Sarah Stites - Partner Spotlight

In this week's 'Partner Spotlight' you will get to meet Sarah Stites and learn about her work with individuals with special needs in Armenia. Sarah has been a partner with DonorSee for about a year and a half and has been able to go above and beyond with her work thanks to the DonorSee family.

Tell us a little about you. What inspired you personally to get involved with this work?

By blood, I am a quarter Armenian. My grandfather Charles was born in America. His family left Armenia shortly before the genocide that would claim 1.5 million lives. Charles died long before I came into the world, but I was always proud of my Armenian heritage. After college, I heard about a program called Birthright Armenia, through which I could live in Armenia for a year and reconnect with my roots. 

I chose to live and volunteer in Gyumri, the former cultural capital of Armenia. Fifty years ago, it was a thriving city in the Soviet Union, known for art, culture and its many factories. In 1988, Gyumri experienced a devastating earthquake which killed and injured thousands, ruined the economy, razed the infrastructure and led to deep psychological distress. More than 30 years after the tragedy, the city still struggles. Living in Gyumri and connecting deeply with its people, I became passionate about the concept of restoration.

Tell us about the work Gyumri Restored does.

The mission of Gyumri Restored is to provide sustainable support to vulnerable communities in Gyumri, Armenia. Primarily, we work with people with special needs; however, we also work with the elderly, low-income and single-parent families. We provide scholarships, conduct construction projects, fund therapeutic intervention and more. We are passionate about the concept of restoration: the act of bringing something back to a better or healthier state. 

Tell us about one amazing project you fundraised for on DonorSee this year.

There is an amazing center for youth with special needs in Gyumri called Pyunik. They run interesting programs for young adults, including accessible sport, theatre and educational courses. One of my amazing DonorSee donors funded a 5 month training program for the visually impaired. The course was taught by Hakob, a blind young man who has mastered braille and computer programs for the visually impaired. Through the funding, Hakob was able to teach a group of young adults how to read braille and type. Hakob earned a salary and experienced the dignity of work while the participants learned basic skills that opened their opportunities.

What are the key challenges you face?

The key challenges we face in Gyumri, and thus the key challenges I'm working to combat, include inaccessible infrastructure, few training and employment opportunities for people with special needs and cold winters compounded by high heating costs. 

What are your hopes and dreams for next year?

My biggest dream is to transform the homes of people with special needs to make them more accessible. I've seen so many families who live in third or fourth floor apartment buildings, who are forced to carry their children up and down the stairs. I have a dream to find a solution to that; if nothing else, I want to restore old Soviet era bathrooms and make them accessible. I also want to see Gyumri Restored give scholarships to needy but deserving students, to fund training for people with disabilities, and to support lonely, low-income seniors with heating during the winter.

Do you have a message for the DonorSee community?

As a partner, DonorSee has transformed my life. I love being able to be close to both the people I help and the donors who make that help possible! I think you know this already, but your support makes a huge impact. What you may not realize is that it makes a huge impact on partners like me as well as the people you directly help. In the midst of a lot of pain and hardship, your partnership gives me hope every day.

Make sure to check out some of Sarah's projects and change a life in Armenia today.