Montebello 'Badanees' Aid Japan Disaster Victims

MONTEBELLO—The Montebello “Vahan Cardashian” Badanenegan (Junior) Chapter played host to its second consecutive monthly dinner on March 18. More than 80 community members packed the halls of the Montebello Armenian Center for an evening of quality dining and camaraderie.
Badanegan members also unveil their new chapter t-shirts and sweaters, which feature the coat of arms of the ARF on the front and an emblem with images of Vahan Cardashian, the Armenian alphabet, Sassountsi Tavit, and Ararat on the back. It was decided that all of the proceeds raised from t-shirt sales will be donated to the ARS Japan Relief Fund.
“The idea is to help recreate a sense of community here in Montebello and the community dinner is one of the ways that we’re working to accomplish it,” said Ara Malazian, a member of the Montebello ARF advisory committee, which works with the Badanees. “This is our second one and we’re already seeing new faces.”
Those attending both the first dinner in February and the one on Friday have been treated to spreads featuring steak, mashed potatoes, salads and desserts. Each meal is prepared with the assistance of culinary professionals in the community who volunteer their time to work with the badanees to make everything from scratch. Special menu accommodations were also made for those observing lent.
In addition to learning how to help prepare the food, the Badanees welcome community members at the door and serve them directly. They also enjoy such games as foosball, table tennis, and billiards available for them in the center.
“It is great to have events like this because you become more familiar with your community,” said Ahleen Bagoian, a member of the Montebello Badanegan chapter. “The dinner also brought a bunch of youth together who have never been in AYF. It was a success and hopefully they will become future members of our chapter.”
“We sincerely want to thank our Badanegan Chapter for all their efforts,” stated Malazian. “From the guidance the Badanees have been getting from the professional chefs, to the parents who make the effort to come out and join us, it’s been a great experience for the Badaness and we can’t wait for the next one!”
For more information about the next community dinner or how to get involved with the ARF Badanegan Montebello “Vahan Cardashian” Chapter, contact vahan.cardashian@gmail.com.