IGNITE HOPE AND HEALING for SURVIVORS: SFAWS’s Community-Powered Campaign ͏
Screenshot of all staff with thank you messages during zoom meeting! Thank you from all of us!
On behalf of our entire SF Asian Women’s Shelter team, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 💜 To everyone who showed up for us: whether you donated, hosted a Hearthkeeper gathering, attended an event, shared our campaign, or cheered us on, you helped make IGNITE a beautiful success! Because of you, we reached our $200,000 goal, fueling safety, healing, and hope for survivors.
One thing has always been true: our strength is our community. In a year of federal funding cuts and uncertainty, your generosity ensures we can continue sustaining our dedicated staff and the life-saving services survivors rely on. To longtime supporters who stretched their giving, and to new friends who joined us without hesitation — we are deeply grateful.
Your support fills the gaps when social services fall short. It keeps doors open, crisis lines answered, and families safe.
We’re not done building community — stay tuned for updates and special end-of-year Hearthkeeper gatherings. Usually at this time of year, we begin our holiday giving efforts, another essential way we show up for survivors and their families. Holiday support is not traditionally funded through government grants, and your generosity ensures families receive comfort and care during a time that can be especially difficult. Stay tuned for details on how you can help bring joy and stability this season by contributing specifically requested items and supporting the families we serve through the holidays.
Together, we keep the light of safety and hope burning bright. 🔥✨
SF AWS’s Korean talk line is open!
In addition to Asian Women’s Shelter’s multilingual crisis line for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and/or female genital cutting, SF AWS has launched its Korean Talk Line with support from the Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco! The Korean Talk Line is a confidential phone resource for Korean survivors of violence and those supporting them. Click here to learn more on our new K-PEACE (Koreans Preventing and Ending Abuse through Community Engagement) page.
“Shame dies when stories are told in safe places. ”
Over half a million women, girls, and children assigned female at birth are affected by or at risk of being affected by FGM/C at any given time. Yet few resources exist to support survivors in their journeys toward healing and protecting future generations from this practice. With leadership from Sahiyo, AWS’s crisis line is open to support people affected by FGM/C (Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting) in Asian and other communities. Trained advocates staff the lines and are knowledgeable on FGM/C and the cultural and social connotations in which it continues. They are ready to provide a listening ear, care and support, and work with you to consider physical and/or emotional safety planning if needed.
“I was so happy to know that Sahiyo is collaborating with the Asian Women’s Shelter to support women who suffer from the trauma of FGC and need an empathetic ear. I have worked in the domestic violence (DV) space for a couple of decades, and this is the first time I am seeing recognition of this trauma in the sphere of DV. I am so proud of both organizations and hope collaboration expands with other organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad.”
- Sakina Sharp
“You women are a precious gift to me. Your faces are like a mirror reflecting myself, saying ‘I believe in you. You can make it. You do not deserve to live in fear and violence.’”