Turks starved hundreds of thousands of Armenians to death in 1915. It was Armenia's Great Genocide.
My grandfather was his family's sole survivor as the genocide hit; the rest died of starvation.
Hunger is not new to Armenia.
But for so many in today's modern societies, it's impossible to imagine what it's like to be hungry -- I mean really hungry -- compounded with neverending pain and suffering. Not being able to feed your own children, like many face in Armenia, is burdening with feelings of great stress and failure.
Children around the world can relate to being deprived of this essential life component. Cayden Taipalus, an eight-year-old student in Michigan, was encouraged to help a classmate when denied a hot lunch (but offered a cold one) because he had more than $5.00 of debt on his school lunch account. After being witness to this traumatizing experience, Cayden raised money to pay off not only that one child's debt, but every student's debt at his school. His campaign soon went viral and raised more than $14,000.
Today, food is a centerpiece to the Armenian heritage, but it now has a much more positive connotation. Recently, my work to fund needy Armenian children has centered around food.
Orran, which means "haven" in Armenian, is an after school program for the country's most vulnerable children. It also serves as a soup kitchen for the elderly. It costs Orran $500 to feed one child for an entire year. Between its two centers, Orran spends more than $100,000 annually to provide meals for more than 250 children and elderly.
Hunger and shelter were the main drivers that encouraged Orran's founders, Armine Hovannisian, and her husband, Raffi K. Hovannisian (first minister of foreign affairs of independent Armenia) to open the center in 2000.
Upon entering the program, children arrive hungry and weak; their growth is stunted by lack of nutrition.
When a trio of brothers arrived at Orran last year, each boy ended up eating three servings of food for the entire first month just to make up for the nourishment they lacked for so long.
With food being a necessity in our lives, it becomes the centerpiece of everything we do.
A recent cooking day with my cousin allowed me to learn the recipes to my favorite Armenian foods. She introduced me to manti (meat and pastry dumplings), kololak (meatball soup) and kata (sweet bread). A visit to Alvard Barseghian's will always include plenty homemade treats, plus a doggie bag (or several large containers) to take home. My favorite part of the visit though was the chance to sit down with three generations (Alvard, her mother and daughter) over traditional Armenian coffee. The history and camaraderie felt during this ritual is a cherished moment that takes me back to a simple life.
Another Armenian cooking experience I had was a kufta-making party at the Aghajanian's home. Kufta is lean ground meat mixed with cracked wheat made into a meatball with ground meat inside. Our host for the kufta-making party, Michael, grew up in an Armenian suburb in Boston and continues one of his favorite family traditions of large gatherings in the kitchen with everyone cooking together.
Even the Kardashian sisters still make their traditional Armenian breakfast dish beeshee for special occasions.
Today, food can be a vehicle for helping to feed those who cannot support themselves.
Last week, Hopscotch, an upscale diner in Oakland, Calif., hosted a dinner to raise money for Orran's children, allowing the charity to keep all of the ticket proceeds.
That evening, Armenians and non-Armenians enjoyed exceptional food and drinks, and more importantly, generated $1,000 in donations, which means that two more Armenian children will not go hungry this year.
While my work is to raise funds to help indigent youth, I also seek to achieve another goal: Using food to raise awareness of supporting those who don't have it. Everyone can relate -- those who have it can help those who need it.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.