It is with a heavy heart that we write this message. We do so, though, driven by our collective conscience and our abiding duty of loyalty to all of you—our community, our friends, our families, and our ungers.
We have all seen and felt the vast and utter devastation of the past few days. Los Angeles County is in the midst of a crisis of catastrophic proportions. We extend our heartfelt empathy and offer of assistance to the Armenian community which was not spared the ravages of the raging fires.
While we are relieved that there are no reported casualties among us, we are crestfallen that many of you have lost your homes or were forced to evacuate your residences. We are as disheartened to learn that a sacred place of learning, the Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian School, has been reduced to ashes. It is at unenviable times like this that we rededicate ourselves to you; that we all come together to help each other.
We have opened the doors of our Armenian community centers for those seeking shelter. Many of our churches have done the same. We will continue this initial step in service to our community while seeking additional programs to assist those in need. If you need assistance, please contact your local Armenian center to secure space.
Because of the continuing crisis our community faces, we are not in a position to go forward with the ARF’s 134th Anniversary Program which was scheduled to take place at the Alex Theater in Glendale on January 12th at 5:00 p.m. Accordingly, the event is postponed until further notice. The administrative office of the Alex Theater has confirmed that it would not be feasible to assemble there given the current circumstances.
We are here for you, and so too is our commitment to work together to restore a good measure of what has been lost in our great community.
ARF Western U.S. Central Committee
January 9, 2025
