ATASK Condemns Anti-Asian Hate

We are enraged and heartbroken by the murders of 8 lives in Atlanta, 6 of whom were Asian women. We cannot ignore that this has come at a time of increased terrorizing hate and violence against our Asian American communities.

Racism against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities is deeply entrenched in American history, but too often has been overlooked and rendered invisible by white supremacy and normalized anti-Asian rhetoric. AAPI men have been scapegoated. AAPI women have been violently hypersexualized. All AAPI groups have been dehumanized.

We stand with the victims and survivors of the Atlanta shootings, and with all victims of hate and racial bias. We stand with all our brothers and sisters who feel unsafe today and everyday. As we mourn, we demand that our leaders at all levels who have been absent, silent, or complicit do the hard work of creating antiracist policies and stand up for ALL victims of racial hate and oppression.

ATASK is Hope 

At ATASK, we often talk about HOPE as an acronym for the services we provide: Housing, Outreach & Education, Programs, and Empowerment. But for survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence, hope is the longing for an outcome that improves their lives, the anticipation of something greatly desired. It is hope that makes present difficulties easier to bear.

Since 1992, our mission has been to prevent domestic violence in Asian communities, provide support and offer hope to survivors. Most of our clients are immigrants and refugees from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia and face unique cultural challenges when confronting domestic violence in the home. Many have limited English skills, which makes accessing services through traditional avenues quite difficult. We employ a multilingual staff made up of immigrants, refugees, and survivors, who have a deep understanding of our clients' linguistic and cultural barriers. Through our staff and services designed specifically for Asian immigrant communities, ATASK provides hope to survivors.

#ATASKisHope

ATASK Supports Survivors During COVID-19 Pandemic  

During these challenging times, ATASK continues to provide critical services to domestic violence survivors. Our 24/7 hotline is in full operation, our advocates are working with survivors remotely, our legal team is processing cases, and our shelter remains open.  Services are free, confidential, and available to documented and undocumented persons.

While our communities stay at home to reduce health risks from COVID-19, victims of domestic violence are finding themselves more at risk and unable to distance themselves from their abusers to get help.  If you or someone you know needs help, please call our 24-hour multilingual hotline at (617) 338-2355.  We can provide resources, safety planning and support.  

We are grateful to those who have generously responded to the growing needs of survivors during this economically difficult period.  We are thankful for community partners that have given us emergency grants, including Tufts Medical Center, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, Fish Family Foundation, Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation, Boston Resiliency Fund, Greater Lowell Community Foundation, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance.  Funds are being distributed directly to clients to assist with housing, food and other essentials.

We are also incredibly appreciative of the past support we have received from our community of donors, giving ATASK the stability and ability to quickly pivot and adapt the way we provide services during this crisis.

What Would You Do if You Couldn't Call 911?  

Asking for help is not always easy. Many of us take for granted that we can pick up the phone and call 911 in the event of an emergency. We also have the privilege of calling a provider and asking for help, whether it be for medical, legal, housing, or employment matters. This, however, is not always the case for many of our clients. Due to language barriers, most of our clients do not have the English skills needed to navigate the systems here in the U.S.