San Francisco Asian Women’s Shelter – Together for love and community, together against hate and violence.

With a mission to eliminate domestic violence by promoting the social, economic, and political self-determination of women and all survivors of violence and oppression, San Francisco Asian Women’s Shelter (SFAWS) is lifting up our Bay Area neighbors.

Artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya at the launch of SFAWS "Let's Talk About Us" public awareness campaign in partnership with BART in Feb. 2023

“Recent losses of funding are part of an escalating effort to abandon women and children to violence, hopelessness, and trauma that they otherwise could escape and heal from. The grant from Episcopal Impact Fund allows us to continue serving our mission – supporting survivors of violence who need a period of comprehensive support as they heal, rebuild their economic independence, and take their lives back.” — Orchid Pusey, Executive Director, San Francisco Asian Women’s Shelter

Investing in Safety, Healing, and Dignity for Bay Area Women

At Episcopal Impact Fund, our mission to expand access to dignified housing and break cycles of poverty is grounded in trust‑based philanthropy. We’re proud to highlight our recent grant of $50,000 to San Francisco Asian Women’s Shelter, a vital Bay Area organization whose culturally rooted services align powerfully with our shared values. Episcopal Impact Fund’s Housing Security Grant supports organizations working at the intersection of housing stability and holistic well‑being, and SFAWS exemplifies that mission through its comprehensive approach.

Culturally Competent Crisis Response and Healing

Founded in 1988, SFAWS is dedicated to eliminating domestic violence by promoting the social, economic, and political self‑determination of women and survivors of violence and oppression. With a multilingual crisis line staffed in over 40 languages, emergency shelter, transitional housing, and specialized programs, SFAWS meets survivors where they are and gives them pathways to safety and agency. When survivors say, “shame dies when stories are told in safe places,” they honor the healing that happens in environments grounded in trust and cultural understanding.

Empowerment Through Partnership

Our collaboration with SFAWS is anchored in our belief: housing is just the beginning. Stability allows survivors to access services and rebuild their lives with dignity. SFAWS’s holistic model—spanning safety, advocacy, economic empowerment, and community mobilization—mirrors Episcopal Impact Fund’s efforts to nurture transformative, steady partnerships. We aim to uplift organizations like SFAWS, which embody the promise of a Bay Area where every person can thrive.

Community Empowerment and Lasting Impact

SFAWS continues to expand critical programs such as its multilingual crisis line, shelters, and community engagement efforts—including public awareness campaigns on domestic violence like “Let’s Talk About Us” in transit systems—designed to interrupt cycles of harm before they start. Stories from former residents—“You are like a mirror reflecting myself… You do not deserve to live in fear”—reflect the profound and personal impact our investment helps to create.

Hope Forward: Join Us in This Mission

We invite our community and donors to stand with SFAWS, to provide safety, voice, and opportunity to survivors—and to join us in investing in pathways toward justice and wholeness. Your support ensures that culturally attuned, trauma‑informed services remain available to survivors of violence and oppression. As housing becomes the bedrock for healing, our shared impact advances deeper equity across the Bay Area.

San Francisco Asian Women’s Shelter is weaving networks of care—and changing lives, one woman, one family, one community at a time. We’re honored to be a partner in their courageous work.

“Overcoming domestic violence is not a quick fix or a single moment of resolution. It’s a long, ongoing process that continues for years as survivors rebuild their lives and piece back together everything that was broken and destroyed. Knowing that someone believed in me and stood by me was not only a lifeline — it was the foundation that allowed me to reclaim my life, my voice, and my future.” — Monica P., Former SF Asian Women’s Shelter Resident