$25,000 donated to Knights of Vartan’s Economic Sustainability Program

ANDOVER, Mass. – In January 2024, the Knights of Vartan launched the Economic Sustainability Program (ESP) to help refugees settling in the Republic of Armenia rebuild their lives by starting family businesses and earning a living locally.

Grace (Adamian) Aznoian of Andover, Massachusetts, generously donated $25,000 to the initiative on behalf of herself and her husband Nicholas. Aznoian is the daughter of Krikor and Araxie Adamian, who were members of the Boston chapters of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan. Her donation continues the spirit of service her parents exemplified.

Her father escaped the Armenian Genocide and started a coal business and later a real estate development company in Arlington, Massachusetts. Her husband, also the child of Genocide survivors, founded two commercial real estate development companies and a dry-cleaning business while serving as chief financial officer and eventually chairman of Nypro in Clinton, Massachusetts.

Seeing the impact of war and the trauma of losing one’s home, livelihood and possessions, Mrs. Aznoian recognized the positive impact of helping families rebuild by starting a business. Funding for tools and equipment puts people to work and gives hope and reason for refugee families to live in Armenia.