March 28, 2009

LOS ANGELES--The Armenian Youth Federation is gearing up for its sixth annual Little Armenia Beautification Project when hundreds of volunteers are expected to mobilize in an effort to comb the streets of Hollywood, to clean up and beautify the Little Armenia region of Los Angeles.

The cleanup will take place on Sunday, March 29. The opening ceremony will commence at 9:00 am at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, located in the heart of Little Armenia on the corner of Vermont and Fountain. Before hitting the streets, volunteers will participate in a formal program that includes an address by California State Assembly Member Kevin de Leon and other honored guests. The clean-up will last until 3:00 pm.

With Los Angeles home to one of the largest Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia, the Little Armenia Beautification Project has become an anticipated avenue for community activism.

The City of Los Angeles Sanitation Department has estimated that more than 23,000 pounds of trash have been removed in the past, as a result of AYF volunteer efforts. This year, the program will go one step further by removing graffiti from walls and planting trees throughout the area.

Hollywood Presbyterian, the formal sponsor of the beautification project, reached out to the AYF this year to collaborate on the project.
 
"We are located in the heart of little Armenia and want to work at a grass-roots level with members of the community. That's why we reached out to the AYF to help help promote this effort and become a part of little Armenia both literally and in in spirit," said the hospital PR spokesperson Maral Habeshian.

Committed to engaging Armenian youth in the Little Armenia community, the AYF Hollywood Musa Dagh Chapter is hosting this year's organized cleanup.“Little Armenia is home to one of the largest Armenia Diaspora communities in the United States and it is imperative we take responsibility for the well being of not only our community, but also the greater Hollywood community,” said chapter chairperson Arek Santikian.

“It's our home away from home and we should feel proud to be giving back to it,” he added.

Every year, for the past five year, the AYF has rounded up Armenian youth from across California and the western United States to give back to this community. This one-day campaign has also attracted volunteers from Arizona, and Nevada to make the trip to Los Angeles and help the AYF remove thousands of pounds of trash from the streets in Little Armenia.

The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) was founded in 1933. Since then, it has grown to become the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization with chapters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world. The group actively strives to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of all Armenian youth. More information about the youth group is available at AYFwest.org.

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