On Tuesday, October 27, members of the Fund for Armenian Relief staff met with Diocesan Vicar Very Rev. Fr. Haigazoun Najarian and ACYOA Executive Secretary Nancy Basmajian to formalize plans for the 2010 ACYOA Armenia Service Program (ASP), which will now focus volunteering efforts on FAR projects in Gyumri.
Since 1995, the ASP, which is organized by the ACYOA Central Council, has included a service component, allowing participants to volunteer at children’s summer camps in Yeghegnadzor and Vanadzor, Armenia. Recently, the ACYOA Central Council decided to offer assistance to FAR programs in Gyumri.
“We wanted to go in a different direction with our service next summer and, at the Primate’s suggestion, we turned to FAR,” said Nancy Basmajian. “They are doing extraordinary work in Armenia. We’re very pleased with the partnership and the possibilities.”
After spending a few days in Yerevan, the ASP group will travel to Gyumri, where they will work at FAR’s Ounjian School, which is undergoing renovations, and the FAR Soup Kitchen, which serves the city’s senior citizens. After a week in Gyumri, the group will travel to Vanadzor and Sevan before returning to Yerevan for the last leg of their journey.
The ASP is scheduled for June 29 to July 20, 2010. Additional details will be available next month. For information, contact Nancy Basmajian at acyoa@armeniandiocese.org.