Havenly - Refugee and Immigrant Women Support Fund

Refugee and Immigrant Women in Connecticut Are Facing a Crisis, but Together, We Can Build Safety and Power

Across New Haven and Connecticut, refugee and immigrant women are facing impossible choices. As federal benefits like SNAP and health insurance are cut for those without green cards, families already living on the edge are being pushed into crisis. Many of the women we work with are losing the safety nets that once allowed them to feed their children, pay rent, and rebuild their lives after displacement.

At the same time, immigration raids have returned to our neighborhoods. Parents are afraid to send their children to school or visit the doctor. Fear is spreading faster than information and it’s eroding the sense of safety that families have worked so hard to create.

In moments like these, Havenly becomes more than a training program. It becomes a lifeline. Our six-month Fellowship provides paid job training, English and financial literacy classes, and leadership development, helping refugee and immigrant women move from survival to self-sufficiency. Through this program, women gain the skills, confidence, and community they need to navigate uncertainty and stand on their own feet.

So far, we’ve trained 134 women. 90% of whom are now employed, pursuing education, or leading in their communities. But right now, 30 women are waiting to begin the program in January. Without additional funding, they’ll have to wait another year. A year they can’t afford to lose.

Your gift today will ensure that every woman ready to take this step has the chance to do so. It will allow us to continue our Fellowship, expand leadership development, and keep our doors open as a place of belonging, hope, and empowerment in a time of fear.

This is the moment to stand with New Haven’s refugee and immigrant women. $250,000 will allow us to start our fellowship, giving 30 women facing unprecedented uncertainty the ability to stand on their feet and uplift themselves and their communities, all while expanding our community projects such as our savings and childcare coop.