No Survivor Should Have to Choose Between Food and Safety

Sanctuary for Families

The fear of not being able to provide for themselves or their children can trap survivors in abusive relationships or increase their likelihood of returning to their abusers. Today, the extreme unpredictability of government assistance leaves many survivors in dire need of emergency food assistance.

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The very real fear of not being able to provide for themselves or their children can trap survivors in abusive relationships or increase their likelihood of returning to their abusers.

For survivors, the journey to build safe, independent lives can be arduous. Poverty exacerbates these challenges, forcing survivors to choose between basic necessities like food, healthcare, and housing.

Food insecurity — defined as a lack of consistent access to enough nutritious food — is a major challenge for many of Sanctuary’s clients. Since the pandemic, demand for our services has risen while funding for emergency food assistance has sharply declined, creating a critical gap in support.

Today, the extreme unpredictability of government assistance, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), leaves many survivors in dire need of emergency food assistance. While the latest government shutdown has come to an end, there will be critical delays in accessing benefits.

How Food Insecurity Impacts Survivors

Food insecurity can reinforce a cycle of vulnerability and dependence.

At Sanctuary, we know that economic dependence is a powerful barrier to safety for survivors. Alongside physical, emotional, or sexual violence, many survivors are also subjected to financial abuse, with studies finding that the latter occurs in 99% of domestic violence cases. Less commonly understood, financial abuse is a pattern of behavior where the abuser controls their victim’s finances or their ability to provide for themselves. Survivors may be prevented from working or have their income and benefits taken away by their abuser.

When survivors take the incredibly brave step of escaping abuse, they often leave everything behind.

The majority of Sanctuary’s clients live well below the poverty line, with most reporting an annual income of $30,000 or less.

Last year, emergency food requests made up 69% of all emergency assistance requests Sanctuary received.

Relieving survivors of the fundamental stress of not knowing how they will afford their next meal allows them to focus on their journey towards long-term safety, stability, and healing. When our clients aren’t facing food insecurity, they are better able to take advantage of Sanctuary’s wrap-around services, including counseling sessions, career training workshops, and legal protections.

Addressing Food Insecurity

Sanctuary for Families provides direct financial and material assistance to low-income domestic violence survivors to support them amidst crises through the George Lazarus Fund for Vulnerable Families (FVF).

FVF powers our Emergency Food Program, providing immediate hunger relief through grocery cards and food pantry access to hundreds of clients each year.

Last year, Sanctuary spent over $175,000 on emergency food, with 249 families visiting our food pantries and 228 families receiving grocery cards.

Grocery cards allow families to purchase foods that may not be available in pantries that better fit their dietary requirements. This kind of self-determination has an outsized impact in maintaining the dignity, health, and well-being of the families we serve.

How You Can Help

FVF anticipates serving 650 families in the current fiscal year to address needs such as urgent medical, clothing, and transportation expenses, food and grocery cards, and educational and vocational training expenses to support survivors as they rebuild their lives after violence.

In this current moment of acute food insecurity, your support will help ensure survivors of domestic violence and their families don’t go hungry this winter.

Alongside monetary gifts, Sanctuary accepts shelf-stable, non-perishable food donations that help stock our food pantries for survivors. If you would like to make an in-kind food donation, please get in touch with inkind@sffny.org.

SUPPORT SURVIVORS

Summer Heat Relief: IGVSI Takes Action for Survivors Behind Bars

Sanctuary for Families

At Taconic Correctional Facility, incarcerated survivors have long raised alarms about unbearable and hazardous conditions due to summer heat. This year, Sanctuary’s IGVSI responded.

In New York’s women’s prisons, summer brings oppressive heat. Incarcerated women — the majority of whom are survivors of domestic abuse or other gender-based violence — live in concrete cells with little air flow, creating unbearable and hazardous conditions. There is no air conditioning, and ice distribution has been inconsistent in the worst of the heat. At Taconic Correctional Facility, located in Westchester, New York, incarcerated women have long raised alarms about this health crisis.

This summer, Sanctuary’s Incarcerated Gender Violence Survivors Initiative (IGVSI) responded.

Working with the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), IGVSI arranged for a direct donation to the incarcerated women at Taconic of:

  • 200 high-quality fans, ensuring every incarcerated woman at Taconic has access to essential heat relief in their cell; and
  • 36 insulated coolers to support consistent and equitable ice distribution throughout the facility.

This donation was made possible by contributions from two of IGVSI’s long-time supporters: IGVSI co-founder Richard Rothman and former Sanctuary Board President Denis McInerney.

The fans and coolers were delivered on August 15, 2025, and were quickly distributed throughout the facility. The impact was immediate.

One IGVSI client shared this note of thanks:

“PLEASE let everyone know… [the donation] was a true miracle… We had just read an article on our Newsstand that explained that ‘In the U.S., heat kills more people than all other weather events combined’… and that ‘it is easy to underestimate how dangerous prolonged exposure to heat can be.’ Literally, people were starting to freak out by the heat, and then from heaven came these fans — AWESOME!!! And they are gorgeous. They really, really cool our cells.”

This response reaffirms a core belief at IGVSI: immediate relief transforms lives. Thoughtful, tangible actions not only improve daily conditions but also show survivors they are valued and supported.

At IGVSI, we will continue advocating for structural changes at New York’s women’s prisons: better climate control, legal reforms, and more humane and safe conditions.

How IGVSI Fights for Freedom

Emergency relief like this summer’s fan donation is just one piece of IGVSI‘s comprehensive approach. Our primary focus remains securing the release of criminalized survivors.

We help survivors tell their stories, document the impacts of trauma, and develop comprehensive reentry plans that set them up for success.

We also advocate for laws and policies that recognize the realities of domestic violence within the criminal legal system.

Our commitment doesn’t end at the prison gates. Whether it’s preparing a parole packet, filing a DVSJA motion, or delivering a fan in the middle of a heatwave, our work is grounded in one principle: every survivor deserves a chance to heal and rebuild.

What You Can Do

Share this post to spread the word: more people knowing means more potential support.

  • Consider donating so we can continue both responsive actions, like the fan donation and systemic legal work. Make a gift here.
  • Follow us, stay updated, and stay in community with survivors.

Every act of support — big or small — matters.

IGVSI is a project of Sanctuary for Families.

Learn more or get involved at sanctuaryforfamilies.org and www.igvsi.org

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Preventing Violence Before It Starts

Lillian McKenna

Our Sanctuary intern, Lily, reflects on what prevention means to her as a college junior studying in New York City and why Washington Square Park was the perfect place to meet her peers where they are and start a conversation.

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Each October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), Sanctuary for Families honors survivors, raises awareness, and recommits to ending abuse in all its forms.

When faced with the epidemic of intimate partner violence, it can be difficult to know where to start. This year, we chose to highlight the importance of prevention work.

Sanctuary intern, Lily, shares what prevention means to her as a college junior studying in New York City.

A Conversation in the Park

Thousands of college students pass through Washington Square Park each day—people like me, heading to class, meeting friends, studying in the sun. That made it the perfect place to meet my peers where they already are during DVAM. No stage or microphones, just a table, flyers, and genuine interactions.

Understanding Domestic Violence as a College Student

Before interning at Sanctuary, I thought domestic violence meant physical abuse in long-term relationships or families. I didn’t realize it could also involve emotional, sexual, or digital abuse—or that so many people my age are affected.

Many students enter their first serious relationships in college without the tools to recognize unhealthy dynamics.

Nearly one in three college women have experienced an abusive dating relationship, and more than half of students say it can be hard to recognize when abuse is happening or know how to help a friend.

Sexual violence and coercion are too often dismissed as blurred boundaries or misunderstandings, yet the reality is over 40% of students experience at least one sexually harassing behavior in college.

I’ve learned that prevention begins with awareness and conversation. Addressing sexual and domestic violence means recognizing that harm is not always visible–and silence allows it to persist. I want to remind my peers that domestic violence isn’t only about physical harm, but about how we practice care, consent, and accountability in all relationships.

Why Prevention Matters?

Preventing domestic violence means working together to stop abuse before it starts, reduce risk factors, and build communities grounded in safety, respect, and equality. Prevention strategies tackle the root causes of abuse through education, awareness, community engagement, and advocacy for systemic change.

In Washington Square Park, our goal was simple: to start a conversation with college students during DVAM. Throughout the day, people connected in unexpected ways—friends stopped to learn more, a former Sanctuary intern reconnected, and young men talked about how important this work is.

Outreach like this meets people where they are, often before they realize they need help or know where to find it. When even one young adult learns to recognize warning signs or feels equipped to support a friend, it can help prevent the escalation of abuse and build a culture of safety, dignity, and respect.

It can be the first step toward a future where everyone can live free from violence.

Sanctuary’s Prevention Work

At Sanctuary, we run outreach and clinical programs focused on supporting children and young adults. 

We deliver tailored training sessions for staff and students in schools, colleges, sports clubs, community organizations, workplaces, and healthcare settings. These trainings cover topics such as:

  • Teen dating violence
  • Consent
  • Healthy relationships and conflict resolution
  • Recognizing and preventing abusive patterns
  • Technology-facilitated abuse
  • Challenging gender inequality

Sanctuary also offers trauma-informed counseling and youth leadership programs to children, teens, and young adults up to age 21 who have experienced domestic violence in the home. 

Throughout my time at Sanctuary, I’ve learned that:

Children exposed to violence are 15x more likely to experience future physical and/or sexual abuse.

And that a boy who witnesses his mother being abused is 10x more likely to abuse his female partner as an adult.

That’s why it’s critical to engage, support, and educate young people—to break cycles of victimization and perpetration and stop abuse before it starts.

 

SUPPORT SURVIVORS

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call Sanctuary for Families at 212-349-6009.

If you or someone you know is a student survivor of sexual assault, Sanctuary can provide counseling and legal support. To set up a consultation, please fill out our Intake Form. Contact campusadvocates@sffny.org if you have any questions.

Akerman Honored for Transformative Support in Shelter Renovation

Tushna Gamadia

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families is pleased to honor Steven Polivy of Akerman LLP for his dedicated work in securing bond financing to renovate Sarah Burke House (SBH) – Sanctuary’s transitional shelter for survivors of domestic violence and their families.

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families is pleased to honor Steven Polivy, Chair of the Economic Development and Incentives Practice at Akerman LLP, for his dedicated and compassionate work in securing bond financing to renovate Sarah Burke House (SBH) – Sanctuary’s transitional shelter for survivors of domestic violence and their families. His efforts will help hundreds of survivors rebuild their lives in safety, healing, and hope.

Sarah Burke House is New York’s first and largest transitional shelter for survivors of domestic violence and their families. Sanctuary’s shelter team works closely with families who enter SBH after leaving a domestic violence crisis shelter to help them find affordable housing, meet their legal and mental health needs, and plan for the future. The shelter is in a building that is over 100 years old and in need of critical renovations so that it can continue to provide shelter and security to survivor families. Sanctuary needed legal counsel to help us secure the financing necessary to begin renovations, which is where Steven stepped in to assist.

Steven Polivy is a partner in Akerman’s real estate group and the chair of Akerman’s Economic Development and Incentives Practice, with over four decades of experience working on municipal bond financing and with nonprofits and charitable organizations in connection with their financing needs. Steven worked closely with Svati Kania, Sanctuary’s General Counsel, Lisa Radcliffe, Sanctuary’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer, the Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, Sanctuary’s Chief Executive Officer, and Sanctuary’s Board of Directors to obtain tax-exempt financing through Build NYC Resource Corporation, a New York City agency, to secure the funds to renovate SBH, with the assistance of the dedicated teams from the bond firm, D.A. Davidson and the bankers at Webster Bank that made the financing possible. This was a complex financing since it required coordination with multiple public and private parties and a large number of documents, obtaining the New York Attorney General’s approval, and the use of an innovative structure to maintain the confidential location of SBH in the transaction documents for the safety of its residents.

Steven seamlessly guided Sanctuary to a successful bond financing using his vast knowledge and experience reviewing and negotiating transaction documents, providing strategic advice, and managing relationships with the lender, New York City agencies and New York State Attorney General’s office. The transaction started in 2024 and closed in July 2025. The structure of the deal changed completely during the course of the transaction. Through it all, Steven remained committed to the project, devoting countless hours, including over weekends, to reviewing and negotiating the documents, answering questions for the Sanctuary team, and attending Board meetings, often with very little advance notice. As Svati noted, had Steven charged Sanctuary for his services, his fees would have amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet Steven consistently prioritized Sanctuary even though he was dedicating his time at no cost.

In turn, Steven was impressed by how willing the various participants in the transaction, including the Attorney General’s office, the City of New York, and the lender were to accommodate Sanctuary’s needs and help facilitate the transaction within the parameters of the applicable legal requirements in order to continue Sanctuary’s services on behalf of its clients. Inspired by Sanctuary’s work, Steven intends to continue to be involved with this project and other pro bono work with Sanctuary.

Steven has been the picture of calm and confident competence, kindness, and grace throughout this challenging transaction. The renovation of SBH would not be possible without Steven’s steady guidance and collaboration with Sanctuary’s leadership and Board.

We thank Steven and are pleased to honor him for his dedication and generosity in assisting Sanctuary accomplish a goal that is central to the services it provides to our community. As Svati noted, “Steven’s work is geared not to help just one single survivor, but instead, it helps hundreds of survivors and family members find safety and healing. Without his help, Sanctuary for Families could not have continued to provide a safe haven for clients who call Sarah Burke House their home, and those who will do so in the coming years.”

Join us at our Above & Beyond Awards Ceremony on October 21, 2025, as we honor Akerman’s outstanding pro bono work.

PURCHASE TICKETS

If your firm is interested in a sponsorship opportunity, please reach out to Geny Kimbrell, Director of Special Events, by email at gkimbrell@sffny.org.

Tushna Gamadia is a partner in the Real Estate Group at Morrison & Foerster LLP, works with Sanctuary clients on pro bono cases, and is a member of Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Council.