Agency Updates

Direct Services: In 2009, SAHELI's direct services program provided support and information to 184 individuals and comprehensive, ongoing services to 84 individuals from Travis and Williamson counties. The number of direct client service hours for Asian victims by SAHELI’s Asian Domestic Violence Advocacy program was 838.75, an increase from 716.88 in 2008. All clients received TWO or more of the following services: crisis intervention, cultural and language specific counseling, interpretation services, advocacy with other social services, legal advocacy, assistance with crime victims compensation claims, information and referrals, and assisting with protective orders.
 
Language Access Program: It is an exciting time for SAHELI’s programs! One of SAHELI’s priorities is to ensure that immigrant survivors of domestic violence have proper access to services.  Many of our clients are limited English proficient and do not have the ability to communicate their needs to law enforcement, the legal system, and to other service providers.  Many abusers knowingly use this dynamic to perpetuate the abuse.  To break down this barrier, our agency has proudly unveiled the Language Access Program, an innovative initiative that allows survivors to work with advocates who understand both their cultural and language needs.  The program recruits and trains active members from emerging immigrant communities to become cultural bridges for survivors and existing social services.  These Language Advocates are called upon when a survivor enters SAHELI services or a request is made from partner agencies for assistance.  The ultimate goal of the program is to train and put to work 20 on-call advocates to ensure those who are linguistically isolated have a better chance of living a life free from violence.
 
 If you are interested in becoming a Language Advocate, please visit the employment section of our website for more information at www.saheli-austin.org.
 

Community Education and Outreach: SAHELI has been out and about in the communities, working hard to reach out to those in need, and appreciates all of the help received from volunteers and organizations dedicated to our mission.
 
 Since December, we have been actively promoting our latest awareness campaign, “There is Always a Helping Hand”. This campaign’s goal is to let Asian crime victims know about available resources for them in the Central Texas area, and to engage the community in distributing the various outreach materials created for it, such as grocery bags, calendars, brochures, and fortune cookies to name a few. January and February were a whirlwind with preparing for and participating in the various Lunar New Year events that occurred throughout the city. March and April will be busy months with various presentations and boothing events. To find out more about these events as well as information on the outreach materials, please contact our Community Liaison, Raman Sandhu, at saheli@saheli-austin.org. Thanks!
 
Volunteers:   Over the last few months, we have had over 30 amazing volunteers help us at SAHELI. We would like to thank our interpreters who have used their skills to ensure that our clients understand and receive the help they needed. We’ve also had a couple of volunteers who have gone above and beyond, giving numerous hours every week to ensure we get the work we need done. Thank you for all the work you do!