Celebrating our Spanish Career Readiness Workshop Graduates

Sanctuary for Families

Program graduates were celebrated for their extraordinary work in the midst of the pandemic and were congratulated by Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance who kindly joined us for the zoom graduation.

For centuries, immigrants and refugees have been making their way to New York City, settling across the five boroughs, working countless hours, and making sacrifices to provide their families with a chance at a better life. Their belief in the American dream, cultural traditions, and labor have made our country richer and stronger. Though this has always been the American story, it’s one our country has repeatedly disavowed – especially in recent years.

This dichotomy was underscored during our recent Economic Empower Program’s (EEP) Spanish Career Readiness Workshop graduation. For four weeks over the summer, 24 gender violence survivors logged into Zoom in order to complete an abbreviated and remote version of EEP’s signature program in Spanish. At a time when our federal government is actively working to prevent immigration from Central and South America and cut supportive services for immigrants and undocumented folks – all amidst a pandemic and economic recession – programs like our Spanish CRW have never been more critical.

Sanctuary began offering the Spanish CRW in 2018. Working with many monolingual Spanish-speaking immigrants over the years, EEP staff had long recognized the need for clients to have at least a minimum level of English proficiency in order to enter New York City’s complex labor market. While it’s possible to survive in the City without basic English skills, the living wage labor market and potential for career advancement still demand solid English speaking, writing, and reading skills.

The Spanish CRW was and continues to be EEP’s solution to this problem, combining ESOL classes with professional development instruction and computer skills training in Spanish—an innovative approach to meeting the workforce development needs of Spanish-speaking domestic violence and trafficking survivors. Emphasizing the importance of English fluency as a stepping stone to succeeding in the living-wage job market, the Spanish CRW offers Spanish-speaking survivors the much-needed opportunity to secure their rightful place in New York City’s 21st Century economy.

Graduates of the Spanish CRW shared what the last four weeks meant to them:

“Thank you for providing me with the fundamental steps needed to fulfill my professional goals… After taking the program, I now believe that I have a bright future and that nothing is too late. [EEP team], you all impacted my life for good and subsequently my kids’ lives as well. I now hear my kids saying things like ‘Mommy, I want to learn too what you’re learning,’ ‘Mommy, learn as much as you can so that you can have a very good job like all of the moms,’ … ‘You look beautiful when you smile every day,’ ‘You can do it Mommy,’ ‘Si se puede, Mommy.’” – Anonymous

“Gracias por brindarme los pasos fundamentales necesarios para cumplir con mis objetivos profesionales… después de tomar el programa, ahora creo que tengo un futuro brillante y que nada es demasiado tarde. [Equipo de EEP], todos ustedes impactaron mi vida para siempre y, posteriormente, también la vida de mis hijos. Ahora escucho a mis hijos decir cosas como: ‘Mami, yo también quiero aprender lo que estás aprendiendo,’ ‘Mami aprende todo lo que puedas para que tú también puedas tener un muy buen trabajo como otras mamás,’ ‘Te ves hermosa cuando sonríes todos los días,’ ‘Puedes hacerlo mami’ ‘¡Si se puede, mami!’ – Anonymous

“[EEP has] given me the tools and the opportunity to transform my life, and my daughters’ lives, and give me hope for a better life that I thought was loss at the hands of my experience with domestic violence…” – Yoana M.

“[EEP me ha] dado las herramientas y la oportunidad para transformar mi vida y la vida de mis hijas, y me ha dado esperanza de una mejor vida que pensé se había perdido en manos de mi experiencia de violencia doméstica . . .” – Yoana M.

Reflecting on the immense challenges New York City is facing, Program Director Angelo J. Rivera shared:

“So many people have come to New York for hundreds of years, started their life over again, have gone on to do great things, and made the world a better place… and now it is our turn. In this very difficult time for this City it is our turn and that means it’s also your turn too.”

“Tantas personas han venido a Nueva York durante cientos de años, han comenzado sus vidas de nuevo, han hecho grandes cosas y han hecho del mundo un lugar mejor … y ahora es nuestro turno. En estos tiempos tan difíciles para esta ciudad llega nuestro turno y eso quiere decir que es tu turno también.”  

Graduates were also congratulated by District Attorney Cyrus Vance whose office funded Sanctuary’s Economic Empowerment Program.

“Regardless of the challenges that laid ahead of you as you entered this program, you did it, all 24 of you. You seized the opportunity to empower yourselves and profoundly change your lives…The courage, the hard work, the dedication, the emotional strength that you have shown in your lives and through your work in this program indicates that your future is going to be bright.”

“Sin importar los retos que se avecinaban cuando ustedes entraban en este programa, ustedes lo hicieron, cada una de las veinticuatro. Aprovecharon la oportunidad para empoderarse y cambiar profundamente sus vidas … El coraje, el trabajo duro, la dedicación, la fortaleza emocional que han demostrado en sus vidas y a través de su trabajo en este programa demuestran que su futuro será brillante.”

—

These are difficult times for so many across New York City and around the country, but particularly for immigrant survivors of gender violence. We extend our gratitude to the District Attorney for joining our celebration and supporting this critical work, as well as the many others who make our Economic Empowerment Program possible:

Capital One Foundation
Clark Foundation
First Republic Bank
Gerstner Family Foundation
Harry & Jeannette Weinberg Foundation
Helen Wolk Foundation
Herbert M. Citrin Charitable Foundation
Investors Foundation
JRM Construction Management
Macy’s Foundation
Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Criminal Justice Investment Initiative
New York City Council
New York City Human Resources Administration
New York State Department of Labor
Nurmi Family Foundation
Peter & Mary Levin Family Foundation
Tides Foundation
Tiger Foundation

 

We look forward to sharing more stories as our graduates continue with ESOL classes and our four-month intensive Office Operations Workshop.

Paul Weiss Helps Domestic Violence Survivor Overturn Court Order, Remain in Apartment

Sharon Barbour

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary is honoring a team of attorneys from Paul Weiss for their tireless pro bono work on behalf of “Lisa,” a survivor of domestic violence facing court-ordered exclusion from her apartment.

Sharon Barbour is an associate at Cohen & Gresser and co-chair of Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Council. 

—

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary is honoring a team of attorneys from Paul Weiss for their tireless pro bono work on behalf of “Lisa,” a survivor of domestic violence facing court-ordered exclusion from her apartment. The team consisted of partner Dave Brown; associates Sofia Reive, Katarina Broeksmit, and Luke Phillips; former associates Mahalia Boyd and Lance Polivy; and former paralegal Erin Nunes. 

For years, Sanctuary’s client Lisa endured an unimaginable situation in her own home, a rent-controlled apartment where she had lived since childhood.  Her family had been fractured by domestic violence.  As children, Lisa and her siblings witnessed their father violently abuse their mother, which left lasting trauma on the entire family.  Lisa’s sister, Nina, who was in an extremely abusive relationship, ultimately killed her batterer and was sentenced to two decades in prison.  Lisa left college to care for Nina’s children.  Back in her childhood home, Lisa faced psychological abuse by her brother, who had learned how to abuse from their father.

By 2017, Lisa was in poor health and unable to work.  Her brother had his own home but, seeking a buy-out from the building’s management, launched a vicious campaign to force Lisa out of hers.  He installed cameras in the apartment to monitor Lisa’s every move and left menacing notes, threatening her and disparaging her with racist and misogynistic names.  He even went so far as to install a roommate in the apartment without Lisa’s permission to monitor and harass her.  He eventually obtained an order of protection based on spurious claims that Lisa abused him and that the apartment was his only residence.  Claiming that Lisa violated the order of protection, he sought a court order excluding her from the apartment.

In July 2017, after Sanctuary successfully advocated for parole on behalf of Lisa’s sister Nina, Lisa approached Sanctuary for legal assistance.  Sanctuary contacted Paul, Weiss about representing Lisa pro bono.  Mahalia Boyd, then a Paul, Weiss associate, jumped at the opportunity.  Because domestic violence is often understood to involve romantic partners rather than siblings, “that made me want to learn more about those issues and how to protect someone in that space because I don’t think it gets enough attention,” Mahalia said.

The Paul, Weiss team, which included Mahalia, partner Dave Brown, associate Sofia Reive, former associate Lance Polivy, associate Katarina Broeksmit, associate Luke Phillips, and former paralegal Erin Nunes, fought for over two years to keep Lisa in her home.  For the team, Lisa’s success felt personal.  As Sofia put it, “the stakes could not have been higher, since she was in such fragile health and was at risk of becoming homeless.”  “We felt that pressure personally,” Lance said.

The team worked tirelessly with Lisa to prepare for trial.  The team prepared Lisa to testify about years of abuse by her brother and undertook thorough investigative work to expose the brother’s lies.  “It was really important for us to establish trust with Lisa at the beginning,” said Mahalia.  “Lisa started to feel like she was really heard and could contribute to the success of her case.”

During the highly contested year-long trial, as a result of careful preparation and skillful direct examination, the team exposed the brother’s abusive behavior and undermined his credibility.  Yet inexplicably, the court found in favor of Lisa’s brother and ordered Lisa’s exclusion.  The team immediately sought an emergency stay of the exclusion order from the Appellate Division, which was denied.  Undeterred, the team filed an emergency appeal of the denial of the stay, which a full panel of the Appellate Division granted.  The team then briefed an appeal of the family court order on the merits.  After oral argument in September 2019, the Appellate Division overturned the portion of the family court order that excluded Lisa from the apartment.  Finally, after years of hard work, Lisa’s right to stay in her home was secured.

“I am forever grateful to this extraordinary group of lawyers. Their skill and dedication kept me in my home and gave me hope.” — Lisa, survivor.

The team likewise expressed great admiration for Lisa.  “Lisa is a fighter,” said Lance, who praised Lisa for attending school and volunteering at a senior center while coping with an extremely difficult home situation and working on her litigation defense.  “Each time she left [the apartment], she was taking a risk that her belongings would be thrown out in the street, as they had in the past.  On top of this, she spent many long days meeting with the Paul, Weiss team to go over everything and prepare for her trial.” As Dave observed, “We had a better outcome because she was so invested in this process.”  Sofia added, “During several years working closely with Lisa, I was astounded by her courage and resilience – never more so than in the days following an exclusion order by the lower court.”  Mahalia agreed, noting that “despite everything that happened to her, she tried to be positive and . . . make the best of her situation.  It was really inspiring to see that come out and shine through her.”

Reflecting on the successful outcome—the result of intensive factual development, trial preparation, direct examination, motion practice, post-trial submissions, and multiple appellate briefs—Dave said that the case “really highlighted the broad base of skills that Paul, Weiss can bring to bear.  Fortunately, we had the ability to bring all of that to the table to help Lisa.”  He added that he was “really happy to continue the legacy of Paul, Weiss’s support of Sanctuary.” 

For Sofia, “It was invaluable to work on this matter from start to finish: through trial, an emergency stays, and, finally, to a successful appeal.  Ultimately, though, keeping Lisa in her home and turning back her abuser was far and away the most rewarding aspect of the case.  This experience was only possible through our firm’s commitment to pro bono representation and longstanding partnership with Sanctuary for Families.”  Lance echoed these sentiments, noting, “There’s nothing more gratifying than using our legal training to help those in need.  That was what this case was all about.”

“The team never stopped fighting.  We didn’t give up.  This was a case of perseverance.” — Dave Brown, partner, Paul Weiss.

Dorchen Leidholdt, Director of Legal Services at Sanctuary for Families, said “It was perseverance coupled with strategic brilliance and top-notch lawyering skills that [the Paul Weiss team] used every step of the way.” She praised each member of the team for being “committed, hardworking, and talented,” calling their work on Lisa’s behalf “extraordinary.”  Dorchen further noted that, because Lisa suffers from multiple chronic illnesses and would have been rendered homeless in the midst of the ongoing COVID pandemic, “They prevented a catastrophe for the client.  It was life-saving.”

—

Join us at our virtual Above & Beyond virtual celebration on October 29, 2020, as we honor the outstanding pro bono work of Dave, Mahalia, Sofia, Lance, Katarina, Luke, and Erin. Click here to RSVP for free.

If you can’t join us, but would like to support Sanctuary for Family’s work, please consider making an Above & Beyond donation here.

Paul Hastings Team Helps Young Siblings Secure Special Status, Avoid Deportation

Louisa Irving

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families is honoring a team of attorneys from Paul Hastings for their persistent advocacy in helping Alejandra and Diego successfully petition for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJS”) and continue on the path toward obtaining legal permanent resident status in the United States.

Louisa Irving is an attorney and a member of Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Council. 

—

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary is honoring a team of attorneys from Paul Hastings for their persistent advocacy in helping Alejandra and Diego successfully petition for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJS”), thereby allowing these siblings to avoid deportation and continue on the path toward obtaining legal permanent resident status in the United States.  The team consisted of Paul Hastings Senior Counsel & Global Pro Bono Chair Brian P. Morgan, Of Counsel Susan Wade, Associate Eduardo Gonzalez, and Associate Zachary S. Zwillinger; as well as former associates Jeanette Kang (now an AUSA) and Aisling Murray (now at O’Melveny & Myers LLP).

In mid-2016, siblings Alejandra and Diego arrived at the southern border of the United States with their mother and another sibling, after courageously making the journey from their home in Guatemala to escape life-threatening violence, verbal, and emotional abuse by their father.  After being released from detention on the border, this family unit traveled to New York in search of stability and security.  Alejandra and Diego’s mother found work and began to build a new life for her children.  She connected with immigration attorneys at Sanctuary for Families, who placed her case with the team at Paul Hastings.  The team from Paul Hastings continues to work on a domestic violence-based asylum claim on behalf of Alejandra and Diego’s mother, listing her children as derivative beneficiaries, but is being honored now for its zealous and compassionate advocacy helping Alejandra and Diego secure SIJ Status.

In the spring of 2019, the team from Paul Hastings started preparing tandem SIJS cases for Alejandra, now 10 years old, and Diego, now 19 years old.  First, the team obtained Guardianship and Special Findings Orders from Queens Family Court.  This was no easy feat and required three grueling hearings before a Referee who asked pointed questions of Alejandra, Diego, and their mother.  The team made it a priority to both prepare the family for what to expect during these hearings, and to debrief with the family following these adversarial and emotionally-difficult hearings.  After obtaining the predicate Guardianship and Special Findings Orders, the team from Paul Hastings filed SIJS applications on behalf of Alejandra and Diego with USCIS and received approvals in June 2020.  The indefatigable and effective advocacy of the team from Paul Hastings lifted the threat of deportation that loomed over this family.  Now, Alejandra and Diego are able to enjoy the stability and tranquility of a life their mother courageously fought to give them.

Pooja Asnani, Director of Sanctuary’s Immigration Intervention Project, who nominated the team from Paul Hastings, described them as incredibly dedicated and “undeterred” in the face of very challenging circumstances in Queens Family Court.  For Paul Hastings, it was a true team effort as this pro bono team was comprised of experienced and more junior litigators, as well as corporate attorneys.  The team worked closely and concurrently on the asylum and SIJS matters, and were amazed by the support from Sanctuary staff, who they described as “phenomenal people.”

In the words of Corporate Department Associate Eduardo Gonzalez, who has worked with Sanctuary on a number of immigration cases, the best part of this work is “sharing the good news with the client and seeing the relief and joy in their eyes.”

 “That’s why I will always do immigration work. . . It is such a refreshing change of pace to be touching someone’s life.”  — Eduardo Gonzalez, Associate. 

—

Join us at our virtual Above & Beyond virtual celebration on October 29, 2020, as we honor Paul Hasting’s outstanding pro bono work. Click here to RSVP for free.

If you can’t join us, but would like to support Sanctuary for Family’s work, please consider making an Above & Beyond donation here.

Take Action During Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Sanctuary for Families

The Coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on domestic violence, and led to a surge in reported cases across the country and around the world. With the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 cases and shutdowns looming this winter, we must act now.

The Coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on domestic violence, and led to a surge in reported cases across the country and around the world. With the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 cases and shutdowns looming this winter, we must act now.
.
.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a time when we join fellow advocates to educate our communities about the dynamics of abusive relationships so that every New Yorker is equipped to identify abuse and access support or refer services to those in need — and the need right now is great:
.
.

Learn how you can support survivors during Domestic Violence Awareness Month:

Attend a Virtual Event

Join Sanctuary, fellow service providers, advocates, and supporters during the month of October.
.

Learn About Domestic Violence and How We’re Adapting under COVID-19

Browse our website and read our latest blog posts to better understand the various forms domestic violence takes and how Sanctuary is meeting this moment and addressing the urgent needs of survivors during this pandemic.
.

Request a Training

Our staff and survivor leaders are available to lead virtual trainings for community members and groups including schools, hospitals, law enforcement, courts and judges, faith communities, and cultural groups who are interested in learning how to identify and support survivors.
.

Wear Purple and Speak Out on Social Media

On NYC Go Purple Day (2020 date TBD), New Yorkers are encouraged to wear purple as a way to spark conversation and awareness about domestic violence. We won’t be able to gather in person so instead, we’re asking you to participate by taking a selfie wearing purple. Send your photo to info@sffny.org and answer the prompt: Today, I wear purple [for/because/to] _______. We’ll share your photos on Go Purple Day. You can also post on your own social media and tag us on Instagram and Twitter @sffny or on Facebook and LinkedIn @sanctuaryforfamilies.
.

Donate to Sanctuary

Our services have been a lifeline to survivors quarantining with abusive partners and families struggling with the economic challenges of the pandemic. During New York’s lockdown, our shelters remained open. Make a donation today in honor of the essential workers who ensure our shelters remain open and safe havens for those leaving abusive situations.

MAKE A GIFT

By taking action today, you’ll help us shine a light on domestic violence. We hope you will join us.