Consulate General hosts charity event in memory of Azerbaijan’s National Leader

A charity event dedicated to the memory of Azerbaijan’s National Leader Heydar Aliyev (May 10, 1923 - Dec. 12, 2003) was held in San Diego - California’s second largest city - on December 12, 2017. During the event, around 1000 homeless persons were provided hot meals.

Initiated and supported by Azerbaijan’s Los Angeles Consulate General, the event was held at Father Joe’s Villages, which is one of the largest service providers to the homeless and disadvantaged men, women and children in the U.S.

Consul General Nasimi Aghayev joined other volunteers in handing out the meals.

Before the event, Consul General Aghayev met Deacon Jim Vargas, CEO of the Father Joe’s Villages. At the meeting, the Consul General spoke about the extraordinary life path of Heydar Aliyev and his outstanding role and tireless work in the preservation and strengthening of Azerbaijan’s independent and sovereign statehood. He noted that the timely return of Heydar Aliyev to power in 1993 shielded Azerbaijan from potential fragmentation. Highlighting the many difficult challenges the National Leader faced in preserving Azerbaijan’s independence and how masterfully he overcame them, the Consul General said that the memory of Heydar Aliyev will always live in the hearts and minds of the Azerbaijani people. “Continuing the policies set forth by the National Leader, President Ilham Aliyev led Azerbaijan through a tremendous transformation towards becoming the largest economy in the region and one of the most rapidly developing and modernizing countries in the world,” Aghayev noted.

Deacon Jim Vargas thanked the Consul General for helping the homeless through this important charity event. He also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to learn more about National Leader Heydar Aliyev and his tremendous role in preserving Azerbaijan’s freedom and independence. Expressing his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s long-standing traditions of interfaith harmony and tolerance, Vargas underlined the global importance of this unique model of peaceful co-existence of religion

As Southern California’s largest residential homeless services provider, Father Joe’s Villages has been empowering people to achieve self-sufficiency for over 63 years. What started as a small chapel serving San Diego’s impoverished has grown into a cutting-edge provider of innovative housing programs and services. Father Joe’s provides up to 3,000 meals to individuals every day—from infants and adolescents to adults and seniors. This includes over 200 children and over 200 military veterans.