FAR provides short-term emergency relief and implements long-term programs for the economic growth and social development of Armenia. It helps the most vulnerable segments of the population - the children and the elderly - and prepares professionals to lead their newly independent country.
In response to the devastating earthquake that struck Armenia in 1988, prominent members of the Armenian-American community founded FAR to provide emergency relief. In 1993, FAR was reorganized into a private voluntary organization and recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.