Amani Women Center Inc

The Healthy Families Program HFP provides a safe space with wrap-around services for refugee women to be natured mentally and physically that measures and foster healthy family relationships at home and beyond. This year the staff have screened aided in translation and interpretation with applications for over 8,600 families and seniors that were approved for SNAP-food stamps CAPS-childcare Medicaid TANF Utility Assistance Rental Assistance Food Nutrition and general emergency assistance and support. 52% of our clients and survivors are in counseling therapy 89% say they have healthier families and feel supported! 88% have achieved financial and digital literacy skills. HFP addresses health iniquities health equity and provides support for program participants within the sewing program and the community at large. The program offers direct public benefits screening assistance that meets immediate needs to stabilize families including survivors. AWC case workers help the community apply for human and social services including interpretation and translation in 12 different languages. HFP wrap-around services include domestic violence prevention FGM C education and advocacy sexual assault education and advocacy counseling therapy workshops classes that teach financial literacy computer literacy ESL and civic engagement. HFP continues to assist numerous families since the pandemic and many were approved for social benefits - and still ongoing.

ACALP for youth and adults receive training and skills to take on leadership roles in the community. AWC language services are manned by community ambassadors serving as advocates they provide an added value to refugee women calling in to get help. They play a critical role in reaching and educating the community using culturally tailored methodologies. They engage in civic duties educational workshops and are the trusted community voices that have undergone professional training and received certifications in various disciplines. They are front-line advocates navigators researchers among others. They are best equipped to address cultural nuances taboos and myths that are typically barriers for this community to gain access to the services that they need. Due to the diversity of the communities we serve AWC has developed this unique model to reach and help the various groups tap into resources that are available to them. AWC Community Ambassadors Leadership Program outreach efforts after the pandemic pivoted to community outreach work including transportation mobilization canvassing research dissemination translation interpretation and manning the community 1-800 helpline in different languages. The year 2023 was a continuation of the research that CDC did with AWC Ambassadors called women health needs study. AWC community ambassadors continue to work on the S.O.S. project. Save Our Sisters Initiative - S.O.S. which seeks to secure medical care for refugee women in Clarkston suffering from serious health problems caused by FGC. ACALP community mobilization and outreach efforts in partnership with Dekalb County Board of Health Dekalb County City of Clarkston & CORE vaccinated over thousand community members and children to date.