Fuller Center for Housing Armenia
96 Sarmen St., 0019 Yerevan, RA
[email protected]
Tel: +374 10 52 47 12
Contact: Alla Asatryan
Philanthropy Has No Borders. Embassies Build with Fuller Center for
Housing Armenia
September 13, 2014, Vanadzor city, Lori region, RA: Today the U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia, Mr. John A. Heffern, the Ambassador of the Republic
of Lithuania to Armenia, Mr. Erikas Petrikas, more than 20 volunteer
members from U.S. Embassy participated in the `’Embassies Build” event
organized by `’Helping Hands” and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia
aimed to help build homes for eight vulnerable families who have been
living in metal containers (domiks) for more than 26 years.
It was a day of big celebration, a day of unusual excitement in the Taron 3
rd district of Vanadzor city, Lori region. Many volunteers of different
ages and nationalities teamed up to help build the homes of 8 families who
had been living in metal containers almost a quarter of a century.
The participants did the concreting of the floors of the multi-apartment
building making a real difference in the lives of those 8 families. One of
the family’s, the Voskanyans’ home is partially sponsored by Burns Supper
of the Armenian British Business Chamber. The program aimed to assist the
families living in these temporary shelters started in 2008 with the
trilateral partnership between the Armenian Relief and Development
Association Charitable Foundation, Vanadzor Municipality and the Fuller
Center for Housing Armenia. As a result already 47 families live in their
own decent homes, and this year 8 more families will enjoy that happiness.
`’My family and I have been living in a metal container for many hopeless
years. The bad living conditions have affected my son’s, Avetik’s health;
he is ill with hydrocephalus and has had three surgeries. After few years
he should be operated twice again. I couldn’t even dream that one day I
will have my own decent home. Now I see how my dream and the dream of
people like us is coming into true. We are so happy that our children will
live in better conditions… We are grateful to this program and to all these
people who became a helping hand for us in building our dream home,” said
the future resident of the Taron 3rd district, Tatevik Voskanyan, whose
home is partially sponsored by the Burns Supper of the Armenian British
Business Chamber.
`The U.S. Embassy established three years ago as a volunteer community
service organization called Helping Hands. Our Armenian and American
employees and family members have worked with outstanding organizations
such as Fuller on several occasions and look forward to the opportunity to
help the people of Vanadzor,’ said U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John
A.
Heffern.
`’It is everyone’s cherished dream to have a decent home to live in and
especially for these people who have lived in deteriorated metal containers
without any necessities for many years. It is our duty and domain to help
our compatriots,Õ=9BÕ=9B said the president of the Fuller Center for Housing
Armenia, Ashot Yeghiazaryan.
By the end of the year the construction of the multi-apartment building
will be completed and the families will move to their new decent homes.
To remind, the partnership between U.S. Embassy and Fuller Center for
Housing Armenia started in 2008.
Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is a non-governmental, charitable
organization that supports community development in the Republics of
Armenia and Artsakh by assisting in building and renovating simple, decent
and affordable homes, as well as advocating the right to a decent shelter
as a matter of conscience and action. FCHA provides long-term,
interest-free loans to low-income families. The monthly repayments flow
into a Revolving Fund, which is used to help more families, thereby
providing a financial foundation for sustainable community development. Up
to now the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia has assisted 350 families.
For more information, please visit
or email us at
[email protected]
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