Amani Women Center Inc

AMANI WOMEN CENTER INC.'S AWC MISSION IS TO EMPOWER AND EDUCATE REFUGEE WOMEN THROUGH CULTURALLY TAILORED PROGRAMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR ECONOMIC SECURITY AND OVERALL WELL-BEING. OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE LINGUISTICALLY AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES WE SERVE.

THE AMANI SEWING ACADEMY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LIFE SKILLS SELF SUFFICIENCY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT JOB PLACEMENT AND SMALL SCALE MANUFACTURING PROVIDES A SAFE SPACE WITH INSTRUCTORS SEWING MACHINES INDUSTRIAL MACHINES AND A FABRIC ROOM.STUDENTS GET A SEWING KIT AND ALL ACCESSORIES. THE PROGRAM PREPARES INDIVIDUALS TO SEW FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND JOIN THE WORKFORCE EMPLOYMENT IN THE GARMENT APPAREL INDUSTRY STARTING THEIR OWN HOME BUSINESS - SEWING FOR THE COMMUNITY APPLYING TO JOIN AWC'S SMALL SCALE INHOUSE MANUFACTURING AND JOINING THE TEAM OF CONTRACTUAL SEWERS - AND SEW FOR AWC'S SOCIAL ENTERPRISE.THEY CAN THEN TRAIN TO BECOME AN ASSISTANT TEACHER AND GRADUATE AS AN INSTRUCTOR TEACHING AT AWC.THIS YEAR AWC AWARDED CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION TO 23 GRADUATES FROM 8 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND GIFTED EACH REFUGEE WOMAN WITH A NEW SINGER SEWING MACHINE. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT TO VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT INCLUDING WORK SKILLS THAT ENABLE THEM TO EARN LIVABLE WAGES.

AMANI COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS' LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR REFUGEE ADULTS AND YOUTH RECEIVE TRAINING AND SKILLS TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. 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 OUTREACH MOBILIZATION CANVASSING AND CIVIC DUTIES. THEY ARE THE TRUSTED VOICES THAT HAVE UNDERGONE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND RECEIVED CERTIFICATIONS IN VARIOUS DISCIPLINES. THEY ARE FRONT-LINE ADVOCATES NAVIGATORS RESEARCHERS AND INTERVIEWERS 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. ACALP'S OUTREACH EFFORTS SINCE THE PANDEMIC PIVOTED TO AIDING THE COMMUNITY WITH NUMEROUS HUMAN AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND ARE STILL ONGOING. AWC 1800 HELPLINE WAS IMPLEMENTED TO AID WITH COVID-19 EMERGENCIES AND ASSIST WITH VACCINATION EVENTS. 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.

THE HEALTHY FAMILIES PROGRAM PROVIDES A SAFE SPACE WITH WRAP-AROUND SERVICES FOR REFUGEE WOMEN TO BE NATURED MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY AND FOSTER HEALTHY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AT HOME. HFP ADDRESSES HEALTH INIQUITIES AND PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WITHIN THE SEWING ACADEMY AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THE PROGRAM OFFERS DIRECT PUBLIC BENEFITS SCREENING ASSISTANCE THAT MEETS IMMEDIATE NEEDS TO STABILIZE FAMILIES AND VICTIMS. AWC CASE WORKERS HELP THE COMMUNITY APPLY FOR HUMAN AND SOCIAL SERVICES INCLUDING INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION INTO 15 DIFFERENT AFRICAN LANGUAGES. HFP WRAP-AROUND SERVICES INCLUDE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION SEXUAL ASSAULT ADVOCACY COUNSELING THERAPY WORKSHOPS CLASSES THAT TEACH AND ADDRESS FINANCIAL LITERACY COMPUTER LITERACY ESL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. AWC CASE WORKERS HAVE ASSISTED OVER 1,800 FAMILIES WITH COVID RELATED EMERGENCIES SINCE THE PANDEMIC WITH UTILITY AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO AVOID EVICTION OR HOMELESSNESS. HFP CONTINUES TO ASSIST NUMEROUS FAMILIES SINCE THE PANDEMIC AND MANY WERE APPROVD FOR SNAP - FOOD STAMPS CAPS-CHILDCARE MEDICAID TANF AND LIHEAP ETC.