PRESS OFFICE
Office of the Legate
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
Website:

November 1, 2006
___________________

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY TO BUILD "CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II WORK PROJECT" IN
ARMENIA

BY FLORENCE AVAKIAN

For the first time in its six year program in Armenia, Habitat for
Humanity and the Armenian Apostolic Church will join together to
combat the severe housing shortage for families in need in Armenia.
This latest agreement solidifies the already growing relationship
between the Armenian Church and Habitat for Humanity (HFH).

In this latest project, HFH will build the "Karekin II Work Project"
with the blessings of the Catholicos of All Armenians. The work which
was recently completed, resulted in 37 homes being built in Gavar near
Lake Sevan. The 106 volunteers who gave their devoted services, were
mostly priests and seminarians from Armenia, but they also included
several volunteers from the United States. The Diocese of the Armenian
Church in America had sent teams from different parishes.

Bishop Vicken Aykazian who is currently the President-Elect of
the National Council of Churches, and Executive Director of the
Ecumenical Office of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church,
played an important role in this latest program, convincing Dr. Bob
Edgar, President of the National Council of Churches of the crucial
importance of this latest work.

During the ten day program which ran from September 1 to 10, the work
focused mainly on the completion of the construction. Both Catholicos
Karekin II of All Armenians, and Bishop Vicken Aykazian played
important roles, joining the group in the painting of the buildings.
Before this final phase, the volunteers had performed the initial
part of the project.

"Through this partnership, we are "putting our faith into action,"
said Bishop Vicken, in an interview at the Diocesan headquarters in
New York. "Spiritually, we share the same values with Habitat for
Humanity. We are especially enthusiastic about sharing this important
program for our people in Armenia."

The disastrous Armenian earthquake in 1988 which left half a million
homeless, resulted in hundreds of thousands living in unfinished
basements which were basically holes in the ground with makeshift
roofs, or in metal containers called domiks. Many families called
these domiks which were excruciatingly hot in summer and frigidly
cold in winter, home for more than a decade.

Since 2000, Habitat for Humanity Armenia has centered its activities
on eliminating poverty housing. Hundreds of devoted volunteers, have
devoted their time and expertise to this monumental task during the
past six years, providing homes for more than 1000 poverty-stricken
people, using the riches of Armenia’s locally-mined tufa stone in
the construction.

In 2005, Catholicos Karekin II participated in the Carter Work Project
(named for President Jimmy Carter) in Michigan. A simultaneous project
was instituted in Armenia by Habitat for Humanity, led by the Very
Rev. Fr. Torkom Tonikyan, Vicar of the Araratian Dicoese.

Habitat for Humanity International which was founded in 1976, is a
non-denominational Christian, non-governmental, non-profit housing
organization that has been instrumental in assisting more than one
million people all over the world to have a decent and affordable
place to live.

— 11/1/06

PHOTO CAPTION (1): A family in Armenia works on its new home.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, with Bishop Vicken Aykazian
and other dignitaries at the Habitat for Humanity worksite.

# # #