A few days ago, I received a message on Facebook messenger from Grace, a diasporan who wrote that she appreciated my journalistic work, that we had several mutual friends, and that she had lately had a sum entrusted for her to be used for the needs of Artskahtsis who had been forcibly displaced. She is not able to come to Armenia at the moment and wondered if I could advise on how to reach them with this help.
I gave Grace some information and also sent her a film that I and Hayk Barseghyan had made (Horizons of Hope, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xftyOaDvQNM), which tells the story of the families who settled in the Noyemberyan and Berd sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and who were greatly helped by the Armenians of Fresno.
A few days later Grace called, we talked and got to know each other. She’s from the US, daughter of a Jerusalem Armenian, who first began making visits to Armenia in 2004. Courtesy of the Birthright Armenia program, it was on this first trip that she visited Artsakh where she formed friendships and memories which have had tremendous resonance during the years since then, even after family responsibilities prevented her traveling often.
She also became known in her small circle as the most closely connected to Armenia and one through whom really trustworthy, carefully vetted distribution of aid could be arranged.
The next day she sent $1,300, with which I prepared 26 packages of basic food for the Artsakh residents who settled in the following four settlements: Noyemberyan (13 families), Berdavan (9 families), Jujevan (3 families), Dovegh (1 family).
Yesterday and today I delivered those packages to those families. Along with the help, I was able to encourage the Artsakh people that they are remembered with heartfelt care from their brothers and sisters in the US, even those they have never met. They thanked me and asked me to tell Grace what I was doing.
I am also happy that among my hundreds of friends in America, I have a new friend and a new address. Thank you, Grace.
