Strengthening our Homeland
The Akhourian “Mother and Child Health Center” was established in 1997 and provides comprehensive health care services to the region’s more than 40,000 residents, and has more than 1,200 births annually. The center is furnished with modern medical equipment, and employs highly qualified medical staff. Funding for the construction of this clinic, as well as its initial programs, was funded by the ARS of Eastern USA.
“Soseh” Kindergarten/Day Care center opened its doors in 1998 to care for the children of martyred freedom fighters and their families, who are in need of ARS helping hands. Today, there are ten ARS “Soseh” kindergartens that provide elementary education and hot meals twice a day, five days a week in a warm and secure surrounding.
The ARS of Eastern USA cosponsors Meds Tagher Soseh Kindergarten in the Hadrut region, along with ARS Canada. The Kindergarten has more than 65 children and 11 supervised employees who nurture and prepare the children for a healthy and productive future.
The “Amanor” program was established in 2000. To date, over $20,000 has been allocated to many humanitarian institutions serving the Armenian communities throughout the world, such as the Bird’s Nest Orphanage and
Zvartnots School for disabled children in Lebanon, old age homes and shelters in Lebanon, Syria and South America, “Soseh” kindergartens in Artsakh and Bulgaria, orphanages in Armenia and helping disadvantaged children in Javakhk.
Every year, ARS members donate the modest sum of $3, as their heartfelt “Amanor” Yuletide present. Christmas and New Year celebrations are organized at the above mentioned institutions, and gifts are distributed to seniors and children in the spirit of Christmas.
The ARS established the “Outstanding Student” Program in 1995 to award the best students in Armenia. Award recipients are jointly selected by the Government of Armenia’s Ministry of Education and a special committee appointed by the ARS Armenia Regional Executive Board. Later the Outstanding Student Program was extended to the Republic of Artsakh and in 2005, the ARS. expanded its Outstanding Student Program further to include Armenian students residing in the Javakhk region of the Republic of Georgia. In the case of the Republic of Artsakh and Javakhk, the local ARS chapters select the outstanding students, based on their college grades. The ARS of Eastern US participates in the program yearly, by making a financial contribution.
Through the ARS Orphan’s Sponsorship program, children who lost their parents during the earthquake in Armenia (1988) and children of soldiers who have been killed in Artsakh receive a a financial contribution until the age of 18.
Since the program’s inception, in 1992, the ARS of Eastern USA has sponsored more than 900 children and continues to do so.
Sponsorship – $330
The Orphan Education Fund assists the college education of orphans residing in Armenia and Artsakh, who have reached the age of 18. Currently 40 students are being sponsored by chapters of the ARS of Eastern USA.
Sponsorship – $320
In 2018, the ARS of Eastern US initiated the “Sponsor a Syrian Armenian Student Program” in an effort to help Armenian students from Syria that were pursuing an education in Armenia. Support is to enable students to help achieve their greatest potential.
Sponsorship – $320