Age And Concerns United Them Under The Same Shelter

AGE AND CONCERNS UNITED THEM UNDER THE SAME SHELTER

/old
12:46 pm | February 22, 2010

Social

Most elderly people visiting the Nor Nork community center of Mission
Armenia NGO have no guardians.

On weekdays 84 elderly people gather in the center to dine, talk and
have a good time with each other.

During our visit some of them were having dinner. 67-year-old Emma
was playing the piano, two men were playing backgammon, others were
staring at our camera. They all wanted to share their concerns and
everyday problems with us and to praise the centre for its great work.

The director of the center Margarita Hovhannisyan told A1+ that though
84 elderly people visit the centre, they serve more than 500 people
at home.

Elderly people do not only find free food at the centre but also good
treatment. The center staff does everything possible to entertain them
in due order. Margarita Hovhannisyan notes that the global financial
crisis has not affected their menu but it has reduced the number of
beneficiaries. In the past not only elderly people but also socially
vulnerable people of the community had meals in the centre canteen.

76-year-old Lilik Hakobyan spends most of her day in the centre. She
had a brilliant work background and chanced to work with Karen
Demirtchyan.

"Look at me! I can do nothing with my poor pension of 35 000 drams.

But for the centre, I would starve," Lilik Hakobyan said to A1+

To add, most of the people visiting the centre are handicapped.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

http://www.a1plus.am/en/social/2010/02/22

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS