A Dream Comes True for Homeless Gyumri Family

For 28 terrible years, ever since the devastating Spitak earthquake of 1988, Gyumri native Anahit Sukiassyan and her family have had to move from one rickety hut to the next, unable to either afford a decent home or receive housing assistance from the government.

The last hut Anahit and her kids lived in was perhaps the worst: a rat-infested, water-damaged hovel with exposed electric wiring and lacking the most basic of amenities and comforts.

In 2015, Anahit submitted an application to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, hoping to become a beneficiary of the Gyumri Housing Project spearheaded by Armenia Fund US Western Region and implemented in partnership with Shant TV of Los Angeles.

Barely a year later, representatives of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund paid a surprise visit to Anahit, bearing a present unlike any other: the keys to a new apartment.

The home that was presented to the Sukiassyans that day was a gift from the German-Armenian community, made possible through grassroots donations. Spacious, bright, and located in a newly built Gyumri neighborhood, the apartment came fully furnished and featuring a complement of amenities, including appliances.