December 9, 2009

One Day For Yerevan

Yerevan --- In observance of International Volunteer Day, on Saturday, December 5, the Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC) organized “One Day for Yerevan”, the first of a series of community service projects bringing together volunteers who give one day for various projects throughout Armenia.

One hundred volunteers came together to clean Tsitsernakabert Park and the surrounding areas. Tsitsernakabert Park includes the memorial in remembrance of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, a significant landmark which attracts many tourists and foreign diplomats, but an area of Yerevan that has historically been polluted with common waste.

Joining AVC volunteers in “One Day for Yerevan” were volunteers from a wide range of organizations including the Brusov Linguistics Institute, Armenia Caritas, Professionals for Civil Society, and Aquatics Armenia.  Volunteers began their clean-up at 11 AM and gathered throughout the day, ending at the Pyunic Association for the Disabled, where a Christmas tree was put up for Pyunic’s beneficiaries. In support of efforts to protect the planet, the Christmas tree was a potted one and will be re-planted in the spring.

Supporters of the successful community service project include the United Nations Volunteer Program and Jean Jacques Adjemian - Sanga Est LLC.

August 25, 2009

Armenian Volunteer Corps Announces New Executive Director

YEREVAN, Armenia -- The Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC) announced this week that Worcester, Massachusetts (USA) native Sharistan Melkonian has joined the organization as Executive Director to head up its Yerevan-based office.

The announcement comes as the AVC, the largest volunteer program sponsored by Birthright Armenia, is preparing to embark on its tenth year of bringing diasporan Armenians to Armenia. AVC Board of Directors member Alex Sardar describes Melkonian as “an energetic and experienced leader who will bring vision and continued passion to our operations. Shari has decades of experience in the trenches of the Armenian American community, in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston and she is certain to lead with great vigor a pan-national effort focused on maximizing the indispensable human resources of the Armenian nation.”

Melkonian will be managing the organization’s operations from Yerevan, working with local organizations, companies, and governmental branches to establish new areas for volunteer job placements and internship programs, as well as enhancing an already active connection between Armenia and the Diaspora. She is also charged with establishing the groundwork for the future growth of the Armenian Volunteer Corps, including continued expansion of the organization outside Yerevan to the more rural areas of Armenia. “I look forward to building on the vision of founders Der Hovnan [formerly Jason] Demerjian, Tamar Hajian and Tom Samuelian,” said Melkonian. “I appreciate the magnitude of the work ahead. Armenia is a very different country than it was a decade ago, with transforming development and successes, but also ongoing and new challenges. At the same time, I am energized because I have the opportunity to work in concert with incredible volunteers, a dedicated staff, hundreds of alumni, and the potential wealth of possibilities created when the Diaspora and Armenia are bridged.”