Fresno AYF Sends 700 Toys to Orphanages in Armenia, Karabakh for Christmas

BY SEVAG JIERIAN

FRESNO, CA—The Armenian Youth Federation’s Fresno “Kevork Chavoush” chapter collected and delivered more than 700 toys to orphanages throughout Armenia and Karabakh this Armenian Christmas, reported the Armenian Youth Federation.

The toy-drive, an annual tradition for the chapter, began mid November 2010 and ended on January 6, 2011 with the delivery of the toys to orphanages operated by the Armenian Relief Society.

According to Chapter Chairperson Anto Torossian, this was the most successful toy drive to date. “Four years after starting this tradition, the chapter was able to put a smile on the face of 700 different children, the most we’ve ever impacted,” explained Torossian. “We could not have done this without the help of our local community, the dedication of our members and the support of the Armenian Relief Society.

“With the help of the Armenian Relief Society Western Region out of Glendale, CA, we are able to ship the toys to Armenia and distribute them to orphanages operated by the ARS,” Torossian said. “They have been a great help to us, ensuring that the toys reach the hands of less fortunate children in the homeland.”
“In 2007 the Fresno “Kevork Chavoush” Chapter set out to help our little brothers and sisters in Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh by bringing smiles to their faces,” said Jierian. “That year we collected a mere 150 toys, so we promised ourselves to make this an annual event, while outdoing the previous year.”

Torossian described the event as a privilege for everyone involved. “The toy drive allowed our members to work with many generous people and businesses in the community to successfully match and exceed the number of toys collected from previous years, and more importantly, to help youth in our homeland.”