Staff

Natalie Bryant Rizzieri

Founder and Executive Director - Friends of Warm Hearth (U.S.)

Natalie, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Kapan, Armenia from 2003-2005, worked closely with the initial residents of Warm Hearth at the orphanage in Kapan. The idea for Warm Hearth originated out of her deepening friendship with the orphans with special needs and her realization in February 2005 that they were destined for the government-run psychiatric institutions. Currently Natalie lives in Tempe, Arizona and works for Friends of Warm Hearth full-time, making frequent trips to Armenia. Natalie has an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University and a BA in Intercultural Studies. For the past thirteen years, she has been involved in small grassroots relief and development projects. She is also a poet. Email Natalie at natalie@friendsofwarmhearth.org.

Alya Kirakosyan

Executive Director - Jermik Ankyun Foundation (Armenia)

Alya is the Executive Director of Warm Hearth (Jermik Ankyun) Foundation, an Armenian nonprofit and the implementing arm of Friends of Warm Hearth. Since the very beginning, Alya has been an invaluable part of Warm Hearth. She is fiercely dedicated to seeing this work expand, deepen and become sustainable. She is also committed to Warm Hearth as a model that has the potential to multiply in Armenia to meet the need of other orphans with disabilities or mental illness in a similar plight. Equally significant, she is dedicated to our residents on an individual level. Alya has a background in Sociology. She has worked for Warm Hearth since 2005. She is married and has two daughters. Email Alya at alya@friendsofwarmhearth.org.

Anahit Iskandarova

Mental Health Specialist

Anahit was born in Yerevan and studied at the Yerevan State Pedagogical Institute in the Department of Pedagogy & Psychology. After graduating she entered Yerevan State University to further her study of Psychology. She has worked as a teacher and a psychologist-ergotherapist with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Belgium. She continues to work as a psychologist-social worker. Her background and experience is primarily working with people with mental health disorders.

Olga Dabagyan

Director of Accounting

Olga has a background in business and finance. At this point in her life she desires to contribute to something lasting and meaningful in Armenia. She has known our residents for a few years and has spent time at Warm Hearth, bringing fruit from her orchards, and celebrating birthdays at our home. She has always had a heart for people less fortunate than herself and believes that this is the most important work that she could do. Olga is committed to making Warm Hearth more and more Armenia’s, finding ways to sustain the project with local means and creating a solid and effective fundraising campaign.

Hasmik Mnoyan

House Manager

Hasmik graduated from Trade Technical College in Yerevan though she has worked in providing direct care to the elderly in Armenia for the five years preceding her work at Warm Hearth. She is responsible for the daily management within the home. When speaking of her work at Warm Hearth, she says that “it is a great pleasure to work with such individuals and I love my job.”

Anna Mirzoyan

Psychiatrist

As a psychiatrist, Anna works closely with the residents of Warm Hearth. She is responsible for the mental health care of our residents. She visits on a weekly basis and the residents look forward to her arrival. Anna is married and has one daughter.

Sirush Gahramanyan

Community Assistant

Sirush was born in Goris. She studied at Yerevan Trade Technical School in the department of book merchandizing. Her profession is “Goods Manager”. Until 1993 she worked as an assistant in the technical school from which she graduated and then moved to Bulgaria until 2000. She now has a background in nursing and worked in a medical center before coming to Warm Hearth.

Margarit Mnoyan

Community Assistant

Margarita was born in Echmiadzin, Armenia. She studied at a Cooperative Technical School in the department of management. Since 2006 she has been working as a direct-care provider at Warm Hearth. She is married with two children.

Karine Ter-Hakobyan

Community Assistant

Karine’s background is in direct care provision. Before the opening of Warm Hearth, she provided one-on-one care to the elderly population in Armenia since 2003. She is involved in planning excursions for the residents of Warm Hearth and especially enjoys this part of her job.