Sakhi for South Asian Survivors

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Sakhi for South Asian Survivors

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Sakhi for South Asian Survivors is a community-based organization in the New York metropolitan area committed to ending violence against women.

Founded in 1989 by a group of five South Asian women, Sakhi, meaning “woman friend,” was created to fill a critical need — in spite of an abundance of religious and cultural centers, professional associations, and ethnic-specific groups within New York’s large South Asian immigrant population, there was no place for women to address the silenced subject of domestic violence. Today, Sakhi serves South Asian survivors of all genders through our Counseling, Economic Empowerment, Food Justice, Youth Empowerment, and Anti-Violence Programs. If you or a loved one is looking for support please call us at (212) 868-6741; text (305) 204-1809; or email [email protected]

09/10/2026

As we approach the 25th anniversary of September 11, we remember Swarna Chalasani, a beloved Sakhi volunteer, and honor all those whose lives and communities were forever changed.

Join us in remembrance:

September 10 at 2:30 PM
Wreath-Laying Ceremony
9/11 Memorial at Exchange Place, Jersey City

September 10 from 7:00–8:00 PM
Community Vigil in Queens
Location shared upon RSVP

September 11 at 8:00 AM
Table of Silence
Lincoln Center

If you are interested in joining us for any of these events, please email [email protected].

We carry their memory forward in our continued commitment to safety, dignity, and belonging for all.

09/09/2026

New school year, fresh supplies, and a strong start! 🎒✏️

Join us in getting youth in Sakhi’s community ready for the year ahead. Choose essential items from our Back-to-School Wishlist (https://ow.ly/fRqw50ZL4gS) and share this post to invite others to join in!

08/21/2026

📣 We’re hiring!

Sakhi for South Asian Survivors is seeking experienced, mission-driven leaders to join our team in two key roles:

• Director of Programs
• Associate Director, Anti-Violence Program

These full-time, NYC-based positions will play an important role in strengthening Sakhi’s survivor-centered programming and advancing our work alongside survivors from the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean diaspora.

We’re looking for candidates who bring strong leadership, a commitment to trauma-informed and survivor-centered practices, and experience supporting communities impacted by gender-based violence.

Learn more about each position and apply through the links below:

Director of Programs: https://ow.ly/jFAH50ZCIkS

Associate Director of AVP: https://ow.ly/KAkq50ZCIkT

Please share with your networks and help us spread the word!

05/11/2026

Our 2025 Annual Report is live!

Behind every number in this report is a survivor, a story, and a community refusing to give up on a more just future.

In 2025, we deepened our impact, expanded our reach, and stepped into a new chapter with a renewed identity and vision for what’s possible. This report reflects the power of collective action and the resilience that continues to move this work forward every day.

Read the full report here: https://ow.ly/1q7V50YXKGv

05/04/2026

Sakhi’s 37th Anniversary Gala: In Our Power

Thank you to ALOK, Dr. Tehrima Rai, Charan Sandhu & Neha Shah for sharing their stories and to Geeta Gandbhir for guiding such a powerful conversation. To our board members Beesham A Seecharan, Dr. Sejal Shah & Bushra Mannan: your vision continues to move this work forward. Our amazing performers JoSH the Band & DJ Sharad kept the energy alive all night.

Because of your support, we raised the highest amount in Sakhi’s history for a gala. This could not have been done without every single one of you 💜

To everyone who attended, donated, and showed up with love and purpose, this night was made possible by you. We’re so grateful to be in this power together.

04/01/2026

Celebrate 37 years of impact, resistance, and community power at our In Our Power: Together We Shape What Comes Next Gala ✨

We’re honored to spotlight ALOK, Dr. Tehrima Rai, Charan Sandhu, and Neha Desai Shah in a powerful fireside conversation moderated by Geeta Gandbhir.

Hear from Sakhi’s own board member Bushra Mannan as Special Guest Speaker, and experience an electrifying night with live performances by JoSH The Band and DJ Sharad 🎶

Come for the inspiration. Stay for the energy. Leave as part of something bigger.

Tickets are moving fast. Don’t miss your chance to be in the room.

🎟️ https://give.sakhi.org/InOurPower

03/13/2026

As seen on TV 🔔

Sakhi rang the Nasdaq Closing Bell! After 37 years of advocacy, this milestone belongs to every survivor, advocate, and community member who made it possible.

03/11/2026

HISTORIC MOMENT FOR SAKHI 🔔

Yesterday, Sakhi for South Asian Survivors rang the Nasdaq Closing Bell — bringing national visibility to our mission and the communities we serve.

Coming just days after International Women’s Day, the moment was especially powerful. For more than 37 years, Sakhi has worked to uplift survivors of gender-based violence in South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities — and yesterday that work was recognized on one of the world’s most visible stages.

We were proud to share this moment with Sakhi Board Chair Beesham A. Seecharan, First Bank CFO Andrew Hibshman and First Bank Board Member and Sakhi Advisory Board Member Neha Shah, alongside the Sakhi community—founders, survivors, staff, volunteers, and board members—who have helped impact 18,000+ lives.

As our Executive Director, Kavita Mehra, shared during the ceremony: “This is a milestone not only for our community, but for our board, our team, and for every single survivor in this room. For anyone who has ever felt like their voice did not matter, like they have lived on the margins, or felt unseen—this moment is for you. This is our moment of joy, because without joy, we do not have healing.”

03/08/2026

Today we honor the strength, resilience, and voices of women everywhere; especially the brave survivors who continue to rise, heal, and lead. 💜

At Sakhi, we believe every survivor deserves safety, dignity, and a community that stands beside them. Your courage inspires change, your stories matter, and your power cannot be silenced.

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate survivors, uplift each other, and recommit to a future free from violence.

03/02/2026

“It feels like we matter.” – Sakhi Community Member

Last night, Sakhi welcomed Mayor Mamdani to our Community Iftar, gathering in the spirit of Ramadan and at the start of Women’s History Month. It was also a historic first: in our 37-year history, he is the first Mayor to visit Sakhi’s office.

In a community so often overlooked, his presence shone a light on the survivors, families, and advocates who power this movement every day.

In his remarks, the Mayor named what so many in the room have lived: That Sakhi’s work, often unseen, has met New Yorkers in moments of immense hardship and reminded them they are not alone. That the struggles survivors are forced to endure are not theirs alone to bear. That solidarity means being seen, supported, and standing together to chart a way forward.

In a room filled with community members, our Board, and our dedicated team who walk alongside survivors every day, we felt the weight of that recognition. What began as a grassroots vision has grown into a powerful force for safety, dignity, and collective strength across New York City.

When a survivor says, “It feels like we matter,” that is the work. And last night, that truth filled the room.

Address

New York, NY

Telephone

+12128686741

Website

http://give.sakhi.org/one

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Heart River Center for Intuitive Healing

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