SARF Delivers Needed Funds to Syrian Armenians

Elderly Armenians awaiting assistance in Aleppo

16/10/2012

GLENDALE—The first installment of desperately needed funds sent by the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund (SARF) made it to the account set up specially on behalf of the united committees of the Syrian Armenians by the Holy See of Cilicia in Lebanon.

Meher Der Ohanessian, SARF Executive Committee Treasurer, remarked that, “We are very pleased that, despite delays, we were able to tackle all the regulatory hurdles to make our first transfer of $75,000 to the Syrian Armenian community. We will follow up with an additional transfer of $25,000 since more pledges and new donations were received.”

As reported in the media by the Secretariat of the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Syria, the Holy See of Cilicia arranged to have a special account set up to receive donations from all the unified community committees set up all over the world to help the Syrian Armenians survive through the ongoing conflict.

The assistance will be used for food, medicine, temporary shelter, emergency medical and other critical humanitarian expenses by the united committees established by the Syrian-Armenian communities in accordance with local needs.

The transferred funds were collected through mailed checks, on-line donations, and a major fundraiser held on September 19, 2012. Groups of individuals continue to sponsor local fundraisers to continue the flow of funds to the relief fund. In Las Vegas, the St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church parishioners collected $3,130 during a breakfast fundraiser on October 7, 2012. A fundraiser sponsored by the Mediterranean Bistro in Northridge, CA, raised $7,850 on October 8, 2012. Recently, State and City employees working from the offices of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Los Angeles offices raised $670.

A benefit concert is being planned in association with Artists for Kids for November 11, 2012, to be held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

The communities in Syria are suffering. We hope to ease their pain. Zaven Khanjian, Chair of the SARF Executive Committee, appealed to extend a helping hand, provide hope, and inspire them to persevere. He asked, “Did you contribute to the Syrian-Armenians?”

Contributions can be mailed to Syrian Armenian Relief Fund, P.O. Box 1948, Glendale, CA 91209-1948 or by credit card at www.SyrianArmenianReliefFund.org.

The following are organizations constitute the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund: Armenian Catholic Eparchy in North America; Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Western Diocese of the Armenian Church; Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America; Armenian General Benevolent Union; Armenian Missionary Association of America; Armenian Relief Society of Western U.S.A.; Armenian Democratic Liberal Party; Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Western U.S.A.; and Social Democrat Hunchakian Party-Western U.S.A.

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