Following the successful restart of the SERVICE Armenia program this summer, the Paros Foundation hosted its first SERVICE Armenia trip for young working professionals in the fall of 2021. For seven years, Paros has taken young people ages 17 to 22 to Armenia for a month-long service and tour program. While Paros had to sadly cancel the 2020 trip, it couldn’t keep its young and eager future participants away for long. Following the Artsakh War, Paros had an influx of interest from young professionals who also wanted to visit Armenia, tour and participate in service work and give back professionally.
“We decided to expand our SERVICE Armenia program to those ages 24 and older, who are interested in making a difference in Armenia. Our goal with the Young Professionals trip was not only to be able to make a difference in their lives by connecting them with Armenia, but to also facilitate this group giving back to their homeland with their various professional experiences,” said Paros Foundation executive director Peter Abajian. “I am so happy this trip was so successful.”
During an unforgettable two-week period, the SERVICE Armenia Young Professionals group accomplished several service projects. The group worked on hard work flooring and painting the Ghoghanj Children’s Center, an organization supported by the Paros Foundation in the Nor Nork neighborhood of Yerevan. The group implemented an orphan excursion for children from the Yerevan Children’s Home. They assembled food packets and distributed them to impoverished families, as part of the Groceries for Gyumri project. The group also spent the day in Gyumri where they visited the Debi Arach Children’s Center and attended the opening of the much-anticipated Hianali Beauty Center, a project of the Assarian Vocational Training Program. Among the highlights of the visit to Gyumri included a visit and tour of Digital Pomegranate (a high-tech company based in Gyumri) and the site of another, Paros-sponsored vocational training program.
The SERVICE Armenia Young Professionals group also toured historic, religious and cultural sites in Armenia. The program had English speaking staff and guides, safe and well-located accommodations and transportation combined with interesting cultural and educational activities.
The 2022 SERVICE Armenia Young Professional’s trip is set for October 14 to 30, 2022. The program is open to participants ages 24 to 45.
Guest Contributor
Way to go Paros!