NEW YORK, NY - As we enter another holiday season, many of us are remembering all the blessings we have. We have lovely houses to live in, we enjoy new clothes for different seasons of the year, and our children have the newest games to play with. We should now take some time to consider the many people, particularly children, who are in great need of basic things. Children who do not have enough food to eat each day, children who are not clothed to meet the cold weather, children who do not have basic tools and materials to work with in school.

We can all alleviate this last situation in a small way. The Women's Guild Central Council of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America has been instrumental in providing school materials to students in Armenia and Karabagh for the past 8 years. They have filled canvas bags with 15 basic items: notebook, paper, pencils, pens, blackboard, chalk, crayolas, and much more. We will again give a book of Bible stories, written in the Eastern Armenian language, to each child. To date, 5400 filled bags have been sent to students in Stepanavan and Gumri, Armenia and Karabagh.

A donation of $20 will provide a filled bag to an Armenian student. Please make checks payable to WGCC and mail to Yn. Violet Kasparian (chairman of the project since its inception) at 263 Ridge Street, New Milford, NJ 07646.

Your donations will help us put smiles on the faces of Armenia's children. It will also allow the children to look forward to school, knowing they have paper to write on, pencils to write with and scissors to cut with. Teach our Armenian-American children to think of those less fortunate than themselves. On behalf of the children who will receive these school bags, we ask God's blessings on you. May our children always have a smile on their faces. Thank you on behalf of the children who will receive your gifts.