THANK YOU

Dear partners at Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley, Tri-Cities Area Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, Delaware County Habitat for Humanity, Joyce Minor, Habitat for Humanity of Michigan, Wexford Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity Canada, 

On behalf of our partner families we would like to thank you for your tithes and donations of total $45,098.3  received between February to May, 2015: 

Tithes:

HFH of Greater Cincinnati -$29,648.44, 10 families served 
Canada HFH - $5,600, 2 families served.
HFH of the St. Vrain Valley- $3072.36, 1 family served
Delaware County HFH - $2000, 1 familiy served
HFH of Michigan-$1,665, 1 family served
Wexford Habitat for Humanity - $1,312.5, 1 family served

Tri-Cities Area HFH -$800, 1 family served

Individual donations:
Joyce Minor-$1000, 1 family served

Thanks to your support we were enabled to serve 18 more families in Armavir, Vayots Dzor, and Lori regions within the Housing Microfinance project. 

Please see below the names of the families that befitted from your tithes and donations:

Daniel Margaryan
Anahit Hovsepyan
Martik Stepanyan
Alisa Ordinyan

David Matevosyan

Vrezh Antonyan

Vladaimir Shakulyan
Samvel Kostanyan

Arshak Gevorgyan

Aramayis Melikyan

Armen Hakobyan
Artur Karatpetyan
Marine Adalyan
Taguhi Hambardzumyan
Rudik Mirzakhanyan
Suren Kostandyan
Arusyak Ghabuzyan
Hasmik Hovsepyan

Please note that the interventions are in different stages; some of the families have already completed thge work and the others are in the progress state. To learn more about the families and how your support impacted their lives see 8 family stories below. 

Our goal is to continue to make a difference in the lives of the people. Your support is a great motivation for us and gives us courage and energy to move towards our goal of building better future for families living in substandard housing conditions. 
Thank you again for your partnership and dedication to Habitat for Humanity Armenia's mission. 

Daniel Margaryan

Three generations of the Margaryan family of 8 live in a humble house in Vardanashen village of Armavir region.  Daniel and Manushak, father and mother of the family used to share a home with an extended family for a long time. But as the families expanded it was necessary to move. According to the Armenia traditions the youngest son stays in the ancestral home, so Daniel and Manush had to move with their three sons; Mushegh (29), Garik (27) and Roman (24). Garik is married to Hamest (20) and they have two chuikdren; Daniel (3) and David (1).

Daniel and Manushak stated a new house 4 years ago but could never afford to finish it on their own. Though the family works hard they can hardly make both ends meet.  Without a hand up from Habitat Armenia it would be impossible for them to complete the house on their own. The sons usually go on a migrant construction work in Russia during the season to support the family.

The partnership with Habitat was a great experience for the family as they hosted a Global Village team from Canada to help them finish the house. The team worked hand in hand with the family for a week doing cement sand plastering of walls. The family was very excited with the extra help and their new friends who cared so much for their wellbeing.  It was once in a lifetime experience which they will never forget. 

Anahit Hovsepyan

The Hovsepyan residence, whose two rooms cover thirty-five square meters, once belonged to the local police department, and the family have converted it into a decent home. Anahit's son, Yesayi, his wife,

Irina, and their two young children, Suzy and Artyom, also live in the house.  Anahit works at the police station, Yesayi is a lifeguard, and Irina stays at home with the children. Before moving into their current quarters, the Hovsepyans had been living in public housing.

Anahit and her family have applied to Habitat for Humanity Armenia to help them improve their home, including the replacement of existing windows, which were in poor condition, as well as the bathroom renovation. Anahit cited the favorable lending terms and affordable monthly payments that HFHA offered, without which these improvements would have been out of her reach.

Martik Stepanyan

The Stepanyan home, which the family acquired in the early 1990s after the collapse of the USSR, now houses five people. Martik and Anahit live with their children, Gevork and Diana, and Martik's mother, Rosa. Martik and Anahit both work at a local school, he a security guard and she a librarian. Gevork and Diana are students. The family has a garden and also raises sheep and cows, produce from which they use themselves and sell to neighbors.

 Over the years, the Stepanyans have made numerous improvements to their home, including the addition of a second floor and extra rooms. There is still work to be done, however, and they intend to apply for a second loan through HFHA once they have repaid the first one.

Alisa Ordinyan

Alisa and Hrach Ordinyan and their daughter, Nayiné, share a home on the outskirts of Vanadzor. Hrach spends most of each year working in Russia to support the family, while Alisa does her part by selling produce in Georgia (during the warm months) and clothing in Turkey. After the earthquake of 1988, which devastated populated areas in both Lori and Shirak, the Ordinyans lived in refugee housing for eight years.

With the assistance of HFH, the family is renovating and expanding the house: they have installed new windows, repaired a few cracks of the roof, and have begun to convert their covered porch into an additional indoor room. Alisa praised the lending terms she was offered by HFH, e.g., a reduced interest rate and affordable monthly payment, without which she was convinced the project would have been beyond their means.

David Matevosyan

David and Asya Matevosyan, a married couple expecting their second child, live together with Gevork, their son, and David's mother, Laura. David works as a delivery driver, and Asya supplements his income with a small-time home business. Their house has been in the Matevosyan family for seventy years, but it needed considerable interior work before David and Asya could move in.

 Because of the high cost of a total renovation, the Matevosyans sought the assistance of Habitat for Humanity, through which they obtained a loan with terms they can afford. The project is not yet complete, but David and Asya hope to put on the finishing touches within the next few months.

Vrezh Antonyan

Vrezh and Armenuhi Antonyan live in Pambak, a small town outside Vanadzor. They were forced to live in temporary housing for several years after the 1988 earthquake, but now the Antonyans and their two children share a comfortable home. Vrezh is the manager of a nearby stone quarry, and Armenuhi supervises the Pambak post office. Their daughter, who recently announced her engagement, is a secretary at a municipal office, while their son is unemployed.

 With the financing that Habitat for Humanity has provided, the Antonyans have completed extensive work on their home of eleven years: both the lower and upper floors now have new flooring, windows, and doors, and a staircase connecting the two will soon be done. Despite setbacks caused by a fire inside their house last year, which damaged parts of both floors but (thankfully) spared the wooden roof.

Vrezh and Armenuhi pressed on with the project. A second loan from HFH will be necessary to cover the costs, but this couple has overcome great obstacles to make their house a home, and this will seem a trifle by comparison.

Vladaimir Shakhkulyan

Vladimir Shakulyan, who owns a bakery and earns a decent living, his wife, Manana, and their three children - Felix, Erik, and Yana - live in a house they bought six years ago.  Before then, the family lived with Vladmir's parents. During those six years, the family have made incremental improvements to the interior, but it became clear that outside assistance would be essential for their next project.

The Shakulyans are constructing a two-floor addition to their home; as their family has grown, a larger living space has become a necessity. They received a loan from Habitat for Humanity to ease the financial burden of such an undertaking. Vladimir expressed his gratitude for the convenient lending terms provided by HFH, without which, he said, his home would have been too cramped for a family of five.

Samvel Kostanyan

Samvel, an electrician, and Anush, a homemaker, live in a house built by Samvel's father during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Kostanyans also maintain a garden and own a few livestock. They share their home with their son, Arman, his wife, Mané, and Mané's younger brother, Narek. Arman spends part of each year in Russia as a migrant worker, and Narek is a student in grade school.  The house has six large rooms and, in keeping with traditional practices, is designed to accommodate extended family and guests.  Although structurally sound, the house has begun to show its age: recently, parts of the roof had begun to leak. 

 With assistance from Habitat for Humanity Armenia, the Kostanyans were able to replace part of their roof and are now fully protected from the elements once again.

Samvel was clearly proud of and grateful for the improvements that have been made to his family's home

.