visits to popular historical sites, amusement parks, concerts, or attend cultural events.

Armenia’s orphan children should have the opportunity to experience popular cultural events, exhibits, and excursions. Many different activities and excursions can be organized for these children. The extent of the activity or trip is directly related to the sponsorship amount. For sponsorship amounts between $300 -$750 approximately 20 children and an appropriate number of chaperons will be able participate in a memorable activity. Please consider supporting multiple excursions for these children.

The Paros Foundation staff and volunteers will organize and oversee the excursion/activity. Opportunities to sponsor excursions for orphanages serving both disabled and non-disabled children exist. Whenever possible, our staff will work with the destination for the excursion to secure group pricing and/or discounts.

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

In light of the recent influx of displaced individuals from Artsakh, we have launched free-of-charge recurring activities for displaced boys and girls in several cities throughout Armenia. Children often carry the heavy burden of trauma, much like a backpack filled with their past experiences and struggles. Our mission is to provide them with safe, nurturing spaces where they can temporarily set aside these burdens and step onto the playing field. Here, they have the opportunity to play, prioritize their health, and acquire essential coping mechanisms and life skills to address their trauma.

Join us today, and support our efforts of ensuring our kids have a safe place to disconnect from the ugly reality that is forced upon them.

We are working with a number of sports schools and facilities across Armenia. They are ready to provide after-school programming for children from Artsakh free of charge. Most of them lack the sports gear necessary to do so. With your donations and support we will be providing them with basketballs, footballs, and other sport essentials to be able to conduct these activities.

Your contributions directly aid in securing sports gear and orchestrating events for children who have found themselves relocated to rural Armenian communities due to displacement.

More than 1,200 children live in Armenia’s 15 orphanages. These facilities provide for the children’s basic needs, but their limited budgets do not allow these children to participate in visits to popular historical sites, amusement parks, concerts, or attend cultural events.

Armenia’s orphan children should have the opportunity to experience popular cultural events, exhibits, and excursions. Many different activities and excursions can be organized for these children. The extent of the activity or trip is directly related to the sponsorship amount. For sponsorship amounts between $250 -$750 approximately 20 children and an appropriate number of chaperons will be able participate in a memorable activity. Please consider supporting multiple excursions for these children.

The Paros Foundation staff and volunteers will organize and oversee the excursion/activity. Opportunities to sponsor excursions for orphanages serving both disabled and non-disabled children exist. Whenever possible, our staff will work with the destination for the excursion to secure group pricing and/or discounts.