Fall Volunteer & Language Advocate Training
Announcement for our Fall 2026 Training - Apply Now!
Our Fall Volunteer & Language Advocate Training is now open for applications! Held twice each year, this training prepares community members to support survivors of domestic violence through culturally responsive, survivor-centered advocacy.
Volunteers and Language Advocates are an essential part of SFAWS's work, providing compassionate support to survivors as they navigate safety, healing, and stability. Throughout the training, participants will build knowledge and skills in the dynamics of domestic violence, trauma-informed and survivor-centered advocacy, cultural humility, confidentiality, and language access.
Training Dates
Volunteer / DV Counselor Training
August 22 – October 10, 2026
Language Advocate / MLAM Training
October 17–18, 2026
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all spaces are filled.
We are deeply grateful for every community member who chooses to stand alongside survivors. Whether you are interested in direct advocacy or multilingual language access, your time, skills, and compassion help strengthen our community.
🔗 Visit our Volunteer webpage to learn more: sfaws.org/volunteer
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.’”