FAR’s most recent Christmas campaign brought together nearly 1,000 donors from across the United States who decided to act in support of a critical mission: combating childhood malnutrition in Armenia. FAR wishes to give a huge thank you to parishioners and all supporters of this campaign. Nearly $180,000 was raised from donations, both large and small, in what was the organization’s most successful holiday campaign to date, and one that will help support its projects aimed to assist Armenia’s significant population of young children and families who suffer from a lack of proper food and the impacts of poor nutrition. Most of these families live in Armenia’s impoverished border communities like the Berd Region in Armenia’s Tavush Province where FAR has carried out its Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program since 2015, and in Argatsotsn Province where it implements Transforming Children’s Health and Development. Both projects bring healthy lunches to local schools and educate school staff and community residents about the ways they can improve nutrition for local children and families. While the projects have made positive impacts like decreasing the rates of stunting and anemia, child malnutrition remains still a national challenge. Donors hailed from 37 states, plus Washington, D.C., and included many from parishes across the nation, such as St. Mary Armenian Church of Costa Mesa of CA; Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghgat Armenian Church of IL; St. Mesrob Armenian Church of WI; St. John Armenian Church of Greater Detroit, MI; St. Mary Armenian Church of NJ, and more. FAR’s crowdfunding platform, Ayo!, also focused on this mission through its Jashig campaign, which separately raised $21,500, enough to provide school meals throughout 2020 and part of 2021 to 143 kindergartners in Aragatsotn Province. AGBU Young Professionals of Chicago alone raised nearly $12,000 for this initiative. “Earlier in 2019, when we visited Armenia we met with the Ayo! team to discuss humanitarian priorities and opportunities to collaborate. The issue of malnutrition among society’s most innocent and vulnerable stood out as a paramount concern given the health, development, and emotional impact for children who suffer from malnutrition during their early years. So, we got interested in contributing to this nutrition program,” said AGBU Board Chair Tara Mikaelian. “For every child that suffers from malnutrition the future of Armenia itself suffers,” said FAR Board Member Father Der Yeprem Kelegian. “Through the program the lives of these children will be changed, not just because of physical nutrition but their spirits will also be enriched.”
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