Armenians on the Internet

Pateel Mekhitarian
Editor

www.armenianvolunteer.org

The internet is a great place for Armenians to find opportunities to become involved in volunteer work. A wonderful website that provides such information is www.armenianvolunteer.org. This special site concentrates on exchanging ideas, values, and experiences between Armenians, who have been widely dispersed throughout the world, due to the Armenian Genocide.

The mission statement of AVC states “Volunteering is integral to the building of robust civil societies in Armenia and elsewhere. Each volunteer’s service will enhance the empowerment of Armenia’s citizens and the strengthening of its communities.”

The Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC) organizes volunteers who take part in research and programs in Yerevan and surrounding regions of Armenia. There are two types of internship and community service programs available through AVC; ongoing and featured opportunities. The ongoing opportunities are those that exist at any time throughout the year and usually geared towards a specialized project. An example of this type of volunteer program is Bridge of Hope. This program was established in 1996 to help children with disabilities and to aid their parents in leading their children to become positive members of society. The featured opportunities include other organizations that have contacted AVC and are currently seeking volunteers to work on specific projects, for designated periods of time.

The Armenian Volunteer Corps is an excellent way for Armenians to get involved in volunteer and internship programs, even if they are not living in Armenia. Through this organization one can contribute to the development of Armenia.