Fuller Center for Housing Organizing Trip to Armenia

What is a volunteer? A volunteer is someone who is willing to work to help others. A volunteer with the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia (FCHA) works alongside a village family to build or renovate their home that is in need of completion. You will have a feeling of contentment and gratitude seeing the joy on the faces of the family you are helping. How would I know this? For the past 15 years, my husband and I, along with dozens of volunteers, have worked with families in Armenia.

Volunteers who have joined us each year have expressed that their hearts were filled with joy. When leaving after the build is done, we all shed tears. The bonds that we have made are strong with the family and others we worked with.

We invite you to take part in this incredible life-changing experience. I will be leading an FCHA build trip this summer. The dates are June 28 to July 10, 2020. Our work consists of passing buckets, spackling or painting. There is no age range to join. However, those under the age of 18 will need to have a minor consent form signed by a parent. I recommend that the whole family come and enjoy the experience together. The Armenian people are warm and loving. You need not speak Armenian as most families speak English. Your trip leader and co-leader speak Armenian and the FCHA staff all speak English.

We work, we tour, we sing, we dance and we shop. During our days off we will see historic churches, Mt. Ararat (seen most everywhere), Garni, Geghard, Lake Sevan, Etchmiadzin and so much more!

Our hotel of choice is the Congress Hotel. It recently has been renovated and is very modern. There is a pool and a gym. It is a block from the city center. The trip cost is $1700 (double or triple occupancy). This includes food, lodging and touring. Airfare, alcohol and tips are not included. Arrival is scheduled for 2:00 pm on June 28 and departure at 12:00 noon on July 10. Longer stays can be arranged at an additional cost and may be arranged by FCHA with the hotel. When you arrive at the airport an FCHA staff member will be there to greet you and take you to the hotel.

For more information contact team leader Sona Manuelian (adsonamanuelian@gmail.com) at 551-427-8763.

I leave you with this thought from Mr. Millard Fuller (founder of the Fuller Center for Housing). “Everyone, all of us, every last person on God’s Earth deserves a decent shelter.” A perfect saying, if only all of us were willing to volunteer.