Advocate for the Children of Struggling Single Parents

How I Became an Advocate for the Children of Struggling Single Parents? My name is Greta Paronyan and I am the Founder of the Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation. This is my story.

I was born in Armenia, a country – at that time – under the control of the Soviet Union. I grew up, got married and built my family in Armenia. (I am a proud mother of three sons!)

My husband and I worked hard to ensure that our children are safe, comfortable and get first class education. We opened a small café and run it as a family business. It took plenty of effort to make it successful but we persevered. We were young, happy AND – by the standards of our time and place – successful.

It all came to an abrupt end when my husband’s health suddenly deteriorated. The medical care he received in Armenia was ineffective and he was no longer able to help in our business or with our three, young children. That’s when I first found myself in the position of a sole provider.

I came to the United States several years ago by myself in the hope of finding better medical care for my husband and creating a life for our family here.
Sadly, I didn’t reunite with my beloved husband in the US. He passed away shortly after my arrival here.
The reality of being a single parent responsible for our three children forced me to suppress my grief and compelled me to act. Within a year, my children and I were reunited in California and I began building a new life for us from scratch.
Today, I run a successful business, a childcare center, and continue working hard to ensure that my children have a good education and a bright future.

My experience of unexpectedly becoming a single parent and a sole provider for a family of four made me realize that single parenthood is tough. (Obviously, in my story I emphasized the highlights, but there have been many moments of quiet desperation before I was able to succeed.) I am a survivor and I have learned from my experience. I know that there are other single parents out there, with their own stories to tell. Their stories may be different from mine, but the feeling of being alone and the responsibility of being a single parent and the sole provider is the same for all of us.

My personal experiences turned me into an Advocate for the Children of Struggling Single Parents and inspired the creation of the Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation. I am passionate about helping struggling single parent families!

I am asking YOU to help me give disadvantaged single parents and their children the opportunity to succeed. Your donation has the power to change lives, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the compassion and support of people who understood my situation!