|
|
Christmas 2009
Our distributions at Christmas 2009 represented the single largest allocation to the orphanages made to date - $49,000 total! We provided $13,200 to Children's Home of Gyumri for a new ventilation system and new blankets, socks, and towels; $7,400 to Gavar to renovate a bathroom and for new sweaters and boots; $2,700 to Kharberd for diapers and towels and to host their Christmas party; $1,500 to Nork for new baby supplies; $4,700 to Nubarashen for new coats and shoes; $9,100 to Our Lady of Armenia to renovate the kitchen and to host their Christmas party; and a $2,000 fuel subsidy to Zadik. ALL of the remaining orphanages received donations ranging from $500 to $1,500. Below are a few pictures taken at Christmastime. Special thanks are extended to Arthur and Lily Seredian, whose donation was used to purchase multiple items at Children's Home of Gyumri, Gavar, Kharberd and Nubarashen.
 
 
 
 
 
November 2009
SOAR-LA thanks Anna Saklzyan (a high school senior from Orange County, CA) for her outstanding effort in raising donations at her high school for SOAR-LA! After several months of hard work, Anna and her classmates were able to gather over 500+ pieces of school supplies for SOAR's distribution. Anna is also committed to her continued partnering with SOAR-LA for the important work of humanitarian relief for the orphans of Armenia.
 
Winter 2009
In November-December of 2009, SOAR-Los Angeles Chapter renovated the Dining Hall at the Kharbert Orphanage, which provides homes for more than 250 physically and mentally handicapped children. This renovation was sponsored by the family of Mr. Robert Paul, who passed away earlier this year. Mr. Paul's family and friends made donations to SOAR in his memory to help improve the conditions at the Kharbert Orphanage. In addition to the Dining Hall Renovation, the hair salon was also renovated in his memory.
 
 
Summer 2009
In March 2009, SOAR was awarded a $5000 grant from the Yahoo! Employee Foundation (YEF). This money was earmarked for the Our Lady of Armenia Center Summer Camp. The overall goal of the Camp was to provide a warm and caring learning environment to more than 800 orphans and disadvantaged boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 14. Four three-week sessions were held throughout the summer, with approximately 200 children attending each session. The Camp sought to strengthen the children’s spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being and to lessen the immediate and long-term impact of poverty and abandonment in their lives. To achieve these goals, the Camp organized a wide range of athletic, cultural, spiritual, and social activities for the children. The Camp was a huge success, and the YEF funds went a long way toward making the summer even more enjoyable for the children! Click here for the final YEF Report that describes in detail how the funds were spent. A special acknowledgment to Yahoo employee Amy Croot, a member of our New England Chapter Board, who facilitated this grant. Thanks Amy!
 
 
Beginning in early 2009, SOAR-LA and its members and supporters embarked on a successful campaign to ship needed goods to Armenia's orphanages. In mid-June, a cargo container was loaded and shipped via sea, thanks to the generosity of the United Armenia Fund. Two months later, the container arrived safely in Armenia and the goods were distributed.
Thanks to the generosity of Mr. & Mrs. Sosik and Janet Arakelian in Los Angeles and Lucy Demeridjian of Saderma Co, SOAR-LA obtained a donation of shoe manufacturing and repair machinery and supplies to outfit the Nubarashen Orphanage with a shoe repair training center to help teach older boys the art of shoe repair. Most of the children at the Nubarashen facility have a developmental or mental disability and the teachers at Nubarashen are confident and thankful for this generous donation that will provide these children with a skill. This donation was shipped to Armenia thanks to the on-going generosity of the United Armenia Fund.
Equipment for the hair salon at Kharpert children was also purchased and shipped. Needed items including a high quality salon chair and shampoo table to accompany the renovation that took place at the orphanage in Memory of Mr. Robert Paul by his family and friends. Finally, more than $2,000 worth of personal hygiene products were sent and distributed.
 
 
 
Spring 2009
The SOAR-Los Angeles Chapter, at the end of its first year of activity, allocated a portion of the funds it had raised to assist with a capital project at one of the orphanages in Armenia. Following trips to Armenia of several of the Board Members and discussions with orphanage directors and the Los Angeles Board, the decision was made to renovate the room at the Kharperd Orphanage where the children receive their hair cuts. The hair salon room was renovated by SOAR in memory of Mr. Robert Paul.
The Los Angeles Board was inspired to reach this decision because funds from SOAR's National Chapter were used to renovate a bathroom also at Kharperd. While the needs for additional housing, food storage and other capital expenditures is great, SOAR-Los Angeles worked with the Director of the Orphanage to identify a project that could be completed in a fixed amount of time, have a great benefit for the children at the Orphanage, and be completed within our budget. Kharberd houses 252 children with mental and/or physical disabilities, and this room serves at the "hair salon" for all of these children.
Fully equipped with a 1970s Soviet era salon chair (that was broken), a wooden bench, poor lighting, broken windows, crumbling walls and parquet floors, and no hot water, the Kharperd Hair Salon was not an inviting nor appropriate place for these children to visit. SOAR-Los Angeles' Representatives identified and hired a quality team to tackle the renovation. New doors and windows were installed to keep out the summer heat and winter cold. The water problem was repaired, and the plaster walls repaired and painted. New electrical lines were run providing proper power. New radiators were also installed to allow sufficient heat in the winter. Finally new, bright lighting was installed and custom made (wheelchair friendly) furniture built to complete the room.
The entire renovation cost just over $6,200. An additional $1,600 was allocated to purchase hair cutting supplies and new chairs for the waiting area, a desk chair, and a high quality salon chair. In addition, to facilitate the washing of the children's hair, a shampoo table was purchased. All of these items were purchased by the committee in Los Angeles and will be shipped to Armenia this summer.
The SOAR-Los Angeles Board is very happy to know that the children at the Kharperd Orphange will have a happy, quality place to go to when they have their haircut. With a relatively modest budget of $7,800, and a bit of oversight and commitment, SOAR is able to positively touch the lives of these children and the staff at Kharperd. Special thanks to the staff and Director of Kharperd and to our Partners in Armenia for their cooperation during this project.
|
|
