Sourdough in Southern California, Sweet Memories in Armenia’s Villages
How a simple community gathering in Southern California can reach all the way to children in Armenia’s remote villages.
On a summer afternoon in June, a group of friends gathered in Southern California to learn something new, how to prepare sourdough. The workshop, hosted by Peggy Ishkhanian, was also an opportunity to come together for a cause close to her heart.
By the end of the gathering, Peggy and her friends had raised $4,000 for Lorik Humanitarian Fund.
Those funds helped take Lorik Humanitarian Fund’s Artsakh Tsil Arts Studio, a free children’s arts and cultural program based in Gyumri, on its annual summer journey through Armenia.For an entire month, the studio traveled to 31 villages throughout the Vardenis, Areni and Vayots Dzor regions, bringing arts and Armenian cultural activities directly to children in these communities.
Village after village, the team performed puppet shows, taught traditional Armenian dances and songs, and held hands-on classes in khachkar making, weaving, embroidery and other arts and crafts. Everything was offered free of charge.
Children living far from Armenia’s larger cities have limited access to opportunities like these. A summer visit from Lorik’s Artsakh Tsil Arts Studio gives them a chance to learn, create, have fun and make lasting memories.
Artsakh Tsil has been fully funded by Lorik Humanitarian Fund since 2024 and remains open year-round in Gyumri. Its classes are free, welcoming both local children and children from families forcibly displaced from Artsakh.
For Lorik, keeping Armenian culture alive means giving children the chance to experience it themselves. Traditions have a better chance of surviving when they are not simply taught as history, but enjoyed, practiced and made part of a child's own memories.
Peggy’s sourdough workshop is a wonderful example of what a small community effort can become. People gathered around a table in Southern California, shared an experience and raised $4,000. That generosity went on to help bring a summer of art, culture and simple childhood joy to children across 31 villages in Armenia.
Sometimes the distance between Southern California and a small village in Armenia is not as great as it seems.
Artsakh Tsil’s work continues year-round. Those who would like to help keep its free classes and annual village visits going can support the studio through Lorik Humanitarian Fund at LorikHF.org.
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