The last several months have been some of the most challenging in our lifetimes for the people of Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian global diaspora. However, against all odds the Armenian American community came together like never before, proving the strength of our people and culture across borders. At Armenia Fund USA, we are proud to serve as a convener for this support and a conduit to ensure these funds reach our brothers and sisters in the homeland.
While the following highlights of our efforts over the last three months, our work is never done and will never cease.
- Individual Donors are the backbone of our work and we have accelerated our efforts to reach them. During this period, we logged 175,000 individual donations from people and companies across the United States and our website has seen 170 daily average visitors. All of this has been supported by a dedicated, consistent group of 15 volunteers who work tirelessly around the clock answering phone calls, processing donations and accepting supplies for humanitarian, civilian and medical aid.
- Group fundraisers were equally important. During this period we held 250 in-person and virtual fundraisers supported by nearly 180 volunteers who ensured the operatibility of all aspects of our efforts. On social media, we had nearly 175 Instagram Live fundraisers (5 per day for 35 days) and more than 200 Facebook fundraisers. We held a variety of creative community fundraising events (car shows/rallies, festivals, bake sales, lemonade stands, jewelry and clothing sales, live/silent auctions, private dinners, art gallery events, dance academy events, paint and sip events, petting zoos, golf tournaments, zumba/fitness classes and bike and hike marathons) and we put on two signature telethons:
- The ArmeniaAid Telethon held on October 10 was organized by a group of donors and television professionals benefiting Armenia Fund USA and raised an unprecedented $30.5 million. Promises and pledges from this Telethon have all been paid and fulfilled.
- The last fundraiser of 2020 was ArmeniaFund’s traditional 23rd Annual International Thanksgiving Day Telethon, which raised $22.9 million.
Our Impact
With all the funds raised from the individual and group fundraisers highlighted above, Armenia Fund prioritized delivering medical, surgical and other vital aid at this time of historic need in Armenia and Artsakh. To that end, to date we have managed to directly fund:
- A variety of essential items including but not limited to electric generators, units of firewood, electric heaters, portable solar charging stations, ambulances, personal hygiene items and gas cylinders,
- 2 major international cargo shipments with 150 tons of supplies including MRI equipment and ventilators and an average of 20 pallets per week between September 27 and December 18,
- To help the nearly 100,000 refugees in Artsakh, we provided food, temporary shelters, housing expenses, funding for hospitalizations, first aid kits, sleeping bags, thermal wear and other items in the areas with the greatest needs,
- To help the families of our fallen soldiers who sacrificed it all for their homeland, we are committed to granting financial support to their families, supporting the education of displaced children and providing housing and supplies to their families for one year.The above only represents our efforts for one quarter of 2020, but our work is not done and 2021 will bring new challenges and opportunities to support our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Artsakh. Transparency is our top focus, and in this spirit as we receive actual updates from the ground in Armenia and Artsakh, we will continue to brief you as to how your donated dollars are being spent for humanitarian relief in the region.
The above only represents our efforts for one quarter of 2020, but our work is not done and 2021 will bring new challenges and opportunities to support our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Artsakh. Transparency is our top focus, and in this spirit as we receive actual updates from the ground in Armenia and Artsakh, we will continue to brief you as to how your donated dollars are being spent for humanitarian relief in the region.