Meeting to Focus on Effect of Welfare Changes for Armenians

A meeting tonight will address changes in welfare reform that have left many people in the area’s large Armenian community confused and anxious about how they will be affected.

The meeting from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 500 S. Central Ave. is expected to draw a large crowd based on the turnout at a similar meeting last week in Hollywood, said a spokeswoman for Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, whose district includes a large Armenian population.

Southern California is home to more than 300,000 Armenians, the largest group in the world outside Armenia. Of those, 52,000 receive some type of public assistance ranging from food stamps and General Relief to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, which used to be known as Aid to Families With Dependent Children.

“These forums are a response to the confusion and anxiety in the Armenian community about the effects of welfare reform,” Goldberg said before the Hollywood meeting. “The change in food stamp eligibility for immigrants, for example, I’m sure will leave many families hungry. The Armenian community will feel the impact of the cuts and so will the economy of Hollywood.”