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AN UNLIKELY CHRISTMAS GIFT TO VANADZOR ORPHANAGE
by Tom Vartabedian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/11/18/an-unlikely-christmas-gift-to-vanadzor-orphanage/
November 18, 2012
Every so often, a story comes along that is bound to warm the cockles
of your heart, especially during Christmas.
Children at Vanadzor Orphanage in Armenia show their appreciation
over an early Christmas gift from a group of American hikers.
You may not know Leon Tokatlian, but to the hiking world throughout
the northeast, he's like the man in the mountain-Armenia's answer to
Sir Edmund Hillary, who successfully climbed Mount Everest in 1953
while blazing a trail for others to follow.
In some ways, Tokatlian is cut from the same cloth. He spends his days
and weeks hiking mountains and taking other climbers with him. The
last we heard, he'd scaled some of the more prominent peaks in the
world, including Nepal, Peru, Mongolia, and Ecuador.
And just for conditioning, he hops atop Mount Washington in New
Hampshire twice a month to keep in shape for his other climbs. If
a journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step, then climbing
mountains and scaling the greatest heights of this universe is his
stairway to paradise.
Thus begins this story. A group of his odar hiking buddies were
looking to chart new inroads and their journey took them to Armenia.
No doubt, Tokatlian was an influence in this destination, given his
active ethnic upbringing.
While meandering throughout the country, their journey took them to
the Vanadzor Orphanage. They found the orphanage needed help very
badly and upon their return to the states, the hikers decided to band
together and make a Christmas donation to the facility.
One of those climbers was Mitch Manseau, and the orphanage's plight
left an indelible mark upon him and the others.
"The day before leaving Armenia and traveling to Georgia on a Southern
Caucasus tour, we visited the orphanage in Vanadzor in north-central
Armenia," he reports. "The management and staff were doing the maximum
for these children with slim resources and even sending some of the
students to the university."
Manseau continued, "The youth were endearing and seemed part of a
very extended, warm family. The older kids were big brothers and
sisters to the younger ones, and all were learning life-supporting
skills and academics on which to build strong futures."
The orphanage at Vanadzor was established 15 years ago with 30 orphans,
beggars and children abandoned by their families.
According to the orphanage statute, healthy children from infants to
16-year-olds find a home and school there. Currently, there are 116
children, many of whom are enrolled in secondary and high schools.
Several boys were called to the national army in recent years.
While touring the orphanage, these hikers received an earful from
the guides. There's a dire need to expand, build a sports gym, and
increase the number of bedrooms and workshops.
"It truly opened our eyes," said Manseau. "When we returned home,
we volunteered to help out this orphanage with a combined Christmas
gift in the name of our climbing federation. Turns out that it's a bit
complicated to get dollars there and requires some banking activity
best accomplished by bundling."
According to Manseau, the group's treasurer will combine donations
into a single contribution and work it through channels to arrive at
Vanadzor before Christmas.
It's that time of year when charity hits home. The best gift we can
give is to help others in need, whether it's to an orphanage in Armenia
or some other worthy cause in our midst, like Camp Haiastan, Project
SAVE, ALMA, or any number of our Armenian schools and churches. The
list is endless.
Money aside, provisions are just as tangible. For years, St. Gregory
Armenian Church in North Andover, where I belong, has adopted a
charity called House of Hope, to which parishioners bring clothing
and non-perishables.
Our children play an important part in this project. Not only do they
conduct individual drives, but a representation will be on hand to
make the disbursement.
It teaches them the importance of sharing and the gratitude they
receive surely outweighs the sacrifice. Whether it's Vanadzor or
elsewhere, if you are not poor enough to take charity, you are rich
enough to give it.
Persons wishing to help the Vanadzor Orphanage can send a check to
NHFC, P.O. Box 974, Plymouth, NH 03264.
by Tom Vartabedian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/11/18/an-unlikely-christmas-gift-to-vanadzor-orphanage/
November 18, 2012
Every so often, a story comes along that is bound to warm the cockles
of your heart, especially during Christmas.
Children at Vanadzor Orphanage in Armenia show their appreciation
over an early Christmas gift from a group of American hikers.
You may not know Leon Tokatlian, but to the hiking world throughout
the northeast, he's like the man in the mountain-Armenia's answer to
Sir Edmund Hillary, who successfully climbed Mount Everest in 1953
while blazing a trail for others to follow.
In some ways, Tokatlian is cut from the same cloth. He spends his days
and weeks hiking mountains and taking other climbers with him. The
last we heard, he'd scaled some of the more prominent peaks in the
world, including Nepal, Peru, Mongolia, and Ecuador.
And just for conditioning, he hops atop Mount Washington in New
Hampshire twice a month to keep in shape for his other climbs. If
a journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step, then climbing
mountains and scaling the greatest heights of this universe is his
stairway to paradise.
Thus begins this story. A group of his odar hiking buddies were
looking to chart new inroads and their journey took them to Armenia.
No doubt, Tokatlian was an influence in this destination, given his
active ethnic upbringing.
While meandering throughout the country, their journey took them to
the Vanadzor Orphanage. They found the orphanage needed help very
badly and upon their return to the states, the hikers decided to band
together and make a Christmas donation to the facility.
One of those climbers was Mitch Manseau, and the orphanage's plight
left an indelible mark upon him and the others.
"The day before leaving Armenia and traveling to Georgia on a Southern
Caucasus tour, we visited the orphanage in Vanadzor in north-central
Armenia," he reports. "The management and staff were doing the maximum
for these children with slim resources and even sending some of the
students to the university."
Manseau continued, "The youth were endearing and seemed part of a
very extended, warm family. The older kids were big brothers and
sisters to the younger ones, and all were learning life-supporting
skills and academics on which to build strong futures."
The orphanage at Vanadzor was established 15 years ago with 30 orphans,
beggars and children abandoned by their families.
According to the orphanage statute, healthy children from infants to
16-year-olds find a home and school there. Currently, there are 116
children, many of whom are enrolled in secondary and high schools.
Several boys were called to the national army in recent years.
While touring the orphanage, these hikers received an earful from
the guides. There's a dire need to expand, build a sports gym, and
increase the number of bedrooms and workshops.
"It truly opened our eyes," said Manseau. "When we returned home,
we volunteered to help out this orphanage with a combined Christmas
gift in the name of our climbing federation. Turns out that it's a bit
complicated to get dollars there and requires some banking activity
best accomplished by bundling."
According to Manseau, the group's treasurer will combine donations
into a single contribution and work it through channels to arrive at
Vanadzor before Christmas.
It's that time of year when charity hits home. The best gift we can
give is to help others in need, whether it's to an orphanage in Armenia
or some other worthy cause in our midst, like Camp Haiastan, Project
SAVE, ALMA, or any number of our Armenian schools and churches. The
list is endless.
Money aside, provisions are just as tangible. For years, St. Gregory
Armenian Church in North Andover, where I belong, has adopted a
charity called House of Hope, to which parishioners bring clothing
and non-perishables.
Our children play an important part in this project. Not only do they
conduct individual drives, but a representation will be on hand to
make the disbursement.
It teaches them the importance of sharing and the gratitude they
receive surely outweighs the sacrifice. Whether it's Vanadzor or
elsewhere, if you are not poor enough to take charity, you are rich
enough to give it.
Persons wishing to help the Vanadzor Orphanage can send a check to
NHFC, P.O. Box 974, Plymouth, NH 03264.