Sanctuary for Families was honored to be invited to meet Her Majesty Queen Camilla alongside a select group of New York City service providers and advocates supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
The Queen’s Reading Room event brought together advocates, nonprofit leaders, authors, and researchers for conversations on the power of books and reading to improve mental wellbeing, strengthen communities, and support healing and recovery — including as a meaningful therapeutic tool for survivors living in shelter.
At a smaller reception, Sanctuary CEO Hon. Judy Harris Kluger had the opportunity to share Sanctuary’s mission with Her Majesty. The Queen’s warmth, attentiveness, and genuine interest in the work made the evening especially meaningful.
We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to champion survivors and to stand alongside others committed to ending domestic and gender-based violence.
🏃♀️🚴♂️ From the NYC Half Marathon to the Brooklyn Half and the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, our incredible Team Sanctuary runners and riders went the distance to raise critical funds for survivors of gender-based violence.
This year was especially meaningful as our amazing Sanctuary staff member Lisa completed her first Bike Tour after two years away recovering from leukemia 🩵 ✨
Thank you, Team Sanctuary, for representing solidarity and hope with every mile.
#WeAreSanctuary
Workplace sexual violence against farmworker women has long been a rampant problem in the agricultural industry.
Isolation, language barriers, immigration status, and economic insecurity leave farmworker women and children especially vulnerable to gender-based violence — and to retaliation if they speak out.
Sanctuary for Families is proud to partner with The Bandana Project and @mujerxsrising
to stand in solidarity with farmworker women.
Learn more about the international art-activism project at the link in our bio.
#WeAreSanctuary
In People v. Hudson, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that prosecutors can no longer force survivors to give up a Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA) hearing in exchange for a plea deal.
Ross Kramer, Director of Sanctuary’s Incarcerated Gender Violence Survivors Initiative, spoke to @gothamist about why the DVSJA is essential for survivor-centered justice.
The recent ruling protects the DSVJA’s core purpose: ensuring survivors have the chance to tell the court how experiences of abuse shaped their circumstances — and protecting them from excessive punishment for surviving.
Read the full Gothamist article at the link in our bio.
#WeAreSanctuary
🎶 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Award-winning DJ of Salt-n-Pepa, @DJSpinderella is once again hitting the decks at our #ZeroTolerance Benefit After Party!
Don’t miss out on this epic night of music, dancing, and celebration 💃 🕺
Purchasing an After Party ticket directly supports Sanctuary's legal, clinical, housing, and economic empowerment services for survivors of gender-based violence.
Tickets include an open bar and hors d’oeuvres.
✨ Grab your tickets now at the link in our bio and celebrate with us on June 3rd!
#WeAreSanctuary #SupportSurvivors
New York’s highest court just ruled to protect a survivor’s right to have their history of domestic abuse considered during sentencing.
The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA), passed in 2019, was a groundbreaking step forward: recognizing experiences of abuse — when a significant contributing factor to a survivor’s offense — and allowing judges to issue survivors drastically reduced sentences.
In People v. Hudson, the New York Court of Appeals made clear that this right cannot be bargained away. Prosecutors can no longer force survivors to waive a DVSJA hearing as a condition of a plea deal.
Sanctuary for Families was proud to submit an amicus brief in support of Ms. Hudson, underscoring the vital role DVSJA hearings play in delivering justice that recognizes survivors’ experiences.
Read the full article at the link in our bio.
#WeAreSanctuary
Say it with us: BELIEVE SURVIVORS!
Denim Day is more than a fashion statement. It’s a global act of resistance, sparked by a 1992 Italian court ruling that blamed an 18-year-old survivor of sexual assault because of the jeans she was wearing.
Thank you to our Sanctuary community for showing up for survivors with inspiration, courage, and joy ✨
On Denim Day — and every day — Sanctuary for Families is committed to building a world where everyone can live free from fear and violence.
#WeAreSanctuary #DenimDayNYC #InjusticeToOneIsInjusticeToAll
This isn’t inevitable — it’s preventable.
Prevention means challenging the normalization of violence against women, confronting misogyny, teaching consent early and often, and holding people and institutions accountable for harm.
We all have a role to play. This Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month, join us in working to stop sexual violence before it happens.
#WeAreSanctuary #SAAM
Marching in NYC for #DenimDay is a powerful act of collective resistance — reminding survivors of sexual assault that they are seen, heard, and believed.
Denim Day began as an international rebuke of victim-blaming, and today it continues to challenge the harmful myths that too often silence survivors of sexual assault.
Clothing is never consent.
Join us this Denim Day as we wear our jeans in solidarity, amplify survivors' voices, and demand accountability. 💙
Wednesday, April 29
9 AM - Speakers & performances at Brooklyn Borough Hall
11 AM - March across the Brooklyn Bridge
11.30 PM - Manhattan Rally at The Arches, located under the Dinkins Building
#DenimDayNYC #WeAreSanctuary #InjusticeToOneIsInjusticeToAll
The latest ruling in the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni case has sparked intense debate, but the real issue is the pattern this case exposes: when women speak up about sexual misconduct, they are often met with coordinated efforts to punish and discredit them.
That dynamic is at the center of Lively’s case against Baldoni. How this case is litigated and decided will have implications for women facing workplace sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence, including the thousands of survivors Sanctuary for Families serves each year.
➡️ Swipe to see our full statement.
#WeStandWithSurvivors
Join us TONIGHT at Pillars of Change to celebrate volunteers like Yasmin who make Sanctuary’s work possible!
Fluent in French and Wolof and having lived in Senegal, Yasmin brings valuable cultural insight and linguistic expertise to her volunteer work at Sanctuary for Families.
During her summer internship in the Legal Center, she assisted immigrant survivors with intake assessments, applications for legal services and public benefits, educational grants, and navigating shelter and healthcare systems. Since then, she has continued to support immigrant clients living in Sanctuary shelters.
Thursday, April 23 | 6 - 8 PM
Hosted by Gibson Dunn
200 Park Avenue, New York, 10166
👉 Learn more about Yasmin's work and RSVP at the link in our bio.
Esteban generously dedicates his time and Spanish-language expertise to support survivors of gender-based violence.
At client intake clinics, Esteban ensures survivors feel heard and supported, and their experiences are communicated accurately and respectfully. He also translates complex legal documents from Spanish into English with care and precision.
Join us TONIGHT in celebrating volunteers like Esteban who make Sanctuary’s work possible at Pillars of Change!
Thursday, April 23 | 6 - 8 PM
Hosted by Gibson Dunn
200 Park Avenue, New York, 10166
👉 Learn more about Esteban's work and RSVP at the link in our bio.
