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 Sunnyside, New York and works for Friends of Warm Hearth part-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.

Narine Hayrapetyan

House Manager

Narine Hayrapetyan was born in Azerbaijan and moved to Armenia as a child. Due to the conflict between the two nations, she and her family moved temporarily to Karabakh during the war. She studied in Stavropol, Russia in the medical college. Her specialty is analysis and diagnosis. She now lives in Armenia with her parents and brother and works for Warm Hearth full time.

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.

Haykanush Dalagyan

Community Assistant

Haykanush was born in Stepanavan. She has worked in various fields and occupations in her life but especially enjoys working with children. Though it is her first time working with residents like ours, she takes great pleasure in her work. She is married with two daughters.

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.

Rita Harutyunyan

Community Assistant

Rita was born in Ararat. Before Warm Hearth, she worked in Nork Psychiatric Clinic and has twenty years of experience in the field. She enjoys working in the mental health field and is committed to this work. She is married and has a son and a daughter.

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.

Karine Yakhinyan

Community Assistant

Karine was born in Yerevan. Prior to working at Warm Hearth, she worked in social services through Mission Armenia NGO. As a result, her work experience has been with charity and nonprofit organizations. She is married and has a son and a daughter.