1 in 4 Sikh women in the U.S. report facing gender violence, in our confidential surveys. But we have less than 4 staff in our only national organization focused on this violence.
Why do we need your help NOW?
In 2024, we served even more survivors of trauma, their supporters and families as a result of Sikh Family Center’s efforts in increasing awareness and providing services through our Helpline, Listening Circles, and educational programming, on social media, via zoom, and in person.
Our unique National Helpline is free and private, ensuring that survivors have access to support when they need it. We *never* even confirm or deny whether someone has called our Helpline: privacy is paramount in difficult, traumatic situations!
Survivors engage with us in a variety of ways, when they want, how they want: It is essential to provide options to someone who is escaping control and trauma.
What are some examples of recent Helpline activities that support callers from various states?
- Equipped survivor with the language to effectively communicate with their attorneys, thus ensuring they receive clear and accurate information regarding their case.
- Supported family with child's school transportation costs.
- Connected caller for immediate triage services from a Sikh therapist who volunteers with Sikh Family Center's Mental Health Advisory Council.
- Assisted with transportation services for court-mandated supervised visitations.
- Guided concerned community member with resources to support third party facing mental health challenges.
Trained Professionals: Our Confidential Peer Counselors who answer the Helpline are specially trained to handle crisis situations, provide emotional support, and connect our sangat and survivors with essential resource. Our peer counselors are trained in trauma-centered. They have skills in crisis counseling, how to respond calmly and effectively under pressure.
Volunteer Peer Counselors are Necessary to our Grassroots model, but need Staff Support for Training and Coordination: From 2023 to 2024, we doubled the number of peer counselors as cases have become more complex requiring more resources. We need staff ASAP to support our unique model!
How will your dasvandh help?
Your contribution directly supports the hiring, training and paying the salary of a person who coordinates various programs that directly interface with survivors of trauma. We have always had lean staffing, and will always activate grassroots volunteers: but it's beyond time the only national Sikh organization focused on gender justice has more full-time staff!
Donate Today and Make a Difference
Every donation helps us provide life-saving support to those in need.
Together, we can ensure every survivor has a safe place to turn.
What does Sikh Family Center do?
Sikh Family Center is a nonprofit organization in the U.S. that promotes community well-being with a particular focus on gender justice. We provide trauma-centered resources for victim-survivors of violence while organizing to change the social and cultural conditions that allow gendered violence to occur in the first place. Our training, outreach, and advocacy are grounded in cultural tradition, grassroots power, and intergenerational healing.
We are the only Sikh group with staff professionally trained in crisis response/gender-based violence law, domestic violence, and sexual assault advocacy across North America since 2009.
How does our National Helpline (1.866.SFC.SEWA) work?
Besides questions around domestic violence and dating violence, we routinely receive calls related to mental health issues, elder isolation or even abuse, and homelessness. Our trained, compassionate community volunteers (known as peer counselors) answer the callers with trauma-centered, culturally responsive support in Punjabi and English.
