Monday, June 13, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
NEWSLETTER
ՀԱՅ
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
ՀԱՅ
No Result
View All Result

Montebello AYF Celebrates 50 Years of Community Involvement

by Contributor
November 19, 2008
in Community, News
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

 

By Christina Issa

MONTEBELLO, CA–One of the Armenian Youth Federation’s oldest chapters in the western United States, Montebello’s “Vahan Cardashian,” celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday, November 15, marking simultaneously the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Armenian Youth Federation in America.

These twin anniversaries were commemorated with an all-AYF alumni reunion, a hallmark event in the community organized once every 5 years by “Vahan Cardashian” members and alumni–a tradition dating back to 1978.

This year, nearly 1000 people from across the country turned out at the newly renovated Baghramian Hall in Montebello’s Holy Cross Church to celebrate the two birthdays and mark yet another year of history in the making for the Armenian community in the Southern California.

Some came to the event from throughout California, while others made the trek from the Midwest and East Coast, where they now live. Many, however, did not have to travel far to attend the anniversary dance, having made their homes in Montebello where they grew up as members of the AYF.

According to several alumni interviewed during the reunion, “Vahan Cardashian” has been a critical component of community life since its founding in 1958. The chapter, they all agreed, matured and grew along with the community.

The Armenian community in Montebello largely traces its roots to two waves of migrations–the first came as survivors of the genocide, while the second escaped Nazi occupied Russia with the help of General Karekin Njdeh, the founder of the AYF.

“Vahan Cardashian” has always maintained very strong ties with its community, explained its chairperson Zaven Altounian, commenting on the chapter’s continued commitment to fostering a sense of community among each new generation of youth in Montebello.

“The chapter’s relationship with its Alumni has always been its strongest asset and the best method to maintaining community links,” he added, noting the critical support provided by its alumni over the years. “Cardashian alumni are always there for us, offering experience and knowledge and helping organize events like this anniversary commemoration.”

The chapter, one of the largest and most active in the region, has also been an informal training ground preparing Montebello youth for leadership roles in the community. “Our chapter has always represented the next generation of our community’s leaders,” Zaven explained. “The chapter has always served as a place where Montebello’s youth can gain the skills they need to become good leaders in any capacity.”

Members graduating from the chapter have gone on to serve in the local ARF, as well as organizations such as the Montebello Prelacy Church Board, the Armenian Eye-care project, and the Armenian Educational Foundation, according to Zaven’s father Stepan, a member of the Montebello “Dro” Chapter of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Stepan, an AYF alumnus, was one of the key organizers of the reunion.

The chapter, Zaven explained, exists to provide opportunities to its members, empowering them to do the things “they enjoy,” while assisting Hai Tad. Activities organized by the chapter range from organizing educationals, cultural and social events or political actions. “The chapter is also a place for learning and growth.”

“In the AYF you have to cover all aspects of what it means to be Armenian and to be involved in an Armenian community, whether that means being politically, socially or culturally involved,” he explained, commenting on his chapter’s guiding ethos.

“Vahan Cardashian” has also helped to educate the community’s youth about the Armenian cause, and Armenian issues, while maintaining culture and heritage.

The chapter kicked off its 50th year with 42 members on its roster. It recently organized a town hall meeting where a community development speaker, Bedros Vandazian, talked about qualities of leadership, and community organization. The forum also saw lengthy discussion on the development of Montebello’s Armenian community.

As Montebello’s Armenian community continues to grow and evolve, so will “Vahan Cardashian,” providing new generations with new ways to connect with their community. One aspect of the chapter that will never change, however, is its desire to learn from, call upon, and collaborate with its vast alumni, noted Zaven.

As evident by the successful celebrations and reunions of the past years, including the most recent celebration this year, the chapter’s tie with its alumni is valued as a primary means for building community.

It is in that vein that Zaven Altounian proudly noted that the proceeds of every reunion are donated to strengthening a certain facet of the organization. The proceeds from this year’s dance will sponsor the renovation of an entire cabin at AYF Camp at Big Pines.

To register as an Alumnus of the AYF, please visit the Alumni section of www.AYFWest.org

Editor’s Note: Christina Issa is a member of the AYF’s Hollywood “Musa Dagh” Chapter.

 

Tags: anniversary dancearmenian youth federationhallmark eventholy cross churchmontebello ca
Contributor

Contributor

Next Post

Turkish Foreign Ministry Says Babacan, Nalbandian to Discuss '1915 Incidents'

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Shahumian’s De-Occupation Remains a Priority for Artsakh

Shahumian’s De-Occupation Remains a Priority for Artsakh

5 hours ago

Board of Regents Condemns Attacks on Armenian Schools’ Integrity, Commitment to Homeland

5 hours ago

Connect with us

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

Accessibility

Accessibility modes

Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.

Online Dictionary

    Readable Experience

    Content Scaling
    Default
    Text Magnifier
    Readable Font
    Dyslexia Friendly
    Highlight Titles
    Highlight Links
    Font Sizing
    Default
    Line Height
    Default
    Letter Spacing
    Default
    Left Aligned
    Center Aligned
    Right Aligned

    Visually Pleasing Experience

    Dark Contrast
    Light Contrast
    Monochrome
    High Contrast
    High Saturation
    Low Saturation
    Adjust Text Colors
    Adjust Title Colors
    Adjust Background Colors

    Easy Orientation

    Mute Sounds
    Hide Images
    Virtual Keyboard
    Reading Guide
    Stop Animations
    Reading Mask
    Highlight Hover
    Highlight Focus
    Big Dark Cursor
    Big Light Cursor
    Navigation Keys

    Asbarez.com Accessibility Statement

    Accessibility Statement

    • www.asbarez.com
    • June 13, 2022

    Compliance status

    We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

    To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

    This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

    Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

    If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

    Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

    Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

    1. Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

      These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

    2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

      Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Disability profiles supported in our website

    • Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
    • Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
    • Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
    • ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
    • Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
    • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

    1. Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
    2. Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
    3. Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
    4. Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
    5. Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
    6. Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
    7. Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

    Browser and assistive technology compatibility

    We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

    Notes, comments, and feedback

    Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to