FAR was founded in the midst of a humanitarian emergency when an earthquake struck Armenia in 1988. Meeting the critical needs of the most destitute through housing, medical care and nutrition has been a core mission of FAR ever since. It’s six soup kitchens throughout the country, including the Nishan and Margrit Atinizian Senior Center in Gyumri, provide hot and nutritious meals to the poor and elderly every day. The Vanadzor Old Age Home (VOAH), which has been operated by FAR since 2002, provides direct care to poverty-stricken residents and homebound seniors in the area. All of these programs provide beneficiaries additional access to medical care and social services, as well as a social outlet for those in need.

These services are especially necessary in a nation where at least half of the population lives below the poverty line, suffering from malnutrition and sickness. The poverty has a particularly harsh effect on the elderly, as many of those suffering are at least 60 years old.