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Fuller Center for Housing Armenia - Armenian Relief Development - Vanadzor Municipality Partnership

17 June 2009 - Vanadzor – As the result of the fruitful partnership of Armenian Relief and Development Association (ARDA), Vanadzor municipality and Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, 16 families that had been living in metal containers more than 20 years, moved to their new, safe and decent homes in the Taron 3 district of Vanadzor city.

The initiator of the project is Steve Lazarian, the president of ARDA and an American-Armenian philanthropist.

With a common goal of eliminating poverty housing in Armenia, all three partners signed an agreement in 2008 to work together in the Vanadzor, Lori region in north-central Armenia.

For this project, ARDA invested 50 percent of the expenses to build homes for the 16 families, while the municipality invested 35 percent and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia invested 15 percent. In addition, the Vanadzor municipality donated the land for the homes, installed the necessary infrastructure to the district and landscaped the area.

The homes were built using new technology of polystyrene foam block. It is possible to complete a new home in a month using this technology, rather than the six- to 12-months required with traditional building materials. Such homes are ecologically clean, reasonably priced and, most importantly, earthquake resistant. These homes have proven standards of efficiency and structural integrity that can be delivered at affordable prices. These low cost homes are cool in the hot Armenian summer and require little heat in cold weather. The standard home has two bedrooms, bath, kitchen and living room.

“It is the priority of the ARDA foundation to make houses that are the most convenient for the families as they have seen so much sorrow. For each family the foundation has donated kitchen cabinets, a gas kitchen stove and oven, as well as a gas heater," said Hrahat Stepanyan, executive director of ARDA's Yerevan office.

The temporary housing district formed in Vanadzor after the 1988 earthquake turned into permanent shelter for many families which survived the disaster that killed some 27,000 people. The families, hardly earning any income, had to renovate the temporary shelters every year just to make them a little bearable under the exhausting summer sun and against the cutting cold of winter. Many children grew up in the temporary shelters and now their children are growing up in the same conditions.

The new polyester homes are a dream come true for the 16 families receiving them, and another 16 families will celebrate their new homes during dedication ceremonies in November. However, some 150 more families remain trapped in the temporary housing erected over 20 years ago.

The average cost of the new polyester home is 5.2 million Armenian drams (about $14,000 U.S. dollars). The homes are built with the help of the benefiting families, as well as local and American volunteers.

CONGRESS HONORS LIFE AND WORK OF MILLARD FULLER

Both branches of the United States Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, passed resolutions this week in honor of Millard Fuller, the founder of The Fuller Center for Housing. This is a significant honor and a unique recognition given only to the most distinguished American citizens.

More than 8,000 people from 44 countries signed our Facebook and other hand-written petitions to get these resolutions up to Congress. The Fuller Center would like to thank each and every one of you: We did it!

The House of Representatives resolution, introduced by Georgia Representative Sanford Bishop, states (in part):

“Celebrating the life of Millard Fuller, a life which provides all the evidence one needs to believe in the power of the human spirit to inspire hope and lift the burdens of poverty and despair from the shoulders of one’s fellow man.”

The Senate resolution, introduced by Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, states (in part):

“Whereas Millard Fuller provided 3 decades of leadership and service to Habitat for Humanity and The Fuller Center for Housing, committing his life to philanthropy and service to others while raising global concern for homelessness and poverty.”

MILLARD FULLER, THE GREATEST BUILDER AND A MAN OF GOD, PASSED AWAY

Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity and The Fuller Center for Housing, died early Tuesday morning after a brief illness.

While we will dearly miss our friend, mentor and leader, we rejoice knowing that he and Clarence Jordan have instilled within us the vision of a world in which everyone has a decent place to live.

Linda Fuller, Millard’s wife of 49 years and the co-founder of Habitat and The Fuller Center, said that great strides have been made toward fulfilling Millard’s vision of eliminating poverty housing around the world, but that there is still tremendous work to be done.

“Millard would not want people to mourn his death,” Linda said. “He would be more interested in having people put on a tool belt and build a house for people in need.”

Former President Jimmy Carter issued a statement in which he called Fuller “one of the most extraordinary people I have ever known.

“He used his remarkable gifts as an entrepreneur for the benefit of millions of needy people around the world by providing them with decent housing,” Carter said in the statement. “As the founder of Habitat for Humanity and later the Fuller Center, he was an inspiration to me, other members of our family and an untold number of volunteers who worked side-by-side under his leadership.”

FULLER CENTER ARMENIA

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

THREE GENERATIONS PARTICIPATE IN FULLER CENTER BUILD

ONE FAMILY’S QUEST TO GIVE BACK AND STAY CONNECTED TO THEIR ROOTS

(Published in the Armenian Reporter, by Nyree Abrahamyan)

Voskevaz - Armenians living in the Diaspora have always felt a tug to return to their homeland, or see it for the first time. In recent years, with more and more airlines flying to Armenia, quick and easy visas at the airport, a plethora of options for accommodations and a growing tourism industry, the dream of visiting Armenia is becoming increasingly accessible. According to the Armenian Tourism Development Agency, the Armenian Diaspora represents 62 percent of all tourist arrivals.

It's wonderful to see growing numbers of diaspora Armenians in the country each year, and even more uplifting that many are opting to volunteer during their visit. Another growing trend among Diaspora Armenians is to visit with the entire family, or as many members of the family as possible. We have been following the stories of some of these families, many of whom are here with members representing three generations. And while they all seem to feel a common bond that is strengthened and deepened when they visit their homeland together with their loved ones, each family's stories, their reasons for visiting Armenia and their experiences are unique.