Our Clients
Alejandra’s Story
At the tender age of five years old, Alejandra*'s mother left her children to seek safety in the United States after experiencing severe domestic abuse from her partner. Alejandra stayed with her father, who was a dangerous and abusive man. Her father forced...
Ayuda helps a young mother rebuild her life
Maribel is a 20-year-old woman from Central America. At age 16, she left her country after she found out she was pregnant, both fleeing abuse and to provide a better life for her child. She crossed into the US and was detained by Border Patrol. She had her son while...
Ayuda’s Wrap-Around Services Supports Family Severely Impacted by COVID-19
Tragically impacted by COVID-19, Jon’s* lost his wife to COVID in June shortly after giving birth to their baby.This loss left him to care for their infant and his wife’s 11-year-old son from a previous relationship, while working 9 hours a day, 6 days a week. A...
Julissa’s Story: Overcoming Abuse
Julissa* is a South American woman who came to Ayuda seeking legal representation in obtaining a civil protection order against her husband and father of her child. Julissa and Robert were in a relationship for five years and lived together with their then 4-year old...
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are Dying in Silence.
by Ayuda Development Intern Covid-19 has taken many lives and destroyed the livelihood of thousands of people. It forced us to live a new normal while keeping up with the regular day-to-day responsibilities. However, as the pandemic draws on, the number of hate crimes...
Dominica’s Story
Dominica,* is a survivor of human trafficking and sexual assault. When Ayuda attorneys first met with Dominica, she was already attending regular check-in appointments with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Fairfax, Virginia, awaiting her...
Ayuda Client Shares Her Story for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
*Tali is a Middle Eastern woman who came to Ayuda seeking legal representation in obtaining a civil protection order (“CPO”) against her ex-husband and father of her child. When Tali and Amir started dating, Amir was...
Ayuda social services program supporting survivors to rebuild their lives
Alejandro*, a victim of trafficking in both his home country and in the United States, was referred to Ayuda’s social services program by US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). Alejandro was living in an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) shelter for...
Erlinda’s Story: “I was trafficked by my diplomat”
Erlinda* came from the Philippines to work as a domestic worker for a diplomat in Washington D.C. She traveled on a visa for domestic workers of foreign dignitaries. However, upon her arrival in Washington D.C., Erlinda’s employer confiscated her identity...
Refugee, mother and survivor, becomes U.S. citizen after 8 years
It is because of supporters like you, that Ayuda was able to help save me and my family and put us on the path to recovery. In 2004, my family and I were separated. I was 19 years old and civil war had plagued my home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)....