An Update On Mer Hooys

Children of Mer Hooys Celebrate Army Day in Armenia

On January 28, 2017, the children of Mer Hooys celebrated Army Day in Armenia. Staff social worker Gayane Saribekyan helped arrange for a spectacular day.

The children started the day by going to church, where they received blessings from priest.  From there they went to the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall to participate in the Army Day event organized by the Yerevan Municipality and 16 other organizations. The children enjoyed the concert, comunicated with their friends from Zorakan Dance Ensemble, and danced with the soldiers of the April 4, 2015 War.  

The next day, the Nakashian Children’s Support Center hosted soldiers and volunteers from the April War. The little girls participated with the soldiers in a workshop entitled "Our Strong Army." They illustrated the army of their dreams and how they would like the Armenian army to be. At the end of the workshop, the girls and soldiers presented the painting of the army they dreamed. They shared good wishes and presented their songs, recitations and dances dedicated to the Army and Armenian soldiers.​  Mer Hooys provides its children with a strong multi-faceted educational program, including community participation.  This activity provided the children with an appreciation for their Armenian homeland, and respect for the freedom Armenia's soldiers fight to maintain each day.

Prayer Room Dedication

On February 1, 2017, Fr. Margos Mangasaryan, director of youth services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, joined the children and staff at the Nakashian Children's Support Center to dedicate the new prayer room. Thanks to the generosity of friends of Mer Hooys, including the Christian Education Council of the Western Diocese, the room was furnished with tables and chairs, a beautiful clock, and Armenian cross. Each child received her own children's Bible.  A carpet will be delivered soon.  The large paintings on the walls were created Mer Hooys resident Armine A. and her fiancé Sooren, and donated by the Kutnerian Family from Fresno.

The prayer room will serve as a place for quiet time and reflection for children and staff. Der Margos visits the Center every Monday to provide religious instruction and spiritual nourishment to the girls. Our mentor Yn. Lucine also provides regular religious instruction for the girls.

Mer Hooys Saves Lives

Mer Hooys is a well-respected residential educational program for children from seriously disadvantaged lifestyles in Armenia. Most of the girls come to the Center without a formal education, or performing well below their grade level. They come from families that are abusive or unable to properly support them. Mer Hooys continues to achieve its mission of empowering young girls by providing them with a safe home, comprehensive educational programs, tutoring, psychological counseling, life skills and job training, and, where possible, family counseling and reunification strategies.

Of the 14 girls who were part of the original Mer Hooys “first class” who stayed in the program at least two years, 11 have graduated from high school with good grades, and two will graduate in 2017. Ten graduates are pursuing advanced education in Armenia in fields such as psychology, medicine, photography, architecture and design, business and management, theater arts, and culinary arts. Many of the graduates have reunified with their mothers or father, with support from Mer Hooys staff. Those without a family live in the new transitional apartment in the Nakashian Children’s Support Center where Mer Hooys operates.

Seventeen girls ages 7-13 have joined the Mer Hooys family since June 2015 as the “second class”, and are gradually acclimating to their new lives while continuing to build a healthy relationship with their mother or living relative, where appropriate.

The Mer Hooys program is 100 percent supported by donations to the U.S. non-profit, and by benefactors and local businesses in Armenia. Consider making a generous tax-deductible donation to support the girls of Mer Hooys.

Donations can be made online with credit card or PayPal at www.mer-hooys.org  or payable by check to House of Hope-Mer Hooys, Inc., at P.O. Box 8507, Calabasas, California 91372-8507. All donations will be acknowledged and are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Visit our website for regular updates and to enjoy our Facebook feed.

House of Hope-Mer Hooys, Inc.” was established in 2008. The organization is a California non-profit tax-exempt corporation. Mer Hooys operates in partnership with the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, with the blessings of Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.