Forever Homes for Abandoned Armenians

Dear friends,

2020 has been a bear so far. There’s no way around it. Covid-19 has turned many everyday rituals inside out. The loss associated with that is no small thing. In the midst of so much change, it has been our desire to maintain a sense of joyous shelter and safety for our residents.

Living in a group home is inherently more risky than living in a single family home. Some of our residents have the additional vulnerability of a complicated health history. We have taken their risks to heart and implemented a strict shelter-in-place since mid-March. In order to cut down on exposure, staff members work longer hours and we provide their transportation to and from the homes. No visitors have been allowed to come to the homes. These safety measures have kept all of our residents well, for the time being. But we do have plans in place for how we will proceed when someone becomes ill. At this point, we assume that it is not if, but when.

In the meantime, our staff have gone the extra kilometer to make sure that our residents’ days are full, structured, interesting and engaging. I am so grateful that they are afforded that luxury. There is a lot of cooking, chopping, exercising, planting, blowing up balloons and creating. The residents are crafting brilliant paper suns and pineapples, clay cherries and peaches. They are marking birthdays with ingenuity. Our staff members have been incredible friends and partners in this time, as have each of you. And as always, I am amazed by our residents’ resiliency — their willingness and ability to not just make the most of what they have been given but to make something more, to make something beautiful. Thank you for all you do to make something beautiful on their behalf as well. Our homes are a testament to your love.

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Sincerely Yours,
N atalie Bryant-Rizzieri
Founder & Executive Director