How We Help
- Counseling
- Shelter & Housing Support
- Career-Readiness Training
- Legal Services & Advocacy
Video: Laura Fernandez, Director of Sanctuary’s Clinical Program
When Michelle arrived in the United States from the Dominican Republic with her three children, she spoke no English and was scarred from years of abuse by her boyfriend. She found her way to Sanctuary for Families, New York’s leading provider of services to survivors of gender-based violence.
Once she connected with the counselors at Sanctuary, Michelle’s life – and everyone whose life she touched – began to change.
In just a year, Michelle learned to speak English and became an active participant in Sanctuary’s first worker-owned cooperative business: the Brightly Two Bridges Coop. Partnering with the Center for Family Life, Sanctuary began providing clients and former clients with the tools they needed to start and operate successful cleaning businesses. Michelle jumped right in and began attending weekly workshops.
Michelle also participated in various clinical services, including individual counseling and group counseling services, where she has learned new parenting techniques that will help support and strengthen the bond with her children.
Michelle’s children — who all suffered from severe anxieties because of the domestic violence they witnessed — have also all attended counseling. They are now thriving. Recently her oldest child participated in our annual Camp Hope program, where they engaged in all kinds of fun activities. Michelle and her children consistently engaged in our reading literacy program and virtual family activities.
By working through her trauma with Sanctuary’s counselors, Michelle also courageously confronted her abuser in court and received a permanent order of protection – an extremely empowering experience for her.
Giving survivors trauma-informed counseling is only one of the many services provided by Sanctuary for Families. Every client served by Sanctuary has access to all our programs including legal, shelter, and economic empowerment services. Over 7,000 individuals each year are helped by Sanctuary’s committed staff and by donors like you.
Video: Ruby Charles, Housing Navigator at Sanctuary for Families
In November 2020, Deidre entered one of Sanctuary’s domestic violence shelters with her two young children. She had endured years of abuse from the father of her daughters, made more complicated by severe spinal problems. With no family or network in New York City, she felt completely alone.
Two weeks earlier, Ashley had entered the same shelter with her teenage daughter. She had been married for over 15 years but escalating abuse while quarantining with her abuser gave her the push to leave. Both women were looking at an uncertain future when they entered our shelter so they began taking care of each other.
Ashley, who was working full time, relied on Deidre to look after her daughter. And Deidre who needed surgery for her spine, was able to rely on Ashley to take care of her two young children while she recuperated after her operation. The two women attended counseling sessions and began to process the trauma they had endured. Unlike city shelters, Sanctuary’s shelters not only offer spaces for survivors to connect with each other, but we also offer trauma-informed counseling services.
Eventually, Sanctuary was able to help both women get permanent housing. Through a federal program called Rapid Re-Housing, and with the help of Sanctuary’s caseworkers, Ashley was able to move into her own apartment. Using a city housing voucher, and with the help of our shelter case management services, Deidre was also able to get permanent housing.
The friendship between these strong women and the support they received from Sanctuary’s staff gave them the tools they needed to move on.
Giving survivors a safe place to live – away from their abusers — is only one of the many services provided by Sanctuary for Families. Every client served by Sanctuary has access to all our programs including legal, trauma-informed counseling and economic empowerment services. Over 7,000 individuals each year are helped by Sanctuary’s committed staff and by donors like you.
Video: Sarah E. Hayes, Deputy Director of Sanctuary’s Economic Empowerment Program
For many survivors, the hardest part about leaving is what happens next. Financial barriers keep many tethered to abusive partners, and those who do leave are forced to reckon with the lack of good jobs and affordable housing available in New York City.
This was the case for Alicia, who first sought Sanctuary services in 2018 after fleeing her abusive partner with her two young children. It was then that she would begin a journey toward safety and stability that would touch on Sanctuary’s clinical, legal, and economic empowerment services.
When Alicia began receiving therapy, her counselor was immediately impressed by her extraordinary level of commitment and remarkable courage. Alicia was committed not only to her children and her own healing but to being a source of support for other survivors as well.
While she had already made incredible strides toward building a new life, there was still one barrier left for Alicia to overcome. Having spent years as a stay-at-home mother taking care of her children, she knew she needed some help developing the skills that would allow her to be competitive in the modern workplace.
Alicia joined Sanctuary’s Economic Empowerment Program (EEP) and immediately set her sights on a job that could provide a better standard of living for herself and her children. She excelled in Sanctuary’s Career Readiness and Office Operations Workshops and quickly received multiple certifications in medical billing and coding.
Thanks to her unending determination and the support she received from EEP, Alicia is now working full-time at a New York City hospital that pays more than $50,000 a year.
Giving survivors the resources, skills, and support they need to thrive is at the heart of what we do. We serve over 7,000 individuals each year supporting their journey and giving them the tools they need to break the cycle of abuse — permanently.
Video: Pooja Asnani, Director of Sanctuary’s Immigration Intervention Project
Leaving home can be one of the hardest things to do. But for some, leaving is necessary for survival.
Unable to go to the police in her home country, but afraid to stay, Sandra fled her abusive partner in Central America. She crossed the border into the United States with her two youngest children, leaving her two eldest behind. Determined to create a safe and secure home for her children, Sandra came to Sanctuary, where she was able to start her journey toward safety and stability.
For many domestic violence survivors, leaving is just the beginning of the battle. In filing her initial application for immigration status, Sandra and our legal team encountered an issue: the Trump Administration had recently restricted the ability of survivors to seek asylum based on their claims of domestic violence. This meant that Sandra’s claim would not even be considered, potentially barring her and her children from reaching safety.
This impending setback didn’t discourage Sandra. Despite facing slim prospects and running the risk of re-traumatizing herself, Sandra chose to testify in court.
Sandra’s initial hearing date was set to take place at the very start of the pandemic but was repeatedly pushed back due to COVID-19 restrictions and delays. Thankfully, by the time she came to her next court date, the order was miraculously repealed and Sandra and her youngest children were granted asylum immediately.
Now with legal status, Sandra moved to Virginia and was able to reunite with her two oldest children, who are currently filing for asylum themselves.
Thanks to her resilience, your support, and Sanctuary’s legal services, Sandra is now able to build a safe and secure community for her children to grow up in.
Video: Laura Fernandez, Director of Sanctuary’s Clinical Program
When Michelle arrived in the United States from the Dominican Republic with her three children, she spoke no English and was scarred from years of abuse by her boyfriend. She found her way to Sanctuary for Families, New York’s leading provider of services to survivors of gender-based violence.
Once she connected with the counselors at Sanctuary, Michelle’s life – and everyone whose life she touched – began to change.
In just a year, Michelle learned to speak English and became an active participant in Sanctuary’s first worker-owned cooperative business: the Brightly Two Bridges Coop. Partnering with the Center for Family Life, Sanctuary began providing clients and former clients with the tools they needed to start and operate successful cleaning businesses. Michelle jumped right in and began attending weekly workshops.
Michelle also participated in various clinical services, including individual counseling and group counseling services, where she has learned new parenting techniques that will help support and strengthen the bond with her children.
Michelle’s children — who all suffered from severe anxieties because of the domestic violence they witnessed — have also all attended counseling. They are now thriving. Recently her oldest child participated in our annual Camp Hope program, where they engaged in all kinds of fun activities. Michelle and her children consistently engaged in our reading literacy program and virtual family activities.
By working through her trauma with Sanctuary’s counselors, Michelle also courageously confronted her abuser in court and received a permanent order of protection – an extremely empowering experience for her.
Giving survivors trauma-informed counseling is only one of the many services provided by Sanctuary for Families. Every client served by Sanctuary has access to all our programs including legal, shelter, and economic empowerment services. Over 7,000 individuals each year are helped by Sanctuary’s committed staff and by donors like you.
Video: Ruby Charles, Housing Navigator at Sanctuary for Families
In November 2020, Deidre entered one of Sanctuary’s domestic violence shelters with her two young children. She had endured years of abuse from the father of her daughters, made more complicated by severe spinal problems. With no family or network in New York City, she felt completely alone.
Two weeks earlier, Ashley had entered the same shelter with her teenage daughter. She had been married for over 15 years but escalating abuse while quarantining with her abuser gave her the push to leave. Both women were looking at an uncertain future when they entered our shelter so they began taking care of each other.
Ashley, who was working full time, relied on Deidre to look after her daughter. And Deidre who needed surgery for her spine, was able to rely on Ashley to take care of her two young children while she recuperated after her operation. The two women attended counseling sessions and began to process the trauma they had endured. Unlike city shelters, Sanctuary’s shelters not only offer spaces for survivors to connect with each other, but we also offer trauma-informed counseling services.
Eventually, Sanctuary was able to help both women get permanent housing. Through a federal program called Rapid Re-Housing, and with the help of Sanctuary’s caseworkers, Ashley was able to move into her own apartment. Using a city housing voucher, and with the help of our shelter case management services, Deidre was also able to get permanent housing.
The friendship between these strong women and the support they received from Sanctuary’s staff gave them the tools they needed to move on.
Giving survivors a safe place to live – away from their abusers — is only one of the many services provided by Sanctuary for Families. Every client served by Sanctuary has access to all our programs including legal, trauma-informed counseling and economic empowerment services. Over 7,000 individuals each year are helped by Sanctuary’s committed staff and by donors like you.
Video: Sarah E. Hayes, Deputy Director of Sanctuary’s Economic Empowerment Program
For many survivors, the hardest part about leaving is what happens next. Financial barriers keep many tethered to abusive partners, and those who do leave are forced to reckon with the lack of good jobs and affordable housing available in New York City.
This was the case for Alicia, who first sought Sanctuary services in 2018 after fleeing her abusive partner with her two young children. It was then that she would begin a journey toward safety and stability that would touch on Sanctuary’s clinical, legal, and economic empowerment services.
When Alicia began receiving therapy, her counselor was immediately impressed by her extraordinary level of commitment and remarkable courage. Alicia was committed not only to her children and her own healing but to being a source of support for other survivors as well.
While she had already made incredible strides toward building a new life, there was still one barrier left for Alicia to overcome. Having spent years as a stay-at-home mother taking care of her children, she knew she needed some help developing the skills that would allow her to be competitive in the modern workplace.
Alicia joined Sanctuary’s Economic Empowerment Program (EEP) and immediately set her sights on a job that could provide a better standard of living for herself and her children. She excelled in Sanctuary’s Career Readiness and Office Operations Workshops and quickly received multiple certifications in medical billing and coding.
Thanks to her unending determination and the support she received from EEP, Alicia is now working full-time at a New York City hospital that pays more than $50,000 a year.
Giving survivors the resources, skills, and support they need to thrive is at the heart of what we do. We serve over 7,000 individuals each year supporting their journey and giving them the tools they need to break the cycle of abuse — permanently.
Video: Pooja Asnani, Director of Sanctuary’s Immigration Intervention Project
Leaving home can be one of the hardest things to do. But for some, leaving is necessary for survival.
Unable to go to the police in her home country, but afraid to stay, Sandra fled her abusive partner in Central America. She crossed the border into the United States with her two youngest children, leaving her two eldest behind. Determined to create a safe and secure home for her children, Sandra came to Sanctuary, where she was able to start her journey toward safety and stability.
For many domestic violence survivors, leaving is just the beginning of the battle. In filing her initial application for immigration status, Sandra and our legal team encountered an issue: the Trump Administration had recently restricted the ability of survivors to seek asylum based on their claims of domestic violence. This meant that Sandra’s claim would not even be considered, potentially barring her and her children from reaching safety.
This impending setback didn’t discourage Sandra. Despite facing slim prospects and running the risk of re-traumatizing herself, Sandra chose to testify in court.
Sandra’s initial hearing date was set to take place at the very start of the pandemic but was repeatedly pushed back due to COVID-19 restrictions and delays. Thankfully, by the time she came to her next court date, the order was miraculously repealed and Sandra and her youngest children were granted asylum immediately.
Now with legal status, Sandra moved to Virginia and was able to reunite with her two oldest children, who are currently filing for asylum themselves.
Thanks to her resilience, your support, and Sanctuary’s legal services, Sandra is now able to build a safe and secure community for her children to grow up in.
Donate to Ensure Services for Survivors in 2021 and Beyond
Last year Sanctuary helped nearly 7,000 adults and children along their paths to safety and stability, advocated for legislation that protects survivors, and empowered communities across the city to prevent abuse and exploitation through outreach and training. Join us as we build a world in which freedom from gender violence is a basic human right.