East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC) expanded culturally affirmative, wraparound services for low-income immigrants and asylum seekers who have experienced hate crimes and related harm.
The organization focuses on unaccompanied minors, Indigenous immigrants, LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and survivors of gender-based violence, many of whom face linguistic, cultural and systemic barriers to safety and support.
With Stop the Hate support, EBSC expanded art workshops, LGBTQ+ support groups and case management. Through a storytelling initiative with partners including Stories of Home, ARTogether, the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants, Monument Impact and the Immigrant Voices project, participants reflected on the meaning of home across time, place, language and memory. The workshops supported original digital stories and built community across cultures.
The organization’s “OLAS” LGBTQ+ sanctuary retreats and support groups provided safe spaces for Latinx LGBTQ+ asylum seekers to explore pride, identity, emotional health, relationships and life in the United States. EBSC also supported a young client through a civil rights complaint process related to workplace abuse, helping her tell her story, secure a settlement and connect to therapy as she continued her studies at UC Berkeley.
EastBaySanctuary.org (opens in a new tab)