We Are Gyumri: The Rebuilding of a Community

The “We Are Gyumri” campaign will kick off their first event on Saturday, August 9, at Noor Restaurant in the Sofia Foyer Hall (260 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91101) with a Cocktail and Hors D’oeuvres event hosted by the AYF Orange County “Ashod Yergat” Chapter from 8pm to 12am.

“We Are Gyumri” is a campaign focused on raising funds to help unite and strengthen our youth organization in Gyumri, Armenia. The initial step is to upgrade and renovate the youth offices and facilities located at their Armenian Community Center. Currently, the building needs to be completely rebuilt, as it is unsafe and is not in condition to serve as a proper location for communal meetings. The establishment of a community center will create a common ground for the youth to meet, learn, interact, and collaborate. As this is only the first project of an entire campaign, our ultimate goal is to create a lasting positive impact on the youth of the region that is still struggling after the devastation of the 1988 earthquake.

Rebuilding their youth center will serve as a beacon to inspire the children to further their social and academic aspirations. This campaign will bridge the gap between the youth of Gyumri and our AYF Juniors in the West Coast, allowing members from both regions to interact and share information and strengthening the Homeland-Diaspora bond, while also creating opportunities for the advisors to work together and exchange ideas.

The August 9 event will not only mark the beginning of an exciting journey, but it will be a night to acknowledge the work our youth is doing and to help fuel the soil beneath our feet. The “Ashod Yergat” Chapter has dedicated over a year to organizing this project and would be honored to see you at this event to ensure that our vision for Gyumri transpires and that this campaign gets the best start imaginable. The situation in Gyumri demands assistance and with enough support, our campaign will be able to serve as the source for that relief.

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/WeAreGyumri. For tickets, visit www.itsmyseat.com/Gyumri.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.