GLENDALE—The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) has announced that it has completed the distribution of financial assistance to the families of the fallen heroes of the Four Day War through the ‘With Our Soldiers’ campaign. A total of $126,500 has been distributed to the families of 108 servicemen who have lost their lives during and in the aftermath of the war in April (this number includes military losses only). The AYF was committed to reaching out to the families of those who were killed by enemy fire, and that goal has been reached as of December 25, 2016.

“It has been a humbling experience to work during the past eight months with the families of our heroes. We owe them a debt of gratitude that we cannot possibly repay,” said David Arakelyan, a member of the ‘With Our Soldiers’ campaign committee. “We are committed to continuing this important initiative going forward and thank all of those who have stood with us since April.”

The AYF has also announced that it will be launching an online campaign to raise additional funds to focus on the wounded servicemen, the military families, and the needs of the soldiers on the front line. The fundraising initiative will begin on December 28, 2016 and will last a month, finishing on the eve of the Armenian Army Day (January 29, 2017). The organization encourages its supporters and the community-at-large to participate in the fundraising effort aimed at collecting additional funds to meet the many needs that the wounded servicemen and their families have.

“As we move forward with the campaign, we want to encourage our community to join us in our future work,” said Hoory Minoyan, chairperson of the ‘With Our Soldiers’ committee. “During the next phase of the initiative, we will focus on further strengthening the spirit of our soldiers on the front lines in Artsakh and reaching out to those who have been wounded while protecting our Homeland.”

The ‘With Our Soldiers’ campaign appeals to our community to participate in our fundraising efforts beginning on December 28th. You can make a contribution online at withoursoldiers.com and send a check to the AYF office (payable to the Armenian Youth Federation, 104 N. Belmont St. #313, Glendale, CA 91206). As in the past, the AYF is committed to operating in a transparent manner and will continue to inform community about its work through Asbarez and the With Our Soldiers Facebook page.

The AYF’s ‘With Our Soldiers’ campaign, originally launched in 2012, was restarted in the aftermath of the Four Day War with the aim of providing assistance to the families of the fallen soldiers. To learn more about the campaign or to make a donation today, you can visit withoursoldiers.com.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.