Community Empowerment Programs

Public Education

Because of cultural and social stigmas, domestic violence, sexual assault, and abuse aren’t discussed enough in our communities. Sadly, this allows these harmful cycles of abuse and violence to perpetuate silently.

Garden of Hope brings these important issues to light through public awareness campaigns, community events, educational workshops, and prevention programs that reach the Chinese-speaking community in an approachable and culturally-relevant way.

Let’s stop the abuse before it begins!

Community Outreach

Community outreach is about building relationships and connections with our community members both locally and broadly. 

Garden of Hope has been providing its community members for the past 10 years by serving food and necessities, hosting meaningful events during holidays, and giving countless talks at workshops to raise awareness on various topics. We want each member in our communities - or anyone else who meets us on the streets - to know that they are loved and seen just the way they are. 

Women Empowerment Program

Project WE (women’s empowerment) is an initiative stemming from the needs expressed both explicitly and inexplicitly by the women in the Asian immigrant community we have served throughout the years. It’s a culturally sensitive and client-centered initiative with the overarching objective of leading clients to overcome their sense of helplessness from five different domains: Economic Autonomy, Legal Knowledge, Self-Care, Life Skills, and Give Back.

  • Economic Autonomy includes individualized assessment of job readiness, resume building, interview skill coaching, and job matching, as well as routine workshops and resources for entrepreneurship, job skill training, and financial management. We also provide paid internships for occasional economic empowerment projects and platforms.

  • Self-Care provides a space for respite and self-exploration to enhance self-confidence, increase the sense of self-knowledge and self-worth, improve self-image, experience and build a healthy relationship through support groups, client-care events, art therapy, jewelry making, arts and crafts, cosmetology, baking…etc.

  • Legal Knowledge includes workshops and legal clinics provided by our partnered law agencies to offer legal rights and knowledge relating to clients’ personal experiences that encompass immigration, family, civil, and criminal law.

  • Life Skills provide practical resources and classes, such as ESL, computer literacy, cultural orientation, navigating the city and its facilities, and tips and ideas to help immigrants to survive and achieve healthy living in a new culture.

  • Give Back aims to create a sense of meaning and contribution through volunteering, survivor-led groups and workshops, and outreach initiatives.

Children & Youth: Seek, Overcome, Walk (SOW)

GOH's Program SOW “Seek, Overcome, Walk” is dedicated to serving children and youth of ages 5-24 in mental health wellness, educational achievement, healthy lifestyle, positive values and characters, and leadership.

At GOH, we devote our energy and resources to changing the lives of children because children are not only the continuation of our culture and legacy but also the hope for a more sustainable living environment in the future.

SOW  is a culturally sensitive and client-centered initiative with the overarching objective of helping new immigrant children and youth of dysfunctional families overcome their insecurity and helplessness. Through counseling, mentoring, tutoring, workshops, camps, and volunteering, we expect to help young people meet their five core needs: Security, Identity, Belongingness, Purpose, and Competence.

Parent Support

Garden of Hope’s Parenting Support Program serves families going through tough times and helps them navigate difficult relationships. We are able to effectively reach and connect with families in the Chinese immigrant community because we understand the immigrant experience and the Asian cultural values around family.

Our goal is to help parents build healthier family dynamics, strengthen the parent-child, relieve relationship stressors, and promote healthy child development.

Joanna’s Story:
Finding Her Voice

We first met Joanna when she came to stay in our Hope House with her mother and brother because of domestic violence. Even though her family found safe refuge at Hope House, Joanna was still processing a lot of trauma. She was quiet and reclusive, preferred to stay alone in the back of the room, and often refused to answer questions. 

Through the Garden of Hope Youth Empowerment Program, Joanna learned ways to advocate for her needs and slowly gained the confidence to share her thoughts and opinions. Joanna is now often the first to speak during discussions, helps care for young children in our kid’s program, and is always eager to help during our community outreach events. 

Joanna says, “Ever since joining the Youth Empowerment Program, I feel as if I have been growing positively and this program has changed my life for the better. I met tons of youth who are similar in age and with who I can interact and talk to. I also get to grow many skills I may need in life such as leadership skills, time management, and a positive growth mindset.”

From a withdrawn preteen to a courageous and thoughtful teenager, we are so proud of Joanna and can't wait to see what she will do next!