New York Hyortik AYF Chapter
69-23 47th Ave.
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 651-1530
hyortik@gmail.com
November 14, 2008
PRESS RELEASE
New York AYF Donates English Teaching Books to Javakhk Youth Centers
NEW YORK – On November 11 the New York Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Hyortik
chapter sent fifteen boxes of English Language Teaching (ELT) books to youth
centers in the Armenian region of Javakhk. The chapter obtained the donation
from the New York City offices of Oxford University Press that house its
American ELT division.
After a lecture by their local Armenian Relief Society (ARS) chapter about
its many initiatives AYF members learned that English-language education
would be one of many programs offered at Javakhk’s three Youth Centers
sponsored by the ARS Javakhk Relief Program Committee. As one of its current
projects on culture and education the ARS has established these centers in
Javakhk’s three major cities to include libraries, computers with internet
access, and sporting venues. Today, the ARS is the only NGO that works in
the region through this and other projects focused on health care and
short-term emergency relief.
As a way of connecting and understanding the importance of the region
Hyortik junior and senior members have also been discussing Javakhk’s
history and current situation. "The Armenians of Javakhk are the keepers and
protectors of Armenian interests in the region. They continue to persevere
and remain on their land even as the Georgian government is trying to drive
them out through a not-so-veiled state action that has seen Javakhk become
the most economically impoverished region in the Republic of Georgia," said
Hyortik member Naz Markarian after listening to an educational about region.
Supporting Armenian schools and education has been one of the themes this
year for the Hyortik’s work. Since this donation the chapter also decided to
give a set of books to St. Illuminator’s Armenian Day School. On November 26
the chapter will also join local Armenian youth and student associations in
hosting an annual Thanksgiving Party whose proceeds will be split between
three local Armenian day schools (Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School;
Hovnanian School; and St. Illuminator’s Armenian Day School) and the Fund
for Armenian Relief’s (FAR) Gyumri IT Center in Armenia.
The Hyortiks have also donated proceeds from their events to the ARS
Sponsor-A-Child Program as well as to the ARS ARS Javakhk Relief Program
Committee. For more information about Javakhk and current initiatives in the
region, visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress