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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, October 18, 2007
AGBU Young Professionals Give Back to Armenian Home in Queens
On September 16, 2007, AGBU Young Professionals of Greater New York
(YPGNY) visited the New York Armenian Home in Flushing, NY, bringing
smiles, companionship, and entertainment to its senior residents.
As part of a series of events called "YPs Give Back," 20 young
professionals spent their Sunday afternoon visiting with the residents,
playing board games and dancing to Armenian music. One of the
residents, John Sarian, showed his appreciation to the young
professionals by entertaining the crowd with a piano recital of his own.
Resident Charlotte Kechejian appreciated YPGNY’s visit as well, "It
brings tears to my eyes to see these young people coming to the Home to
visit with us."
In addition to indoor entertainment, some volunteers also raked leaves,
trimmed trees, and collected garbage in an effort to beautify the
backyard garden of the Home.
Aghavni "Aggie" Ellian, Executive Director of the Armenian Home, said,
"I’m extremely grateful to the AGBU Young Professionals for remembering
the forgotten generation. When they come here and give up their time on
a beautiful Sunday, to me it means more than a million dollars."
At the end of a day filled with service, memories, and newfound peers,
the YP volunteers returned to Manhattan and enjoyed a group dinner to
celebrate their contributions to the community.
Jeff Aris, a newcomer to the YP group, enjoyed having an opportunity to
directly contribute to the local Armenian community, "I think it’s
important for YPs to get together to do community service; it
strengthens the bonds among the members and makes a difference in our
area."
Aggie hopes that the YPs will continue to come back to the Home for
visits and projects in the future. She reiterated, "These visits are
like a shot in the arm – it’s better than any vitamin the residents
could take."
As part of its "YPs Give Back" series, YPGNY anticipates future visits
to the Armenian Home, including an outdoor barbeque for residents, as
well as other community-service initiatives like building homes with
Habitat for Humanity(r), serving food to the underprivileged during
holidays, and volunteering at local Armenian churches and community
centers.
YPGNY Chairwoman Natalie Gabrelian said, "We are excited to expand the
types of events we offer, and think that community service is a
worthwhile addition to the cultural, educational, and fundraiser events
that we traditionally plan."
Fulfilling the YP mission, the "YPs Give Back" series provides a
platform to improve community life through a worthwhile humanitarian
program, while at the same time facilitating networking amongst the
young Armenian community members in a service-oriented setting.
AGBU YPGNY is part of a growing network of YP Groups and supporters
around the world who are committed to preserving and promoting the
Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural, and
humanitarian programs. For more information on YPGNY, email
[email protected].
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit