Fuller Center of Armenia marking 15 years by scaling 15 mountains

Fuller Center of Armenia marking 15 years by scaling 15 mountains

The Fuller Center for Housing of Armenia joined this affordable housing ministry in 2008 after years with another housing nonprofit and has since become The Fuller Center’s most productive covenant partner by helping more than 1,400 families have simple, decent places to live.

They are now marking their 15th anniversary by climbing 15 mountains of Armenia, raising awareness of their work and raising funds for a new home with each summit they reach.

“This is a fitting initiative, because in their time with the Fuller Center, no partner has climbed higher than Fuller Center Armenia!” Fuller Center for Housing Vice President of International Programs Ryan Iafigliola said. “Completing more than 1,400 homes over that time is an incredible accomplishment, but this isn’t about looking back — it’s about moving ahead and reaching new heights.”

Literally.

The Fuller Center Armenia team and its local supporters have scaled three of the 15 summits to date, most recently reaching the top of Mount Urts (8,022 feet) on Easter Sunday. In March, the group scaled Mount Tesilk (4,501 feet) and then (7,543 feet). The 15th and final challenge on the list will be Mount Aragats, the highest peak in Armenia at 13,418 feet.

“Climbing up the mountains is full of challenges and adventures, and the road to our 15th anniversary was full of challenges, too,” Fuller Center Armenia President Ashot Yeghiazaryan (pictured above) said. “We thought that it would be the best way to make our 15th anniversary memorable — by overcoming all the challenges that mountains may offer looking ahead to the future, to the eyes of the new challenges that are hidden for us in the next 15 years. It’s like getting the ball rolling and embarking on a new journey for the next 15 years by overcoming the challenge of transforming the lives of 15 families.”

Armenia continues to be one of the most popular Fuller Center Global Builders destinations, especially for Americans of Armenian descent. Armenian-American churches and individuals also have been generous with their donations to the work. However, the team recently found out that its largest corporate donor in Armenia would not be able to contribute more funds, creating an Aragats-sized challenge to Fuller Center Armenia’s future work.

“All those years were full of challenges and hardships, but the accomplishments made the journey full of jubilance and motivation to work diligently to assist more families,” Yeghiazaryan said. “Our aim is to keep raising awareness, hosting more Global Builders volunteer teams, and raising more funds to assist more families as the housing need is still high in Armenia.

“However, we have lost a major donor, and we are facing a potentially sharp decline in the number of families being assisted,” he added. “The challenge in the years ahead is to bounce back and be able to assist as many families as possible.”

You or your church group can sponsor a Fuller Center home in Armenia for just $12,000, or you can make a single tax-deductible donation. There are 10 Fuller Center Global Builders trips currently scheduled to go to Armenia in 2023 — seven of which have openings.

To learn more about donating to Armenia or volunteering in Armenia, visit FullerCenter.org/Armenia.