Cars & Coffee for Artsakh
A fundraising project for Vibrantz for Vanadzor meant to help the displaced people of Artsakh who are now residing in Vanadzor.
In September 2023, 120,000 refugees were forcibly displaced into Armenia from their homes in Artsakh. The aftermath of these massive human rights transgressions resulted in a large-scale need for food, shelter, and aid for reestablishing life. Compelled to do something to help, Arek Boynerian, a 16-year-old living in Glendale, CA turned to the supercar family. With the help of of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, he conceptualized, organized, and executed “Cars and Coffee for Artsakh,” a large fundraiser that took place in December 2023 and attracted hundreds of car lovers. The event featured exotic cars and raised more than $8,000 through food sales, a raffle, and donations. This summer Arek traveled to Vanadzor, a town in Armenia about 2 hours north of Yerevan, to personally distribute financial aid to families from Artsakh who had relocated to Vanadzor. In an arrangement made between our Primate and the Primate of the Diocese in Vanadzor, Arek and a small group of volunteers met with the 25 families who each received $300.
Each family was allowed time to discuss their personal stories and struggles. Individual situations were unique; however, the difficulties and heartache were ubiquitous. Families forced to flee their homeland, leaving behind everything they had built over a lifetime, often with limited time and space to pack their entire lives into a small car, if they were lucky to have one.
The financial aid provided assists the families temporarily, but there was a greater vision born out of this trip. As overwhelming as the situation may seem, it is clear that with a directed plan, we can make long term changes, one family at a time. Now that the Cars & Coffee for Artsakh team has met each of the 25 displaced families in Vanadzor, we are making a commitment to continue to help them so they can have hope for a brighter future. We started implementing phase 2 of the Vanadzor program right away.
We are naming our new Vanadzor program, Vibrance in Vanadzor, powered by these initial funds, it is off to a good start. However, there is much work to do. We must continue our work in order to replace the heartache with hope for our displaced Armenian brothers and sisters.
To everyone who supported Cars & Coffee for Artsakh in 2023, thank you. Your generosity helped make a difference in many lives. We hope that we will see you again at the next Cars & Coffee on December 15, 2024. Your support & donations will go further than ever: this year, the Armen & Gloria Hampar Family Foundation will match every dollar donated (up to $5000)! Just like last year, all the donated funds will go directly into projects that will provide long-term improvements through the Vibrance in Vanadzor project.
Funds Delivered To Armenia
In July of this year, Arek traveled to Vanadzor, a town in Armenia about 2 hours north of Yerevan, to personally distribute the $8100 to families from Artsakh who had relocated to Vanadzor. Arek and a small group of volunteers met with the 25 families who each received $300. Each family was allowed time to discuss their personal stories and struggles. Each situation was unique; however, the difficulties and heartache were ubiquitous. Families forced to flee their homeland, leaving behind everything they had built over a lifetime, often with limited time and space to pack their entire lives into a small car, if they were lucky to have one. Some lived on land with farms, fields, and vineyards they had spent years growing and cultivating, but were now forced to live in a tiny, torn down apartment in a building which could only be described as a slum. Others had businesses they had to abandon. Some were even professionals who had left behind their diplomas and now were forced to work as unskilled laborers just to put food on the table. The most heartbreaking were those individuals who had lost multiple family members in the war or during the gas explosion. They were so heartbroken that all they could say was “I cannot share my story with you.”
We know that the $300 will help each family temporarily, but there was a greater vision born out of meeting the displaced families. Even though it seems like the situation is overwhelming, it is clear that with a directed plan, we can continue to make a long-term difference, one family at a time. Now that the Cars & Coffee for Artsakh team has met each of the 25 displaced families in Vanadzor, we are making a commitment to continue to help them so they can have hope for a brighter future.
We started implanting phase 2 of the Vanadzor program right away. There was a very mature 17-year-old young woman, Valentina, who had come to see us as the representative of her family. Her father was a soldier in Artsakh, and he had suffered an injury resulting in a leg amputation. Her mother, trained as nurse, did not have her diploma and was looking for a job making bread to support Valentina and her two younger sisters. Valentina had just graduated high school and dreamed of training to become a cosmetologist. She was trying to figure out how to work and raise the $600 needed to obtain the training. To her, it seemed like an impossible task. In Vanadzor, that amount of money could cover rent for 2-3 months for a family. Luckily, there was exactly $600 left over after 25 envelopes of $300 each were dispersed. We worked with the amazing social worker for the Vanadzor church, Hripsime and Arevik, a dedicated volunteer, to secure proper cosmetology training for Valentina. However, along with paying for her training, we are implementing a mentorship program for Valentina to assure she has the continued support and guidance from the Cars & Coffee for Artsakh team. We are helping Valentina plan for her future, not only to work and help feed her family, but to excel in her chosen field and be able to “dream big” for her future. We are also helping her mother obtain the needed credentials to be able to work as a nurse in Armenia.
Our new Vanadzor program, Vibrantz in Vanadzor, powered by the funds raised by Cars & Coffee for Artsakh, is off to a good start. However, there is much work to do. We must continue our work in order to replace the heartache with hope for our displaced Armenian sisters and brothers.
To everyone who supported Cars & Coffee for Artsakh in 2023, thank you. Your generosity helped make a difference in many lives. We hope that we will see you again at the next Cars & Coffee in December 15, 2024. Please help us spread the message so that we can, once again, raise substantial funds. This time, we will have a clear plan for every dollar that is raised. Together we can truly realize Vibrantz in Vanadzor.
Photos From Event
Valentina’s Story
In July of this year, Arek traveled to Vanadzor, a town in Armenia about 2 hours north of Yerevan, to personally distribute the $8100 to families from Artsakh who had relocated to Vanadzor. Arek and a small group of volunteers met with the 25 families who each received $300. Each family was allowed time to discuss their personal stories and struggles. Each situation was unique; however, the difficulties and heartache were ubiquitous. Families forced to flee their homeland, leaving behind everything they had built over a lifetime, often with limited time and space to pack their entire lives into a small car, if they were lucky to have one. Some lived on land with farms, fields, and vineyards they had spent years growing and cultivating, but were now forced to live in a tiny, torn down apartment in a building which could only be described as a slum. Others had businesses they had to abandon. Some were even professionals who had left behind their diplomas and now were forced to work as unskilled laborers just to put food on the table. The most heartbreaking were those individuals who had lost multiple family members in the war or during the gas explosion. They were so heartbroken that all they could say was “I cannot share my story with you.”
We know that the $300 will help each family temporarily, but there was a greater vision born out of meeting the displaced families. Even though it seems like the situation is overwhelming, it is clear that with a directed plan, we can continue to make a long-term difference, one family at a time. Now that the Cars & Coffee for Artsakh team has met each of the 25 displaced families in Vanadzor, we are making a commitment to continue to help them so they can have hope for a brighter future.
We started implanting phase 2 of the Vanadzor program right away. There was a very mature 17-year-old young woman, Valentina, who had come to see us as the representative of her family. Her father was a soldier in Artsakh, and he had suffered an injury resulting in a leg amputation. Her mother, trained as nurse, did not have her diploma and was looking for a job making bread to support Valentina and her two younger sisters. Valentina had just graduated high school and dreamed of training to become a cosmetologist. She was trying to figure out how to work and raise the $600 needed to obtain the training. To her, it seemed like an impossible task. In Vanadzor, that amount of money could cover rent for 2-3 months for a family. Luckily, there was exactly $600 left over after 25 envelopes of $300 each were dispersed. We worked with the amazing social worker for the Vanadzor church, Hripsime and Arevik, a dedicated volunteer, to secure proper cosmetology training for Valentina. However, along with paying for her training, we are implementing a mentorship program for Valentina to assure she has the continued support and guidance from the Cars & Coffee for Artsakh team. We are helping Valentina plan for her future, not only to work and help feed her family, but to excel in her chosen field and be able to “dream big” for her future. We are also helping her mother obtain the needed credentials to be able to work as a nurse in Armenia.
Our new Vanadzor program, Vibrantz in Vanadzor, powered by the funds raised by Cars & Coffee for Artsakh, is off to a good start. However, there is much work to do. We must continue our work in order to replace the heartache with hope for our displaced Armenian sisters and brothers.
To everyone who supported Cars & Coffee for Artsakh in 2023, thank you. Your generosity helped make a difference in many lives. We hope that we will see you again at the next Cars & Coffee in December 15, 2024. Please help us spread the message so that we can, once again, raise substantial funds. This time, we will have a clear plan for every dollar that is raised. Together we can truly realize Vibrantz in Vanadzor.
