Main fundraiser photo

Jobs at Sistah's Cafe'!

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Sistahs' Cafe' & Deli and Sistahs' Nail & Hair Shop. These side-by-side businesses will create jobs and/or entrepreneurship for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence and sex trafficking.  We need your help with any amount you can give to open and staff these microenterprises that will be managed and operated by survivors of domestic and sexual violence and sex trafficking. The operations will be under the direct guidance of successful entrepreneur and businessman, Moses A Drew.

The video is a 5-6 minute PBS feature on Sistahs' Cafe in operation before the new renovations. 

With your help Sistahs' Enterprises will hire and train survivors  of domestic and sexual violence and sex trafficking including those in the community and those who are transitioning from prison. These individuals who are both male and female, will  receive hands-on-job training, support and skill building towards excellence in customer service, food service industry and/or nails and barbering. We will help survivors explore opportunities, build employable work histories and experience thriving.

Sistahs' Cafe' is a beacon in the community. It is a place located in the recently troubled Sherman Park Community of Milwaukee, WI, where victims and survivors in the community can feel comfortable walking-in, feel like they belong and are not judged or disrespected. Sistahs' Cafe is also where the weekly Sister Circle Support Groups take place after the restauraunt closes for the day.
(Photo - Asha Advocates and volunteers)

The people we love to work with experience a variety of complex and competing challenges. Often, due to culturally related issues, many victims of domestic violence or sex trafficking will not seek help outside their community; thus, victims remain locked within their communities and resolve suffering from abuse.  Oftentimes, victims will approach individuals who do not offer appropriate or accurate information about safety planning or where help is available. Often feeling alone victims don't have the informed support to alleviate the pain and trauma of victimization that is coupled with the frustrations of poverty, neglect, indifference and a lack of resource information. We assist survivors to empower themselves. We help people change their lives for the better and our successes thus far are countless.

(Photo Asha Advocates and Antonia Drew Vann, surrounding U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore)

My name is Antonia Drew Vann. With the closing of Asha Family Services, Inc., after 28 years of service to victims/survivors in the community and in prisons, I believe the field of violence against women/intimate partner/family violence, must begin to examine why culturally specific agencies across the country are being closed, defunded and intensly scrutinized while others are instead helped.  

I have worked with some really great and dedicated people at Asha Family Services, Inc. (Asha) for over 28 years. As earlier stated, Asha Family Services, Inc. is closed; however, from those ashes, rises The Asha Project (TAP)! The Asha Project is a stand alone program of End Domestic Abuse WI, the statewide domestic violence coalition.

End Domestic Abuse WI The Asha Project, supports the continuence of our work in a different capacity with survivors. Further, we are blessed to also have the benevolence of a very successful business man now retired, Moses Drew. Moses is my big brother. He has allow our work with victims to continue at his buildings where Asha was housed.  He is committed to allowing us the opportunity to raise the funds to open the Cafe' and the nail shop. In order to do this, we must raise the funds  including operating costs to open and staff Sistahs' Cafe that is located at 3717 and 3715 W. Center Street  Milwaukee, WI 53210.  

I remain dedicated to working with victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence and sex trafficking, who reside in fragile, impoverished communities and those housed within prisons.  

For now we focus to open and staff Sistahs' Cafe' and soon after, Sistahs' Nail & Hair Shop. Survivors including those leaving prison, need options and opportunities to become productive contributers in their children and families lives as well as in the community and society as a whole.

Thank you for whatever amount you can give. No amount is too small or too large. Will you help us help others?

Organizer

Antonia Drew Vann
Organizer
Milwaukee, WI

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