Forever Homes for Abandoned Armenians

Dear friends,

I realized recently that I begin most reflections on Warm Hearth by orienting myself with the season. There is a rhythm to the year that must bring some solace, to which I almost *must* connect myself before writing about our group home. And today as I began my work, I did the same thing. I looked at the weather in Yerevan, Armenia and it is 37 degrees Fahrenheit. It is getting cold during the night...and I am worried because we do not have heat in our house right now.

When we opened the home, Bridget and I bought two large gas furnaces from Iran. They heat the home well and it is quite comfortable even in the throes of winter. But due to a new law, we are not allowed to use those heaters any longer & must install central heat. We are on our way to making this happen & have been shuffling through the laws, boiler estimates, gas valves & switches and exchange rates. Many of you have helped with this, have offered expertise & insight, for which I am grateful. And like I said, we are moving as quickly as possible and will hopefully begin installation next week.

But in the mean time, our residents are still cold. And when I pull the blanket over me at night I think about them, and how many blankets they probably have atop their bodies...and how it probably still is cold.

And from there I think of how, no matter how much you love someone you cannot always protect them as you would want to. But we keep trying -- and that is all we can do. I cannot say how many times I have come to this in the "life" of Warm Hearth...but it seems a rock-bottom truth. I keep arriving here, in roundabout ways. And it makes me think of Rilke's words from "The Visionary," a few of which I will share....

How little are the things with which we wrestle. What with us wrestles, how much greater is!

If only we would let ourselves be conquered as things are overcome by a great storm, we would expand in space and need no names.

When we victorious are, it is over the small things, and though we won, it leaves us feeling small.

...

The secret of his growing lies in this: by being totally defeated and disarmed by even greater forces and their cause.

I hope that we keep growing -- even if it means these moments of what feels like defeat. That is what I hope. And that each of you is well. And warm.

With Gratitude,

-- Natalie Bryant Rizzieri Founder, Executive Director Friends of Warm Hearth, Inc.

Thank you to all of you who have given to our home.

Thank you for your kindness towards Warm Hearth's residents.

Your donation makes it possible to provide a life for our residents outside the psychiatric institutions in Armenia.

Your support is a vital part of our operation and is also sustenance to our hearts, as we know, through your gift, that we are not alone in this endeavor.

If you are interested, our Annual Report is attached. This chronicles our growth, the healing of our residents and our story from beginning to present day.

Thank you again for your support.

Kindly,

Natalie Bryant Rizzieri Executive Director & Founder

• fwh_2007_annual_report.pdf (PDF)