The CFFA (Children’s Fund for Armenia) an Armenian childcare sponsorship organization. It was created and operated under the auspices of the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian Church. It has its own administrative council with its separate finances. The organization has its counterpart in Armenia, with its office, and the two communities work together. The Heart Reaches Out:
Few opportunities in life are as direct, simple and rewarding at those offered to contributors to the Childrens Fund for Armenia (CFFA). Created in the aftermath of a natural disaster, one can make an enormous difference to the life of a child with a contribution of less than one dollar a day. This charitable Fund expresses the sense of community, the generosity and humanity of Armenians everywhere.
Each One Reaches One:
CFFA has sponsored more than 1500 children left orphaned by the earthquake that devastated Armenia on 7 December 1988. Through sponsorship, financial assistance is provided to the families and guardians caring for them. Now, 13 years later, our goal is to expand CFFA charter to include children who are living in poverty as a result of the Countrys deteriorating economy, and children who have lost a parent through illness of the Karabagh conflict. Spiritual and financial supports are needed to continue this humanitarian partnership between our Canadian Diocese and Armenia´s future generation.
How The Fund Began:
Madeline Dovletian wanted to sponsor an orphaned Armenian child. Clergy and Armenian organizations around the world were concentrating their efforts on the national scale relief. Through perseverance and the efforts of an aunt in Yerevan, she became the sponsor of 10-year-old Edgar Haroutiounian. He was the first Canadian-sponsored child; eventually there would be 1500. The needs of these orphaned children galvanized concerned Canadian-Armenians. Under the auspices of the Primate of the Canadian Diocese His Eminence Bishop Hovnan Derderian, a committee was formed to initiate a sponsorship program. A liaison committee was created in Yerevan with the approval of the late Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Vazgen I. In July 1991, Ms. Dovletian and Ms. Diana Bogosyan traveled to Armenia and undertook a massive effort to document the first 160orphaned children. The dossier with photos, personal data, family background and a short history of each child formed the template for information that is provided to each sponsor. The CFFA expanded. Executive Committees were organized in Montreal and Vancouver. Today, there are CFFA Committees in almost every parish within the Canadian Diocese including generous sponsors from Europe and the USA.
Spiritual and financial support is needed to continue this humanitarian partnership between our Canadian Diocese and Armenia’s future generation.
To become a sponsor please call 514-276-9479 or email at: adiocese@aol.com
You may want to send your cheques to:
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church
Children´s Fund for Armenia
615 Stuart Avenue,
Outremont, Quebec, H2V 3H2