Social Justice

Real-Time Support for Survivors of Gender Based Violence: Urgent Action Fund

A project of Sikh Family Center
SIKH-FAMILY-CENTER-LOGO_BLACK-COLOR.png Sikh Family Center
National, California, US
$401pledged of $35,000 goal
$401goal: $35,000
4donors
Yes tax deductible
93days to go
$

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This Vaisakhi, stretch your giving through sustained care by becoming a monthly donor. Recurring gifts of safety ensures Sikh Family Center is better prepared to respond to time sensitive Helpline needs as and when they arise.  

All donations toward our Urgent Action Fund will ensure survivors feel less stress about time sensitive needs that could compromise their safety and wellbeing. 

Why Urgent Action?

The period during and immediately following separation from a partner causing abuse is when the risk of harm and/or retaliation is statistically the highest. 

Research shows the risk of homicide increases by about 75% for victims of intimate partner violence after they leave the abusive partner. This is why immediate support during separation is critical. (Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness)

Sikh Family Center’s Urgent Action Fund allows us to respond in real time when safety needs such as transportation, housing costs, and temporary support for basic necessities (food/clothing) can not wait. 

What do you Fund?

A survivor leaving and experiencing violence such as Manjeet Kaur in real-time may need:

  • Temporary Motel stay and meals  
  • A safe phone to connect with emergency contacts 
  • Transportation to and from necessary appointments
  • Legal filing fees related to court proceedings
  • Gift cards to purchase essentials such as groceries and clothing 

Your timely donation can prevent further harm and increase safety. For example, when a mother contacted our Helpline, she was unsure how to manage her home and care for her children while her husband was being detained. Our team worked alongside her to explore stable housing options, job opportunities, and connected her with a legal organization for clarity in her family’s circumstances. 

Sikh Family Center’s Urgent Action Fund enabled us to meet this family’s immediate needs including groceries. 

What types of calls has Sikh Family Center responded to in the first quarter of 2026?

Post-Separation Safety. A survivor who left a violent home and was having active suicidal thoughts, received ongoing emotional support, connection to mental health resources (including 988), and collaborative safety planning with a trained peer counselor. Together they explored legal options such as benefits of a restraining order, physical, technological, and digital safety strategies, and ways to navigate community gossip that centered her safety and autonomy.

Supporting a Survivor Wrongly Accused of Violence. After enduring years of abuse, a survivor found herself wrongly accused by her abuser, leaving her feeling trapped and unheard. Our team shared information about the Battered Women's Justice Project, a national resource that provides assistance to help attorneys build a strong defense case that reflects the truth of the survivor's experience.

Preparing to Leave Safely. In collaboration with a partner agency in the Midwest, our team worked with a survivor as she prepared for the possibility of leaving an unsafe home. Together, we created a plan that included when to call 911 and how to request a domestic violence advocate to be present when the police arrive - steps that help protect her safety and ensure she is heard in a stressful situation.

Helping a Family Rebuild Safety. After leaving an abusive household, family members faced a new threat - their safety at work. The perpetrators of abuse knew where the survivors were employed and were attempting to contact them at work. When they turned to Sikh Family Center for guidance, our trained peer counselors explained how restraining orders extend protection to their workplaces as well, and could be an important tool as they rebuild their peace and security.

Our trained, bilingual community volunteers (known as peer counselors) work alongside survivors, providing trauma-centered, culturally responsive, compassionate support over several months, working to address the complex, intersecting needs that arise on their journey to healing. Peer counselors also connect survivors with appropriate resources as survivors reclaim and rebuild their lives.

These urgent needs reflect the importance of flexible, responsive funding to provide survivor-centered and culturally tailored services.

Together, we can envision a future where every family thrives in peace, love and equality.

  • 06/13/2026

    More Calls, Impacted Families & Urgent Needs

    Centering choice, dignity, power and agency for those who have experienced harm is a core value of our work. Sikh Family Center's National U.S. Helpline (866-732-7392) has been fielding a significant increase in calls related to domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse—and in an environment of fear for all immigrant and communities of color. 

    In the first few months of 2026, we saw a 116% increase in such calls compared to the same period in 2025.

    In addition to working with survivors, we are also supporting family members who have lost loved ones to gender-based violence or are navigating how to support loved ones through dangerous situations, including detention and family separation.

    What happens when someone calls Sikh Family Center’s National Non-Emergency U.S. Helpline? 

    Callers hear a voice message in Punjabi & English requesting them to leave their name, a safe phone number and safe time when they can be reached. Our trained, bilingual community volunteers (known as peer counselors) work alongside survivors, providing trauma-centered, culturally responsive, compassionate support over several months, working to address the complex, intersecting needs that arise in their journey to healing. Peer counselors also connect community members including survivors of family violence and complex trauma with resources, and support services to reclaim their autonomy and sense of self.

    Callers continue to reach out from across the country including Kansas, Arizona, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, and Michigan among other states.

    What types of calls has Sikh Family Center responded to in recent months?

    • Empowering Families to Stand with Survivors. At the request of a survivor, our trained peer counselor spoke with her family to communicate the serious threats to her life by her husband and his family. When family members recognize the abuse their loved one is being subjected to, they can offer meaningful support and plan thoughtful, informed safety steps together.
    • Family Support and Wellness. A family member contacted our Helpline seeking culturally specific counseling as they navigated a loved one’s mental health diagnosis. With a counselor's support, families can learn healthy strategies to cope and strengthen their relationships when faced with unfamiliar, challenging situations.
    • Meeting Survivors Where They are At. Our peer counselor supported a young mom in an abusive relationship by helping her with safety strategies, including de-escalation techniques to frame conversations in ways that reduce the risk of activating the abuser. The peer counselor shared resources that are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week that she can reach out to (911, 988, and domestic violence hotlines), and reminded her that she is not alone, she can call our Helpline and speak with a peer counselor when safe.
    • Reclaiming her Life. Shortly after her engagement, a survivor began experiencing verbal abuse from her fiancé, but due to family pressure she proceeded with the marriage. The abuse continued to escalate, leaving the survivor traumatized to the extent that she lost her self-esteem and was experiencing thoughts of suicide. Our trained peer counsellor supported the survivor by connecting her with mental health resources, helping her rebuild her sense of agency, and empowering her to prioritize her safety and well-being.

    Want to Ensure Survivors Know They Can Rely on Us, their Community?

    Become a monthly donor!  

    This is the one certain way for us to know we can continue providing support to more survivors (and for us to spend time providing services, rather than raising money.) 

    Your ongoing contributions offer renewed hope and healing for those living with family violence and trauma across the U.S..

Name Donation Date
S. K. $12.50 June 2026
Sukhjit P Singh $113.00 May 2026
Kuldeep Kaur Bhuthal $25.00 May 2026
Ishdeep Singh $250.00 April 2026

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