One of the projects of St. John Parish Council this year is to have Family Nights and dedicate them to diasporan communities that Armenians came from.

The first Family Night took placed on Saturday May 17, 2014, and was dedicated to Fresno Armenians. More than 80 people from the community attended the event. Following a casual dinner, respected members of the community that grew up in Fresno shared their stories about the farm and town life in the Valley during the good times and bad.

The stories of their survival during the great depression were very similar, many were poor, and struggled to survive, however faith, the love of the Armenian Church, perseverance, work ethic, and helping one another kept them going and eventually they all were able to stand on their own feet and were able to become successful businessmen, educators, engineers and attorneys and political leaders.

Hearing these stories one can only learn and be inspired.

We would like to express our gratitude all who attended, also to all the volunteers who made this event possible.

Enjoy this montage of remarks from the evening.