Gratitude and Giving: Empower Survivors This Season
Fall has quietly arrived, bringing shorter days and a crisp chill in the air. It’s also the perfect time to reflect on gratitude and the spirit of giving. Many in our communities are deeply concerned about the future, particularly the safeguarding of rights and protections for those most at risk—including the LGBTQ and immigrant communities we serve.
This season, we invite you to stand with us in prioritizing the needs of our most vulnerable survivors. Together, we can invest in the critical work of providing safety, support, and hope for those rebuilding their lives free from violence.
From now through Giving Tuesday, December 3, 2024, we’re excited to connect with new supporters and strengthen our community of care. Join us in this ongoing effort to sustain vital services and make a lasting impact for survivors. Let’s make this season one of action, compassion, and meaningful change!
AWS CRISIS LINE EXPANDS to support those affected by fgm/c (female genital mutilation/cutting)
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.’”
Together for love and community,
together against hate and violence.
AWS promotes respect within and across communities. aws stands for love and safety.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. In response to anti-Asian hate violence, you have been a steady stream of care. You are outrage with vision. You are love with follow-through. Thank you for facing horror and pain with action and generosity toward Asian Women’s Shelter and similar organizations working for peace, justice and healing for Asian women, families and communities. We see you and we love you.
You are finding your own survivable balance of seeking and hiding from the news, reeling in your own pain, and imagining the minute-to-minute heartbreak others are living in. You are scared for your parents and grandparents, and worrying about best friends, neighbors and sisters. You are sick from the predictable but unstomachable statements of “he was having a bad day,” from those who proudly promote hate and are paid to oversee safety and justice.
We know the big words, the misogyny of white supremacy, the commodification and appropriation of people and culture, the history being repeated.
But more than that, we know the heart and soul of our families and communities. We know the grit and defiance in our grandparents and the steel in the backbones of our mothers working multiple jobs for a success they will never see. We are going forward with you.
“Shame dies when stories are told in safe places. ”