Connecticut Genocide Commemoration Committee supports FAR with 2023 proceeds

The Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee of Connecticut donated all income from this year’s annual program to the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) project supporting orphaned children in Artsakh. It was the Committee consensus that, given the current challenges in Artsakh, this year's speaker, topic and donations should focus on Artsakh. “We are pleased to donate $6,200 toward this worthy project,” stated committee chair Melanie Kevorkian Brown. “We appreciate the generosity of our Armenian American community donating toward this invaluable effort to care for and nurture the orphaned children in Artsakh. The FAR orphan initiative was timely and fitting.” The Connecticut Committee held its annual program commemorating the 108th anniversary of the Genocide on April 22, 2023 at the historic Connecticut House Chamber at the State Capitol in Hartford. The keynote speaker was Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) executive director Aram Hamparian. The mission of the committee, in addition to honoring the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide and its survivors, is to support programs and events to inform the public and remember the Genocide. The committee is in the process of establishing a suitable permanent Genocide memorial. It also assists in the legislative mandate to provide Genocide-related curricula in the public schools. Additionally, the committee seeks to present information about developments in the Diaspora and in Armenia. FAR is dedicated to honoring the past, empowering the present and ensuring the future for people in Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk. Born from the immediate need to provide emergency assistance in the wake of the devastating 1988 earthquake, FAR provides hope, guidance, opportunity and empowerment to those in need. Its work is focused mainly through five chief program areas: education, child protection, economic development, healthcare and social services. Through critical projects in these areas, FAR implements life-changing support, such as providing refuge and help to children who have suffered abuse and abandonment; empowering youth to excel in school and access higher education; and transforming healthcare professionals into medical ambassadors in their communities. According to FAR’s executive director Garnik Nanagoulian, the organization has been providing support to families and children who have lost their fathers in the Artsakh wars since the four-day war in 2016. This support has been made possible through the generosity of communities across the country, including the Knights and Daughters of Vartan and the Connecticut Genocide Commemoration Committee. “Thanks to the support we receive, FAR has been able to reach out to about 400 children who have experienced the loss of their fathers on the battlefield in Artsakh,” stated Nanagoulian. “Among them are 8-year-old Lina and 12-year-old Sergey from Syunik Marz. Their mother Meri shared, ‘It's been tough for me to be a single mom, but my kids are my backbone, my motivation to live and move forward. I am grateful for the support we receive, as my only wish is to help my kids have a dignified future.’” “The impact of the Connecticut Genocide Commemoration Committee's contribution for these children cannot be overstated. It provides them with an opportunity to grow up in a healthy and nurturing environment, receive an education and eventually be able to compete on equal footing with their peers,” Nanagoulian concluded.

Connecticut Genocide Commemoration Committee supports FAR with 2023 proceeds

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