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Los Angeles native teaching yoga and mindfulness in Armenia
Armen Menechyan is born and raised in Los Angeles and is now spending his time in Armenia volunteering at shelters and teaching yoga and mindfulness.
LOS ANGELES - Armen Menechyan was born and raised in Los Angeles and is now spending his time in Armenia volunteering at shelters and teaching yoga and mindfulness. With a heart of gold, his recent act of kindness went a long way for someone in need.
Menechyan has a background in education and for the past five years, he has been teaching yoga and meditation in Silver Lake at One Down Dog.
He also believes in the power of kindness.
A few days ago, when Menechyan found out his taxi driver was renting the car he was driving to make ends meet, he had an idea to raise money to help him buy his own car.
And through the power of social media—it worked!
He challenged his Instagram followers to help raise $3,500 dollars to buy Hamlet a used car. “I think we can raise $3,500 in 10 mins -- can we?”
RELATED: Click here for more coverage of the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Hamlet, like many in Armenia, has had it rough. He volunteered to fight in the war himself, then lost his job due to COVID-19. Now, he is working to provide for his family.
Hamlet had been struggling to keep it together. Both of his son's went to fight as well and one was still missing at the time.
“It was kind of natural and organic. It felt right, I wasn't planning this..it just happened,” Menechyan said.
Click here to watch the emotional moment.
"He just chocked me with love--it was fun. He was crying, then I was crying, then I was crying more. There was just a lot of mixed emotions," Menechyan recalled.
And to add even more good news, Hamlet finally heard from his missing son.
Menechyan plans to help Hamlet shop for a car.
"I don't think I did anything remarkable, it wasn't just us, it was really all of us coming together. To those trying to help right now, find their purpose and find their way and help in the way that they know how. There is a lot of confusion on how to help. Finding that authentic why within us will help everyone move in the direction that feels right," Menechyan said.