CALIFORNIA DONORS PURCHASE APARTMENT FOR HOMELESS FAMILY IN GYUMRI
By Contributor // December 24, 2013
GYUMRI, Armenia-Just prior to Christmas in 2012, the Poghosyan
family’s makeshift home-commonly known as a “domik”-caught fire and
burned down. Homeless and struggling from their loss, the parents and
their six children moved into yet another domik. The Paros Foundation,
through its “Purchase a Home” project-part of its 100 for 100 Projects
for Prosperity-launched an effort to solve the Poghosyan family’s
housing needs. In early December 2013, the family was presented
with keys to their new apartment thanks to the generous sponsorship
of California donors, who simply want to be referred to as Nejde
and Lilit.
The Poghosyan family
“We first met the Poghosyan family during the implementation of our
Gyumri Winter Rescue project in January 2013,” said Peter Abajian,
the executive director of the Paros Foundation. “It was hard to
imagine what this family had gone through, and we quickly committed
to figuring out what we could do to help.”
Learning of the plight of the Poghosyan family and wanting to help,
Nejde and Lilit committed to the necessary funds, and the search for a
new apartment for the Poghosyan family began. Within several weeks, the
transaction was complete and the family moved into their new apartment.
Throughout the process, the Paros Foundation’s Gyumri partner,
Vahan Tumasyan, the executive director of the Shirak Center, worked
closely with Paros’s Armenia-based staff and spearheaded the effort
to identify and help relocate the family.
The Paros Foundation underwrote all administrative expenses to allow
100 percent of sponsor contributions to be allocated towards the
purchase of the Poghosyan family’s home.
Today, almost 4,000 families in Gyumri-Armenia’s second largest
city-still live in unsafe and extreme conditions, often taking shelter
in dilapidated buildings and in the rusted remains of overseas shipping
containers. Some, left homeless following the 1988 Spitak earthquake,
and others, simple victims of extreme poverty, are left with little
alternative than to live in these inhuman conditions.
The Paros Foundation and the Poghosyan family express their deepest
appreciation to Nejde and Lilit for making this miracle happen. The
Paros Foundation remains committed to helping alleviate this human
suffering through its “Purchase a Home” project. To sponsor this or
another Paros 100 for 100 project, visit To
view a short video of the Poghosyan family’s story, visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
