Women's Guild

Following the vote, delegates heard from Lucy Murad, chair of the Women’s Guild Central Council.

She noted that every two years the Women’s Guild collects $30,000 to send school bags of resources to school children in Armenia. This year 45 women attended a Women’s Guild retreat at the Diocesan Center. This September will be the third such session and Murad noted the Women’s Guild hopes to double the number of attendees.

She then spoke about the Children of Armenia Sponsorship Program (CASP), which allows Diasporan donors to directly sponsor orphans in Armenia. Since 1991, the group has raised $4 million. They currently have 900 sponsors. The money – between $200 and $280 per child – which is given to the families represents from 50 to 70 percent of the family’s income.

She noted when sponsors drop out of the program, CASP finds funds to cover continued support of the children until a new sponsor can be found. She said to raise funds the Women’s Guild will host a raffle of a trip to Armenia.

CASP has also hired the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) as its contractor to operate the distribution. This results in a 30 percent reduction in expenses for CASP.

In addition to helping individuals, CASP has raised money to help renovate a computer lab in the Catholicos Vasken I School in Gyumri. CASP will also send 142 Armenian children to camp this summer.

“We are very fortunate to have such a dynamic group of women,” the Primate said.