SAPNA NYC

And it’s a wrap! This summer we were excited to continue to build @sapnanyc’s youth programming through the GenConnect program in collaboration with the NYC DOE Department of Multilingual Learners. Over 8 sessions, parents and their children talked about everything from cultivating #community to redlining to celebrating our #culture & #language. We had 76 participants - 38 #Bengali parent-child duos - over two groups. What we heard from almost all the families is how nice it was to have a space to connect with their kids outside of all the pressures of everyday life. For parents it can be challenging to raise children in a culture that is so different from their own and for children it can be a struggle to balance fitting in with embracing the richness of your heritage. Through GenConnect we hope to have begun bridging that gap!

Exited to start off our summer yoga & wellness classes with a session in Central Park under the gorgeous summer sun ☀️ much gratitude to @hotchailady for sharing her practice with SAPNA NYC’s community of women 🙏🏽 #healthiswealth #mentalhealth

Congratulations to our summer 2024 Project DOT graduates! We’re grateful to our #youth for spending their summer with SAPNA NYC sharing their experiences and thoughts, embracing new ideas, & learning how they have the power to shift our culture forward. We talked about everything from healthy boundaries to gender norms/expectations to bridging cultures. The youth truly are our future! Thank you to @nycalliance for partnering to bring this program to our community 🙏🏽 #futureleaders

It was a beautiful day to be out fighting for #budgetequity with our 18% & Growing coalition partners Mekong NYC & National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) led by CACF: Coalition for Asian American Children and Families ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽 The Bronx is home to vibrant & rapidly growing AAPI communities from Bangladesh to Cambodia to the Philippines. We are here, we’re growing, & our communities deserve the investments needed to truly thrive. The 18% and Growing Campaign is calling for: 🔹 $7.5 Million for the AAPI Community Support Initiative (AAPI CSI) 🔸 $7.5 Million for the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund 🔹 $4 Million for the Access Health NYC Initiative In a NYC budget of over $100 billion, this isn’t a lot to ask for when almost 1 in every 5 New Yorkers is AANHPI. #bronx #aapi #community #sapnanyc

Our second group of level 1 students completed their course this week 🙂 These women worked so hard to learn the new material - balancing home, family, work, etc. but still making it to class each week! It’s challenging to learn something completely new as an adult and we’re so proud of these women for putting in the work. One woman took the final exam while literally holding her baby in one arm. We celebrated all their success today over biryani, kebabs, misthi, chai and so many more delicious treats ♥️ 🔸85% of the class only missed one session 🔸100% of women who came to class the first day actually finished the course 🔹 50% of the women enrolled had never ever used a computer before 🔹 79% had never taken any computer class before 🔹 Only 21% of students felt they had enough English to navigate daily life A huge thank you to The Bronx Foundation for supporting this program and to the WSQ NYPL for hosting us 🙏🏽 And a special thank you to Nargis, our babysitter, for keeping the kids entertained so their mothers could focus 💛 #digitalliteracy #bronx

Our team was honored & excited to be a part of the historic inaugural AAPI Summit in Albany last week! We had the opportunity to connect with people & organizations fighting for our diverse AAPI communities from NYC & Long Island all the way to Rochester & Buffalo. Gratitude to Assemblymember Grace Lee & Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and the APA Legislative Taskforce for hosting this incredible event 🙏🏽 #aapisummit #aapiheritagemonth

Thank you to @nycvotes for inviting Sapna NYC to join their Day of Action in Diversity Plaza in Queens. Our team was able to register new voters and talk to community members about everything from mental health to digital literacy classes. Grateful for our continued partnership to help build AAPI community power 🙏🏽 #gotv #peoplepower #vote #queens #sapnanyc

SAPNA NYC partnered with Zakat Foundation of America to bring the first ever gender-based violence survivor Iftar & pre-Eid celebration to the South Asian community in Parkchester ✨ it was a true dawat with delicious food, mehendi, gifts, and community. In addition to our Bronx families, we had survivors join from as far as Queens & Brooklyn. During a Ramadan that has been heavy with the suffering of our brothers & sisters around the world, this was a true moment of joy 🙏🏽 #eidmubarak #endgenderbasedviolence

Ramadan Mubarak 🌙 Sapna NYC along with NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and Islamic Relief USA will distribute iftar meals every Friday during the month of Ramadan for families in need. We will start at 2pm until supplies run out. First come, first serve.

As Domestic Violence Awareness Month comes to an end, Sapna is committed to continuing to grow our anti-violence work. As a part of this commitment we are excited to introduce Misty, our new anti-violence coordinator. She brings with her a robust history in developmental research working with diverse populations and grassroots advocacy for population health, education, and enrichment in less-resourced communities. Currently, she is pursuing her doctorate in Cognitive Science at Columbia University. Hear more directly from her! "Sapna, in a way, can be considered a heartbeat for the South Asian community here in New York. It addresses the challenges faced by our communities head-on, offering resources, tools, and a safe-space for those who need it. Growing up in the Bengali community myself, I am well versed with the challenges these women face and felt compelled to use myself as a resource and be a part of the movement. My work at Sapna has given me a deeper sense of gratitude and respect for the immigrant experience and has reinforced the belief that with the appropriate resources and support, any challenge can be addressed. One of the most impactful experiences was being able to successfully write and secure a micro-grant for a survivor in our community. While I felt joy that the grant was approved, the true reward came in witnessing how transformational it was to her life. It showed the breadth and depth of the impact Sapna has on the lives of the women it serves. Sapna's multifaceted, open-door policy not only addresses immediate needs but has truly transformed lives. It's a testament to the power of grassroot efforts and a community that uplifts with every resource at hand."- Syntia Misty Hadis, Sapna NYC Anti-Violence Coordinator and #changemaker Sapna NYC presents #VoicesofSapna. We present the #Changemakers that shape, progress, & define Sapna. Keep a look out for more profiles! To help transform lives, donate to Sapna NYC https://lnkd.in/en_Ri832 (link in bio). #dvam #genderjustice