The most exciting thing going on is getting ready for a mega online fundraising challenge called the Purple Purse Challenge.
| Get Ready for Saheli’s 2016 Purple Purse Challenge!
On September 28th, 2016, Saheli, Support and Friendship for South Asian Women and Families will partner with the Allstate Foundation to bring awareness to the crucial role that financial abuse plays in domestic violence. Saheli will be competing with 250 nonprofits nationwide in a friendly online fundraising contest to earn prize funding upwards of $100,000 from the Allstate Foundation all to benefit our Economic Empowerment Program. And We Need Your Help. The Purple Purse crowd-funding page will “go live” on September 28th at https://www.crowdrise.com/Saheli-PurplePurse2016. We would like to count on your support! Please help Saheli get off to a strong start by joining our fundraising team, donating generously on the 28th, and sending this message of support to your close friends and family! |
Saheli Is 20 Years Old This Year
Equally exciting, Saheli has completed two decades of dedicated domestic violence response and prevention services for immigrant women and children from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and other countries. Between January and August, 127 women have received direct services from Saheli for abuse and violence. Saheli is the only social service agency in all of Massachusetts catering to South Asian women specifically.
Among this year’s accomplishments– Saheli received an award of $10,000 from the Harry Dow Memorial Legal Fund to improve access to courts, attorneys, and law and order professionals by people who are not familiar with the judicial system and may not speak English fluently. Saheli is there to help.
The Watertown Community Foundation funded a college readiness program for 12 young South Asian girls who will be the first in their families to attend college. We seek South Asian college students to serve as big sisters for this program. Please volunteer.
Two new interns have started this fall. Christine, a psychology student, is an intern in the Domestic Violence Program. Zaihra, a second-year law student, is Saheli’s legal intern and will accompany women to court.
Four amazing staff members, forty active young volunteers, and ten hard-working board members keep Saheli humming with activity. Saheli has responded to domestic abuse and violence, child custody and divorce issues, transnational abandonment, desertion, financial abuse and many civil and criminal charges perpetrated by abusive partners. Saheli has given financial aid and assistance to women in crisis and assisted them to get support and assistance from the state.
In September, Saheli launched new development initiatives. A major letter-writing project to donors has been organized by staff and Board Members, and the Purple Purse Challenge is being led by two dedicated volunteers. If you think of Saheli as your community organization, please support it generously.
Saheli seeks new members for its Governing Board for the spring of 2017. If you are interested, please send a letter of interest to info@saheliboston.org
The cost of supporting a single survivor of domestic violence is at least $280. This sum includes office rent, staff salaries, workman’s compensation, liability insurance, crisis helpline, phone and printing costs. Saheli is running two computer literacy classes this fall in Waltham and Quincy. A free class for low-income individuals costs $4,200 and includes 12-weeks of instruction in using computers, the Internet, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Roughly 90 adults graduate each year and each benefits greatly.
As the number of South Asian women seeking help rises, Saheli’s costs will also rise. We seek your generous support in maintaining critical services for them and sustaining Saheli now and for the future.
