During the same visit to Armenia, Lorik also gathered with the family of Gagik Balayan for the blessing of their newly completed home.
Gagik and Armo came from the same village of Gishi and were killed in the same azerbaijani attack in June 2023. Lorik had also assisted Gagik’s family following his death and remained connected with them after their forced displacement from Artsakh.
For the Balayan family, Lorik provided renovation assistance that helped complete their permanent home in Armenia.
Their home was blessed by Der Andreas, who served at Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi before the forced displacement from Artsakh.
The two blessings brought together people whose lives remain deeply tied to Artsakh. Der Hovannes from Dadivank and Der Andreas from Ghazanchetsots stood with two families from Gishi, blessing the new homes where those families are now rebuilding their lives.
The families have been forcibly displaced from their homeland, but carry their faith, traditions and memories with them as they rebuild their lives in Armenia.
15 Permanent Homes
With the completion of these two projects, Lorik Humanitarian Fund has now provided 15 permanent homes for families forcibly displaced from Artsakh.
Seven of those 15 homes have been provided to families of fallen Armenian servicemen.
Lorik’s housing program is built around permanence. Rather than temporary housing assistance, the goal is to help families establish stable homes and put down roots again in Armenia.
The Abgaryan and Balayan families are also reminders that Lorik’s relationship with many of the families it serves did not begin with the forced displacement of September 2023. In this case, it began in Artsakh, during some of the most difficult days these families experienced, and has continued as they rebuild their lives in Armenia.
Lorik Humanitarian Fund extends its deep gratitude to St. John Armenian Church of San Francisco and its community for making the Abgaryan family’s home possible. Their contribution now has a permanent and visible result in Armenia: a home for the widow and four children of a fallen Artsakh serviceman.
Their support stands as an example of what can be accomplished when churches, organizations and communities throughout the Armenian Diaspora come together around a clear purpose. One community helped give one family a permanent home, and together, that same commitment can be multiplied across many more families.
For the Abgaryan and Balayan families, the blessing of their new homes marked not an end to their connection with Artsakh, but the beginning of a new chapter for their families in Armenia.
As these families rebuild their lives in Armenia, their connection to Artsakh remains. Providing permanent homes today does not diminish their right to their homeland, nor the continued pursuit of the right of Artsakh Armenians to return to their homes in safety and dignity.