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 Our community of young professionals is comprised of men and women working to build a life for themselves in the Bay Area. Our members come from all over the world and every corner of this country. We understand what it means to stake one's future, and we have truly taken advantage of our freedom of movement.
Around the world, women refugees face rampant oppression from employment exploitation to sexual violence to even torture.
We, at Spark, want all women and their children to have a place where they can thrive, free from violence and fear. We want them to have homes where they can live out their dreams and build their futures.
Proceeds from this year's Black & Pink Ball will support three exemplary organizations that serve women and girl refugees: Amai House, Asylum Access, and The LIGHT Project.
Amai House: Based in South Africa, Amai House provides shelter, medical care and job training for HIV-infected pregnant Zimbabwean women refugees who are victims of politically motivated sexual violence.
Asylum Access: Based in San Francisco, Asylum Access will train Colombian women refugees to lobby the Ecuadorian National Assembly for recognition of employment rights and protection from sexual violence for refugees. Visit their website to learn more.
The LIGHT Project: Based in Vietnam, The LIGHT Project provides health care, HIV/AIDS treatment, education, job training and housing for migrant and refugee women living in Hanoi.
How can you help?
Help raise awareness and funds for these great organizations by attending Spark's Black and Pink Ball on September 11th.
If you can't make the Ball, don't let that stop you from supporting these amazing organizations.
Any donation, no matter how big or small, will make an enormous impact on the lives of these women who are trying to build their lives anew.
Donate now by going to www.sparksf.org/support.html and specifying that your donation is "on behalf of" Amai House, Asylum Access and/or LIGHT Project.
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 Maitri
San Jose
Maitri was started by a group of Indian women in
response to the growing need in the South Asian community to have a place where
women experiencing domestic violence could call in for information, referrals to
mainstream agencies, and informal peer counseling. They found that although
there were mainstream organizations that provided similar kind of help, women
from our South Asian communities often did not feel comfortable approaching
them.
While women of all races are equally vulnerable to violence by an intimate
partner, language-specific and culturally-sensitive services are particularly
vital for South Asian women living in the US. Preliminary data shows that rates
of violence may be higher in this ethnic community than the global rate that 1
in 3 women will be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime.
Furthermore, abused immigrant women may hesitate to reach out to police,
shelters, courts, and mainstream violence agencies due to barriers of language,
financial constraints, and fear of deportation. Survivors may also face the
cultural stigma and shame of divorce in the community, and be told that it is
their "duty" to keep the family and marriage intact, despite abuse.
Maitri is a free, confidential, referral nonprofit organization based in the San
Francisco Bay Area, that primarily helps families from South Asia (Bangladesh,
India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka among others) facing domestic violence,
emotional abuse, cultural alienation, human trafficking or family conflict.
Maitri also provides legal services and low-cost housing for women transitioning
out of abusive situations.
How can you help?
Help Spark provide a safe and secure home for six women by participating in our HELP END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Campaign. We are raising both funds and friends to support the purchase of a video surveillance system and a play structure for Maitri's transition house for South Asian women who are victims of domestic violence and trafficking.
Help end domestic violence TODAY!
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 The Center for Young Women's Development
San Francisco
At 15, Marlene Sanchez came to CYWD in San Francisco looking for employment and a way out of the juvenile justice system. 15 years later Marlene is CYWD's Executive Director and she is spearheading an effort to change the way that public officials think about and treat girls in the juvenile justice system.
Young women, particularly young women of color, are the fastest growing population in the juvenile justice system. These young women are disproportionately poor and over 75% have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse in their young lives.
CYWD will train these young women to speak to public officials to advocate for gender-responsive programming in the juvenile justice system. Spark's grant will allow 100 young women to receive this training. CYWD is creating change in a system by those who have been in the system.
How can you help?
Sparks grant to CYWD has been selected as a featured project on GlobalGiving.org. If you are interested in supporting this project directly, please click here to see the campaign.
If you are interested in volunteering at CYWD, please contact Shannon@SparkSF.org.
CYWD also needs donated items: Diapers, infant/children's clothing, educational toys, working personal computers, business clothing, as well as school, arts and crafts supplies. Please visit their website, www.cywd.org, to see a complete list of their needs.
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