The Paros Foundation launched its “Purchase a Home” project back in 2012 to address the dire need to move more than 4,000 families who were living in horrible conditions. These families lived in “domiks”: condemned buildings, wagons or old shipping containers. Nine years later, more than 2,000 families are still living in these deplorable conditions.
Despite the global pandemic and the devastating war in Artsakh, on December 4, 2020, The Paros Foundation reached a major milestone with the move of its 25th family from a “domik” into a permanent home of their own.
“With the help of our generous supporters, we are proud to announce that we have moved our 25th family into a modern, clean and safe apartment,” said Peter Abajian, executive director of The Paros Foundation. “Between this project and our Debi Arach Children’s Center, we have helped eliminate generational poverty in Gyumri—a priority.”
We are proud to introduce the recipient of this new home, Zaruhi Minasyan and her two sons, who have lived in a domik for the last 15 years. Zaruhi’s husband left for Russia three years ago and never returned, leaving her to raise their sons alone. With the support from her family and social welfare payments, she makes ends meet. Our friends at the Shirak Center NGO in Gyumri worked with us to identify the family. Once the Minasyan family was selected, our team found them a suitable apartment and purchased it. As part of this project’s agreement with the family, this apartment cannot be sold or rented, and the family must live there for at least 10 years. In addition, once the family has been moved into their new place, their old domik will be disassembled. To prevent others from occupying this domik, Shirak Center NGO, with support from The Paros Foundation, tore down the domik and used the scrap materials to support other families living in poverty in Gyumri.
This 25th “Purchase a Home” was made possible with the support and sponsorship of the Employees of Western Drug and the Youredjian family.
The Paros Foundation was launched in 2006 and has implemented more than $9 million worth of projects in Armenia through its unique model of philanthropy and community partnership. These projects are located throughout the country with the majority of work focused in Gyumri and in the Tavush Region, along the border with Azerbaijan. Thanks to the generous support of Paros Founder and Chairman, Roger Strauch, all administrative expenses are underwritten by him and his family, allowing 100-percent of donor contributions to be allocated in their entirety to the designated projects.
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