Survivors of Torture, International

This week SURVIVORS is excited to announce Dr. Bronner's has agreed to a regular donation of high quality Magic Soap and toothpaste for our clients. Many of SURVIVORS clients are homeless or low income and with the rising costs in San Diego hygiene items can often go forgotten. By filling this gap in services Dr. Bronner's is helping us provide a priceless impact to our clients lives.

Thank you so much to Dr. Bronner's and everyone who made this partnership possible, we are grateful and excited for the impact these products will make on our clients lives.

SURVIVORS is expanding our team, and we're looking for passionate individuals to join us in supporting the mental health needs of diverse and vulnerable populations. We have one exciting opportunity available:

-Program Manager
-Senior Finance Manager
-Afghan Youth Program Specialist

Join us in making a positive impact on the mental health and well-being of torture survivors and refugees! To learn more, visit notorture.org/jobs-and-internships

SURVIVORS Wishlist is essential to our clients having their basic needs met and right now we have some very needed items for our clients! Please use the QR code to consider donating much need essential living items to our clients.

SURVIVORS is expanding our team, and we're looking for passionate individuals to join us in supporting the mental health needs of diverse and vulnerable populations. We have one exciting opportunity available:

-Senior Finance Manager
-Afghan Youth Program Specialist

Join us in making a positive impact on the mental health and well-being of torture survivors and refugees! To learn more, visit notorture.org/jobs-and-internships

Today we are spotlighting one of our Clinical Case Managers Saúl Cruz who has been essential to the expansion of SURVIVORS group therapy programs and has been resourceful finding ways to provide for his clients needs.

Thank you for all your hard work Saúl!

SURVIVORS' Beyond Borders Book Club has made its next selection🌍 Join us as we read and discuss books that highlight important themes and touch upon the lived experiences of our clients.

Our newest selection is The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, a non-fiction anthropological chronicle of the cultural journey through the American healthcare system.

Reserve your spot using the form linked in our bio.

SURVIVORS is expanding our team, and we're looking for passionate individuals to join us in supporting the mental health needs of diverse and vulnerable populations. We have one exciting opportunity available:

-Senior Finance Manager

Join us in making a positive impact on the mental health and well-being of torture survivors and refugees! To learn more, visit notorture.org/jobs-and-internships

Over the weekend SURVIVORS attended the Child Development Associates Annual Event and Resource Fair in Kearny Mesa. We shared information about our services, educated people about our client base, and we were able to get a couple new cards of hope. Our cards of hope are given to our clients who are detained and are messages of support given to our clients who are in difficult places in their lives. Thank you to our staff for tabling the event and thank you to all who gifted some hope to our detained clients.

New numbers from the United Nations are startling but not unexpected. Organizations like SURVIVORS have been aware of increasing numbers of displaced peoples for years and we exist to serve their needs but there is always more work to be done.

Like, share, comment or donate at our website to support our service to those that have lost their homes to war and fled out of fear for their lives or their families.

Read more about our valued board member Elizabeth A. Lopez work on the border here:
https://www.globalsistersreport.org/.../q-sr-elizabeth...
Or click the link in our Bio.

Over the weekend our SURVIVORS team visited Cuyamaca College to celebrate World Refugee Day. Our team did an incredible job advocating and connecting with the community to celebrate our refugee clients who are survivors of torture.

Today marks World Refugee Day! The Office of Refugee Resettlement estimates that 44% of all refugees are survivors of torture. For SURVIVORS celebrating the strength and resilience of refugee populations is an immensely important task. Please use this day to spread awareness about the struggles of the 125 million displaced peoples worldwide.

One week ago today we held our annual event! We are so proud of the result of our teams hard work and excited about the response from our community members. SURVIVORS team has immense gratitude to all that attended this beautiful evening celebrating our journey together.

Thank you to our team, board members, community members, clients, and the University of San Diego Kroc School for all being apart of our journey and ensure that SURVIVORS continues to foster a community of healing for years to come.

For SURVIVORS Pride Month is an important time of the year because we get to bring light to our clients that are tortured because of their gender and sexual identities. This is an important time to be grateful and celebrate, but also be reflexive about the progress that needs to be made world-wide for people who are LGBTQ+.

June is torture awareness month! Share this post to spread awareness about why it is important to understand and learn about how to advocate against torture.

Today SURVIVORS received a huge food delivery resulting from a successful food drive for our clients! Thank you so much to those who have given to our clients, this food is essential to our day-to-day operations. Food is often overlooked as an everyday need and sometimes our clients show up at our office very hungry. With these resources, our clients can at least leave our office with a full stomach.

We look forward to keeping our shelves stocked with help from our incredible community members! Please donate at our website if you have the time or resources.

Join us next week for a virtual discussion and Q&A session with Alejandra Oliva, an accomplished author, translator, and immigration justice activist. We will delve into her powerful memoir "Rivermouth," which explores Oliva's experiences as an interpreter and advocate for asylum seekers, including time spent in Tijuana.

Date: Tuesday, May 28th 2024
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST
Location: Virtual (via Zoom)

-Gain deeper insights into the challenges faced by asylum seekers (68% of SURVIVORS' clients)
-Learn from Oliva as she discusses her work and advocacy for immigration justice
- Witness engaging conversation

RSVP today to reserve your spot! Zoom link to follow: https://form.jotform.com/241215362534045

Recent studies have show that the United States immigration system is massively overloaded and is only getting slower. Some of our clients are waiting for multiple years for their court cases to be heard, living in constant limbo and uncertainty. Please comment, like, and share to spread awareness about the inefficiency of our immigration system.

SURVIVORS was out in the community yesterday! We attended the San Diego Community College's School of Continuing Education Mental Health Fair to spread awareness about SURVIVORS and our clients' need for mental health services. Thank you so much to San Diego Community College for inviting us!

Today we are celebrating the families at SURVIVORS! Most of our clients will travel as families on their immigration journeys and are often deeply affected by vicarious trauma as primary and secondary survivors of torture. Our work is directly tied to the family unit and we seek to ensure our wholistic services for everyone that seeks our help.

We also want to take the time to thank all of those who support SURVIVORS. You all are part of our family and an incredible community of healing.

Yesterday the San Diego Futures Foundation donated five computers to SURVIVORS for clients who are in need. Many of our clients are trying to gain an education, coordinate legal support, schedule medical appointments, gain employment, communicate with family overseas etc., and these computers are essential to serving those needs.

We want to thank the San Diego Futures Foundation for their generous donation to our clients. In the internet age, access to technology is one of the most underestimated needs. This donation will give our clients the ability to use the endless resources and information on the internet that they would otherwise be robbed of.

يقدم برنامج HEAL من SURVIVORS أنشطة دعم الصحة والسلامة النفسية مجانًا وباللغة العربية, للعائلات التي وصلت إلى الولايات المتحدة قبل أقل من خمس سنوات. هذه الخدمات مناسبة لمن يعانون من ضغوطات أثناء التكيف مع حياتهم الجديدة في الولايات المتحدة. للمزيد من المعلومات، يرجى الاتصال بسدرة: 6199328704 أو رنا: 6199328823.

The HEAL program by SURVIVORS offers free and culturally responsive mental health and wellness support activities in Arabic for families who have been in the US for less than five years. This is especially great for those who are struggling with stressors while acclimating to their new life in the states. To learn more please contact:
Sidrah - (619) 932-8704
Rana - (619) 932-8823

Join us in supporting SURVIVORS families by participating in our Diaper Drive! 💖

Every diaper donation, big or small, makes a world of difference for families in need. With prices soaring, the impact of your generosity is greater than ever before. We're seeking diapers in ALL sizes to ensure every SURVIVORS child is supported.

By contributing, you're directly combating the challenges of rising essential item costs, ensuring that families can access the basics they need to thrive. Your support matters more than ever.

Donating is easy! Simply visit our Amazon Wish List linked here: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/3FAU66349YSQZ, where you'll find diapers flagged as "most wanted items." Your donation will go directly to those who need it most.

Together, let's make a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve. Spread the love, one diaper at a time! 💙

Join SURVIVORS in a virtual discussion with immigration justice advocate Alejandra Oliva to discuss her impactful memoir Rivermouth. All are invited to attend, register using the link in our bio!

May marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Month. Here at SURVIVORS mental health is the most important aspect of our client care, without stable mental health it is almost impossible to navigate the United States immigration system. All of our clients face "triple trauma", which heavily effects their mental state on a day to day basis.

Triple trauma is defined as, first, the internalization of trauma from experiencing torture; second, the trauma of fleeing their home, leaving family behind, and making the journey to the United States, and; third, their experience of the asylum process and adjusting to a new country.

With 44% of all refugees and asylum seekers being survivors of torture, in May, we ask you to please be aware of those around you and the complex trauma they live with on a daily basis. Check in on the people around you and say something nice it might save a life.

This weeks service spotlight focuses on our forensic evaluation program. As one of SURVIVORS first services ever provided, we take pride in the historical efficacy of this program. Often the most important part of the asylum process we provide forensic evaluations completely free of cost to all survivors of torture who are seeking asylum and we exponentially increase their chances of starting a new life in the United States.

SURVIVORS in the community!

On this beautiful Saturday our team set up at the Chula Vista Community Collaboratives "Day of The Child" to spread awareness, information, and collect cards of hope for our clients. Thank you to the Chula Vista Community Collaborative for putting on this incredible event!

This weeks Asylum Hot-Spot is Sudan. Civil war started last year and since then Sudan has become one of the world largest humanitarian crisis. Millions are displaced and sexual violence against women has increased at an alarming rate. SURVIVORS is serving and is prepared to serve more asylum seekers from Sudan in the coming year.

If you want to support our work please donate with the link in our bio or share, comment, and like this post to spread awareness.

SURVIVORS team members Katrina Pimental Administrative Operations Specialist, Nasreen Nabizadeh Medical Case Manager, Clint Carney Government Affairs, and Henok Getaneh HEAL Mental Health Specialist, are in Sacramento for the California Immigration Policy Centers' Immigration Day of Action 2024.

We are at this event to advocate for government action and policy implementation that will positively impact immigrants lives in California. SURVIVORS team is supporting the following bills and proposals:

- Health4All Covered California (AB4): This bill will remove immigration status as a barrier to Covered California, the state's health insurance marketplace, by establishing a state-funded and operated marketplace.

- Food4All (SB 245)/(AB 311): This bill will remove the arbitrary exclusion of income-eligible Californians from the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) due to their immigration status.

- Safety Net 4 All (SB 227): This bill will create the Excluded Workers Program to provide unemployment benefits for undocumented workers.

- Public Health Inspections in Private Detection (SB1132): This bill will allow county health officers to investigate health and sanitary conditions in private detention facilities operating in California.

- Community Priority: Protect the $75 million in funding for California's Legal Services Programs, ensuring that California continues to provide state funding for critical legal services and representation to thousands of youth, students, workers, individuals, and families every year.

Thank you so much to the California Immigrant Policy Center for putting on this incredible event and working tirelessly to advocate for new arrivals in California.