Remaining faithful to its mission, Armenian Caritas, together with its stakeholders and the State, has continued to care for the community and in particular the most vulnerable groups of society so that no one will feel alone or helpless during this emergency. Since the declaration of the state of emergency on 17 March 2020, Armenian Caritas has joined forces to provide the people with basic and essential resources during the quarantine.

On 16 March, packages of non-perishable groceries were distributed to our 110 beneficiaries in the day care centres of Gyumri and Tashir. The packages were composed of 12 types of food that will help ease the beneficiaries’ worries during these difficult times.

On 19 March, despite the precautionary quarantine due to the coronavirus, the Vanadzor team of Armenian Caritas’ home care programme continued its important work to ensure the health and wellness of the elderly. Even though the number of home visits are reduced, the programme staff and volunteers keep in touch with the elderly on a daily basis, phoning to check up on their needs, both material and emotional. If they need to be visited in person, this assistance provided to them. The team has also established contacts with relatives, neighbours and close contacts of the elderly to ensure their safety, comfort and the attention they need. The team also instructed the elderly and their network to keep in contact with only a limited number of people so that the risk of infection is reduced as much as possible.

On 21 March, within the framework of the HeatArmenia project and with the financial support of Caritas Austria, we were able to help socially vulnerable multi-dwelling families in Gyumri by providing them with efficient ovens and eco briquettes, with the financial support of Caritas Austria.

On 22 March, as a result of the cooperation with the Shirak regional administration we were able to provide 200 protective masks and 200 PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) to the Emergency Station and Infectious Hospital of Gyumri. The staff is now equipped with the necessary protective uniforms. This initiative was made possible with the financial emergency support from Renovabis, Caritas Innsbruck/Austria and the US Bishops Conference.

During the state of emergency, the Sabine Small Group House has been providing full-time care for children without parental care as well as assistance to families, operating in a 24/7 regime. We continue to work in an emergency mode, always available to all those who need us most these days. Similarly, Gyumri’s Home Care staff not only receives regular calls from beneficiaries about their health, but also visits them when needed, shopping for them, taking care of household needs or providing primary health care.

At the beginning of this emergency, we looked for a way to guarantee our services, always based on direct contact with people, through listening and supporting. Gradually, we are adapting them into remote services to keep the distance set to protect everyone’s health. We are continually working to make this period as peaceful as possible for our beneficiaries so that they feel supported and welcomed, fulfilling our greatest objective, which is to do charity and bring human dignity to everyone.