Awaaz: End of 2024 RecapFind out about our 2024 events, accomplishments, and support.
The Voice for South Asians affected by Family Violence | January 2025
Awaaz End of 2024 Recap
A Message from the Board
Dear Supporters,
Happy 2025! We hope you have a healthy, happy, fulfilling new year.
We at Awaaz have been staying on our toes with our daily work with clients, administrative duties, seminars, training, conferences, newspapers, TV interviews, and outreach projects. We have been having an endless series of events to network with resource organizations and educate community members about Domestic Violence and Awaaz, and we could not be happier. As we prepare to embrace the upcoming year, we wanted to take some time to reflect on our 2024.
The year started with a generous offer from Tarka Indian Kitchen who donated 20% of their sales for an entire week at their new location on Hwy 151 in San Antonio. Thanks to Tarka and everyone who supported Awaaz that week. We are so grateful, particularly to the owner.
March - Tarka Indian Kitchen raised $6,000 to support Awaaz.
In March, we were also delighted to sponsor a cutting-edge Bollywood Fusion Dance Competition hosted by a group of young dance enthusiasts, Sitara, who gave us a platform to spread awareness about Domestic Violence and its multi-generational impact.
March - sponsored and spoke at the Sitara Dance Competition hosted downtown by UTSA students
In April, a few Board members attended an informative and inspiring summit in Austin organized by Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA) titled Partners in Progress-Disrupting Violence, Building Hope. Honored to be their partners in this struggle to end DV. We are grateful to the Asian Pacific Institute of Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV) in San Francisco for their continued support and guidance.
April - an inspiring summit: Partners In Progress Disrupting Violence, Building Hope by AFSSA
In May, leaders from the organization came to San Antonio and spent two days with the Awaaz Board for two full days focusing on strategizing and planning for sustainability and growth. Also in May, we were invited by the Texas Cultural Foundation to speak at their stunning event, Heartbeat. Thanks once again to Shantanu Das. The end of the month had the Awaaz team hosting an exhilarating and rejuvenating Karaoke night, sponsored by Allstate. It was an evening of pure aesthetic and gastronomical fulfillment thanks to our resident musical stars and talented chefs. A million thanks to our artists.
In May, as part of the amazing support we receive as an ARP grantee, our technical assistance advisors from API-GBV, Sarah Khan and Jenny Lee, flew to San Antonio to meet with us in person for a two-day visit. They provided us with advice and guidance on the topics of Board Development and Financial Procedures and Policies. We are grateful to benefit from their knowledge and wisdom and to have them as a partner in our journey as we grow and evolve.
In July, we hosted a luncheon at the iconic Roosevelt Library with leaders from South Asian communities as well as from local businesses and non-profit organizations. Our charismatic Master of Ceremonies, Suhail Arastu, brought his usual charm and energy to the event, setting a positive tone for the evening. Keynote speaker Priya Deva delivered a powerful address on the crucial need for culturally specific organizations like Awaaz, emphasizing that abuse knows no boundaries—affecting individuals across all cultures, statuses, and walks of life. Guests enjoyed a delectable selection of healthy fare, expertly catered by HEB while mingling and engaging in meaningful discussions about how to keep communication lines open and foster continued collaboration. Some of our clients directly benefitted due to the relationships we built at the event. Heartfelt thanks to Marta Pelaez, President and CEO of Family Violence Prevention Services of San Antonio, for personally taking up the case of a client whom pro-bono legal services could not help at that time. We are grateful to the reporter form the San Antonio Express, Elaine Ayala, for attending the event and publishing in-depth interviews with the founders Tapasi Misra and Hema Bhakta and Executive Director, Jinny Suh. Heartfelt thanks to Awaaz president, Madhu Mehta, Board Member Jyotsna Sharma, and their team for planning and executing this event meticulously and flawlessly.
July — a powerful luncheon at the Roosevelt Library where keynote speaker Priya Deva and MC Suhail Arastu highlighted Awaaz’s vital role in addressing domestic violence in South Asian communities.
In the month of August, the Indian Association of San Antonio offered us booths to educate the community about DV in general and Awaaz in particular at two of their events, the Indian Independence Day celebrations and the Festival of India respectively. As always-heartfelt thanks, IASA, particularly to Jayanta Das and Sumitha Mudaliyar.
In September, some Awaaz Board members and volunteers attended a three-day highly interactive Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cross Training, hosted by the Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid (TRLA). Thank you once again for giving us this incredible opportunity to learn and grow.
August - Festival of India August (left) September - Texas Rio Grande Legal Aide Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cross Training in San Antonio (right)
If the whole year kept us busy on our feet, the month of October, Domestic Violence Awareness month, had us running. First, thanks to Vaishali Dev and her Blume Foundation, Awaaz had the opportunity to spread our message at her spectacular Garba Dance event. Thank you for your efforts to raise awareness of violence against women in the US and India. Soon after we were honored to be included in the University of Texas (UTSA) Peace Center’s Take Back The Night Event. Listening to the lineup of activists, experts, and survivors, and participating in the candlelight vigil and empowerment March of Protest was at once thought-provoking and inspiring. Also in October, two members of the Awaaz team attended a conference hosted by the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) in Austin-an incredibly valuable opportunity for learning about the various manifestations of DV and networking with resource organizations. In October, we were also offered a platform to talk about DV and Awaaz at the Helotes Diwali event and another Health Fair event hosted by IASA.
On November 11, our president, Madhu Mehta, and Board member and client advocate, Durga Suryadevara sat down with Courtney Friedman from TV channel KSAT 12 for a comprehensive discussion about Awaaz and DV that aired on their 6 pm news the following day.
Click to watch Awaaz's feature on KSAT 12, a local San Antonio news channel.
On November 16th, we held a second luncheon at the Doubletree by Hilton San Antonio Airport. We spent the early afternoon with community leaders sharing more about Awaaz, our mission, and our strategic plans for 2024 and 2025. Special thanks to Vyasar Ganesan, our superb keynote speaker for the event.
November - another impactful luncheon with community leaders and Awaaz's board.
We are delighted to report that we received a grant from the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) which administers grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 and subsequent legislation. This grant is to be spread over the next three years and we will be able to help clients financially and also hire much-needed personnel. Deeply grateful to Awaaz Secretary and Board member, Jyotsna Srinivasan and her grant writing team.
It’s been deeply gratifying for the Board to see our young volunteers take the initiative to raise awareness of our mission and find resources for the organization's growth. We are so grateful to Meghan Desai, Hillary Bazan, and their team for starting a series on social media to enhance awareness about Awaaz, who we are, what we do, and why we do it, along with client testimonials and profiles of Awaaz leadership. Heartfelt thanks to Meghan, Sheetal Patel, and their team for leading the Big Give effort and, through careful planning and brilliant execution, far exceeding the goal. As a direct consequence, we can fund some of our clients in areas not covered by grants which are often inflexible and conditional. Thanks to Anita Patel and her editorial team for continuing to produce our newsletter which has been praised and appreciated by community members for its content and style.
September - we received the highest amount of donations from the Big Give in organizational history. Thank you to all of our generous supporters!
Thanks to President Madhu Mehta, Secretary Jyotsna Sharma, treasurer Bharti Patel, and all other Board members who have continued to guide and lead us this year to serve our clients more effectively - Jane Shaffer for training us in the basics of DV and client advocacy, Uma Kasinath for leading the advocates in every aspect of helping clients directly and brainstorming more ideas for documentation, Durga Suryadevara and Tapasi Misra for working directly with clients, Purvi Patel for helping with grant management and making alternative housing arrangements for our clients and Vinod Lal for expertly managing volunteers and outreach events. Very grateful to one of our most enthusiastic volunteers, Hitu Patel, for his continuing work with Awaaz finances and other areas. We are so grateful to our advisor Roxanne Ponce for offering shelter to our clients when FVPS is full. Heartfelt thanks to our ardent supporter Habiba Rajpari for rising to the occasion when clients needed career guidance. Last but not least, thanks to our Executive Director, Jinny Suh for organizing us, brainstorming strategies for growth, and finding resources.
Awaaz has come a long way since the day in 2011 when the founders sat around a Starbucks table and said "Enough talk, let’s just do it!" It’s been a journey of ups and downs, learning and growing, disappointments and fulfillments, but there never has been a moment of regret.
With a rapidly growing clientele, we are more convinced than ever before that the community needs a culture-specific organization like Awaaz. We are also more convinced than ever before that we need the entire community's support to be effective. Grateful to all our supporters.
As we celebrate the new year, we invite you to take a step toward helping someone find safety, peace, and happiness. Year-start donations can help give us the much needed support we need to support more survivors, tackle new challenges, and expand our reach and impact. Thank you for being a part of Awaaz's mission!
