50 Bridge St., Suite 203, Manchester, NH 03101
Cell (603)264-7083 Office (603)623-8968
Social Services
Our Social program is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic and complex needs of refugees and immigrants
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Emotional: Expressions of empathy, trust, hope, Love, and caring
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Material Support, any tangible material aid, assistance program: Foods vouchers, Rentals assistance, and Utilities.
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Informational Support: Advice, Suggestions, and Information
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Appraisal: Education and Referrals
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Esteem Support: Help promote One’s skills, abilities (jobs) and intrinsic value
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors
Victory Women of Vision proposes to serve New Americans (immigrants and refugees) who have experienced sexual assault, human trafficking , stalking and domestic violence who live in the Greater Manchester and Concord areas. VWV’s currently serves immigrants and refugees from African countries such as Burundi, Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, as well as
throughout Africa, and the Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, as well as the Dominican Republic and Haiti. We provides domestic violence and sexual assault support services, including case management and emotional support, through a grant from the New Hampshire Department of Justice VAWA and OVW , carried out in partnership with the YWCA and CCNH.
Through this grant, VWV advocates work with victims to provide case management including support in navigating legal systems, connection to services to support healing and wellbeing, and emotional support. Providing safe spaces for victims of sexual assault to share their stories and receive support through culturally and linguistically sensitive monthly drop-in support groups. Providing one-on-one, individualized advocacy for victims of sexual assault to promote long-term healing. Through partnership with the YWCA and CCCNH, VWV will receive referrals and conduct outreach to survivors of assault.
Social Services and Case Management
Victory Women of Vision (VWV) has been a fulcrum of the refugee community in southern New Hampshire since opening its door in 2003. VWV recognized a critical gap in community services for refugees when their time-bound stage-sponsored resettlement programs ended. With the trauma of war, life in refugee camps,
shock to discover a new country and culture, the refugees needed long-term support available beyond the limits of usual resettlement programs.
Since securing its 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status in 2010, VWV has assisted more than 500 immigrants and refugee families and has mentored more than 150 young immigrant and refugee women and their families as they faced the many challenges of bridging their past lives to their new lives in the US. These challenges often include language barriers, isolation, health problems, culture shock, post- traumatic stress, and unemployment, etc.
Program services:
• Offered support for English language learning, life skills, and worker empowerment.
• Help refugees overcome the challenges that they faced, ranging from everyday struggles like applied for government assistance (food stamp, TANF…)
• Immigration support services
• Help with Job application and referral.
• Apply for housing and apartment search.
• Financial literacy education
Empower Young Women to Lead Change
6-week training program for young women that helps them catalyze positive change in their lives and communities by cultivating self-confidence and leadership, learning to stand up for themselves at work and at home. Courses address topics including education, health, family relationships, and other issues. By sharing culture, a
common language, and conversation, young women who graduate from the program continue to support one another and are in touch with VWV as alumni.
Empowering Young Women to Lead Change was initially conducted in partnership with the Manchester YWCA.
Mentoring the African Man Program
The proposed program evolved in response to demand from an African man who participated in a VWV focus group. The program engaged 10-12 men in three segments over the course of the year. Theprogram was recently funded under a grant from the Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation.
IT Program
In addition to the group sessions we had volunteer tutors and IT training for interested students. In the past (2020) We partnered with the National Collaborative for Digital Equity (NCDE) to get computers to some of the advanced students as well as computer training. We also trained IT interns who are also new Americans to work with our students in the future. Our case managers and outreach workers helped reach out to students and their families. Our mentors, who like our staff are all New Americans, participated with our groups.
COVID-19 Impact
Since March 13, 2020, when the Governor declared a state of emergency in NH due to COVID-19, VWV has suspended the Elders Program. VWV fully supports the “Stay home, stay safe” measures and social distancing, which mean that elders are staying at home.
However, without the weekly VWV program, they would not receive meals they usually would get in the program. VWV has mobilized to deliver prepared food and groceries to elders. VWV volunteers are using personal vehicles to make daily food deliveries.
Since Covid-19 Pandemic emerged, we have moved our lessons online with Virtual classroom due to the temporary schedule with the Manchester school district. VWV staff has been an important liaison with the public schools to help students succeed. We served 45 students during the fall of 2020, Often schools had trouble engaging parents who weren’t on the internet or able to speak English and our staff helped parents understand the current school situation as well as how to support their children in remote learning. The extra connection our youth feel from both teachers and each other has helped them continue to strive to succeed academically.