Age and concerns united them under the same shelter
Most elderly people visiting the Nor Nork community center of Mission Armenia NGO have no guardians.
On weekdays 84 elderly people gather in the center to dine, talk and have a good time with each other.
During our visit some of them were having dinner. 67-year-old Emma was playing the piano, two men were playing backgammon, others were staring at our camera. They all wanted to share their concerns and everyday problems with us and to praise the centre for its great work.
The director of the center Margarita Hovhannisyan told A1+ that though 84 elderly people visit the centre, they serve more than 500 people at home.
Elderly people do not only find free food at the centre but also good treatment. The center staff does everything possible to entertain them in due order. Margarita Hovhannisyan notes that the global financial crisis has not affected their menu but it has reduced the number of beneficiaries. In the past not only elderly people but also socially vulnerable people of the community had meals in the centre canteen.
76-year-old Lilik Hakobyan spends most of her day in the centre. She had a brilliant work background and chanced to work with Karen Demirtchyan.
"Look at me! I can do nothing with my poor pension of 35 000 drams. But for the centre, I would starve," Lilik Hakobyan said to A1+
To add, most of the people visiting the centre are handicapped.
