ABOUT HOUSE OF HOPE - MER HOOYS, INC
House of Hope- Mer Hooys, Inc, was established in 2008 by former board members of Our Home – Mer Doon, Inc., Adrienne L. Krikorian, Esq. (Woodland Hills), Garo Garibian, M.D. (Philadelphia), Dn. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Ph.D. (Fresno), Varouj Altebarmakian, M.D. (Fresno) and Jane L. Mahakian, Ph.D. (San Clemente). Fr. Sarkis Petoyan (San Francisco), Alice Kalustian (Northridge) and Harriet Phillips (Mandalay Bay) serve on the advisory board.
House of Hope-Mer Hooys, Inc is a California non-profit tax-exempt organization. Mer Hooys has the support of his Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and the Western and Eastern Dioceses of the Armenian Church of North America. Mer Hooys is dedicated to reaching young men and women from disadvantaged lifestyles who do not have the means to otherwise acquire job skill development and training, advanced education, life and social skill development, psychological and spiritual counseling and mentorship. One of the major goals of our organization is to provide an environment operating in one or more homes in Yerevan and in outlying communities that will reach a broad base of young Armenians coming from disadvantaged lifestyles. Our comprehensive program provides a nurturing family environment which instills encouragement and hope for these young adults’ future.
Mer Hooys provides HOPE through a supportive positive living environment for young men and women who receive advice and encouragement from adult mentors. They will be offered the necessary assistance and tools to navigate the challenges of education, self-development and independent living. In addition to providing housing and a family environment for young women who would otherwise follow less than desirable paths to the future, we will provide a supportive day program for young men that will teach them how to lead productive adult lives, make positive decisions for themselves, including learning that domestic violence is unacceptable and develop long term goals for their life.
Armenia’s future lies in its nurturing of young people. Our mission is to help these youth to recognize and develop their talent and skills and to utilize those assets as a resource on their journey of maturity. By doing so, our mission is to empower the youth of Armenia to be part of the path to securing a better future for Armenia and the rest of the world.
Top of Page
|
MER HOOYS BOARD MEMBERS
Adrienne L. Krikorian – President (Woodland Hills, California)
Adrienne L. Krikorian, Esq., is a California Administrative Law Judge in the area of Special Education. A licensed attorney, Ms. Krikorian is also an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. She has devoted her extensive volunteer work over the past forty years to a variety of non-profit organizations focusing on the needs of youth and others in need. She has been an active leader in the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, and has served on the Board of Directors of Haven Hills, Inc. (a shelter for victims of domestic violence). She is former President of Our Home-Mer Doon, Inc., which serves the needs of young women in Armenia from disadvantaged backgrounds. Ms. Krikorian has served her local parish, St. Peter Armenian Church in Van Nuys in leadership roles since the 1970’s; as a two-term member of the Western Diocese Diocesan Council; and on various boards and committees on the Diocesan level. Ms. Krikorian, who is a founder of House of Hope – Mer Hooys, Inc., is a 2010 recipient of the Western Diocese Archbishop’s Award, recognizing service to the Armenian Church and community.
Garo Garibian, M.D. – Vice-President (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Dr. Garo Garibian, M.D., received his undergraduate degree at Princeton University and his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania. He has a busy Cardiology practice in Philadelphia and is the chief of Cardiology at Jeanes Hospital. Dr. Garibian, ordained as a deacon in 1989, has devoted his life to service in the Armenian Church on the Parish and Diocesan level. After the devastating 1988 earthquake, Dr. Garibian visited Armenia numerous times bringing medicines and supplies, acting as an ambassador for the motherland. Dr. Garibian served on the Board of and is a benefactor of Our Home-Mer Hooys, Inc.; he is also a benefactor of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, and numerous other charitable organizations in the United States. Dr. Garibian is a founder of Mer Hooys.
Deacon Barlow Der Mugrdechian – Vice-President (Fresno, California)
Barlow Der Mugrdechian received his M.A. and C. Philosophy degrees from UCLA, where he majored in Armenian Language and Literature through the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures. For more than twenty years he has taught Armenian language, history, literature, culture, church and a variety of courses on Armenia and the Armenians at California State University at Fresno. Dn. Der Mugrdechian, who recently completed a 2 year term as the Chairman of the Western Diocese Diocesan Council, has been an active leader of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, serving in leadership roles both on the Parish and Diocesan level. He served as a board member of Our Home – Mer Doon, Inc., and is a founder of Mer Hooys.
Varouj Altebarmakian, M.D. –Treasurer (Fresno, California)
Varouj Altebarmakian, M.D., received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut in 1974. He is a Board Certified Urologist. Dr. Altebarmakian is Physician in Chief of The Permanente Medical Group in Fresno. He is also an active servant of the Armenian Church, serving on the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, several terms as Chairman of the Diocesan Council of the Western Diocese, and as a leader on the Parish level. Dr. Altebarmakian was actively involved in the future program planning and fund raising efforts of the U.S. Board of Mer Doon and is a founder of Mer Hooys.
Top of Page
Rev. Fr. Sarkis Petoyan – Advisor (Pasadena, California)
Father Sarkis Petoyan is a graduate of California State University at Northridge with a B.A. in Humanities, St. Nerses Armenian Theological Seminary in New York and St. Vladimir Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York, where he earned a Master of Divinity. Ordained in 1998, Fr. Sarkis served as the parish priest of St. John Armenian Church of San Francisco from 1998 through September, 2009. In October 2009, Fr. Sarkis became the parish priest of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Pasadena, California. As part of his ministry and commitment to Armenia, Fr. Sarkis, and his wife Taleen, have led annual pilgrimages to Armenia for members of the Western Diocese. Prior to his education and ordination to the priesthood, Father Sarkis worked in the financial industry as a bank manager. Fr. Sarkis and his wife are the proud parents of a daughter, Grace.
Alice Kalustian – Advisory Board (Northridge, California)
Alice Kalustian has been an active leader in the Armenian community and the Armenian Church since her teenage years. She recently completed a two year term as the Treasurer of the Grand Council of the Daughters of Vartan. Ms. Kalustian, who worked for many years as an office manager and bookkeeper, is currently a per-diem administrative assistant for Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She has three adult daughters, and two granddaughters, and enjoys spending her spare time traveling and volunteering her talents to charitable organizations. Ms. Kalustian serves on the advisory board of Mer Hooys and serves as Assistant Treasurer.
Harriet Jendian Phillips – Advisory Board (Mandalay Bay, California)
Harriet Jendian Phillips has spent the better part of her life serving the needs of Armenian youth. She has taught Sunday School, served as a youth advisor, and as a member of the Youth Activities Committee of St. Peter Apostolic Church in Van Nuys, California. Mrs. Phillips has also served as director of the youth program for the San Fernando YWCA, as a member and president of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles YWCA, Ways and Means Chairman, program chairman for the Granada Hills YW Wives, and as a Girl Scout leader. Professionally, Mrs. Phillips has served as event planner, owned and operated a catering company, and has lectured and demonstrated food decorating to many community organizations, schools, and church groups. Mrs. Phillips was co-owner of J-4 Communications, serving as executive secretary and office manager. She is married to husband Tom, has three daughters and one son, 3 stepsons and 15 grandchildren, ages 4-18. Mrs. Phillips continues to serve as an active community leader alongside her husband. In their spare time, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips travel extensively throughout the world, including Armenia, enjoying the many sights and people of each country they visit.
Lucy Erysian – Advisory Board (Fresno, California)
Lucy Erysian, a native of Armenia, is a founding member of Swiss Armenian Youth Club (“Aragast”). She has considerable experience and training in grant writing after completing a 3-month intensive training on grant writing and leadership at the Armenia Assembly of America NGO center. She was successful in obtaining a grant for a regional orphanage in Armenia. Ms. Erysian has devoted the past several years to serving Armenia’s orphans and deserving youth in numerous capacities. In 1996, she became the representative of Youth in Armenia at the United Nations. She participated in the 22nd World Youth Congress in Vienna, and developed a conflict resolution program for youth. Ms. Erysian participated in the establishment of Habitat for Humanity in Armenia. Ms. Erysian, who resides in Fresno, is married and the mother of two children.
Top of Page |
