Chaya Blog

Chaya's Generous Community Partners

Chaya would like to thank our Community Partners for their generous support.

A special thank you to I.P. Callison for sponsoring every auction we have had so far!

I.P. Callison & Sons was founded in 1903 as a producer of botanical pharmaceuticals derived from plants native to the Pacific Northwest. Over time, these products were replaced by synthetic alternatives and the company began to focus exclusively on peppermint and spearmint oils, two other natural products from the region. Today, I.P. Callison & Sons maintains a reputation as one of the world’s largest suppliers of quality mint oils, flavors and mint-related ingredients. Active involvement in the world’s mint growing regions, including India, has allowed the company to provide unique mint oils to both the domestic and ever expanding international markets. For more information visit www.ipcallison.com.

---

Led by CEO Naveen Jain, Intelius is the leading information commerce company providing consumers and businesses with predictive intelligence to inform the decision-making process and solve real-world problems.  To date, Intelius has gained more than four million unique customers who use Intelius’ information to protect their loved ones, businesses and assets.  Intelius’ services include consumer background checks, people search services, reverse phone lookups, comprehensive employment screening services and an award-winning identity theft prevention product, Intelius’ IDWatch.  Intelius is one of the top 100 sites on the Internet.  In 2005, Intelius’ IDWatch was named the WSA’s Consumer Product of the Year.  In 2006, Intelius was named the American Business Awards’ Best New Company, and was listed amongst the top 15 Corporate Philanthropists by Puget Sound Business Journal. For more about Intelius products and services, visit www.intelius.com. For more about Intelius’ business, press and policies, visit http://www.intelius.com/corp.

---

Judy Bigelow

---

Remala Foundation

---

Swedish Medical Center is pleased to be a community partner of Chaya.  We applaud its efforts to provide support to South Asian women in crisis.  We congratulate Chaya on its service to the community.  Both Chaya and Swedish Medical Center recognize the value of working collaboratively in building a healthier community and Swedish is proud to support a wide range of projects and events, such as Chaya's Annual Dinner and Auction. For more information visit www.swedish.org.

---Aaliyah

Volunteer? Who? Me?

Hey look....I know pretty much for a fact that I don't ooze "volunteer". I mean when I walk past people on the street, they tend not to go "O look, there goes a volunteer". In stark contrast when my wife Shelly walks down the street people look at her and see a halo above her head with the word "volunteer" in it....and if they looked closely they'd probably also see "sucker" in fine print :). Until recently I was pretty convinced that I was not genetically disposed to be a volunteer. Well...it's turning out a little differently.....

2007 Auction - The bar is set high

Tickets are $90 each.

To RSVP please complete the Reply Card and send it in per the enclosed instructions.

For more information please contact Sabina at sabina@chayaseattle.org or call 206.568.7576.

---

Our photographer, Jack Storms, told us that the auction last year was GLAMOROUS! Of course, he was right - lush colors,  gorgeous clothes, creative displays, decadent desserts – totally beautiful. A feast for all of our senses.

Yes, it was quite an event. We had a fabulous crowd, wildly generous guests, exciting bidding wars - and a keynote speech that wrenched at my heart and made me reaffirm my commitment to the issue and to Chaya.

We raised over $150,000 - an affirmation of the community support for Chaya and the work it does.

Every dollar went to support Chaya's programs. Last year our Advocates provided a range of services to 105 women, as well as support, information and referrals to 26 family members/friends of survivors. Our services included in-depth personalized advocacy and support, information, legal advocacy, and personalized referrals, help with immigration issues, health issues, housing and relocation, discrimination and more.

Our Community Mobilization team worked on an extensive array of projects focused on providing information, raising awareness and engaging in discussions on the issue of domestic violence, as well as involving our communities in supporting survivors and preventing abuse. Projects we worked on included the Peaceful Families Taskforce, the Women's Health Project, and the Kent Women's Leadership Group, among others.

The need for our services continues to grow. A reports from the Journal of American Medical Womens's Association (2002) revealed that 40.8% of South Asian women surveyed reported they were abused in some form by their male partners. That is an astonishing statistic. Compute that percentage for 100,000 - the number of South Asians living in Washington State (U.S. Census 2000). We have a lot to do.

So the bar is set high. Join us in celebrating and supporting Chaya's work. We had better be glamorous this time around too!

---Aaliyah

The Struggle Goes On

The insult hurled at the women on the Rutgers basketball team is an example of how sex in various manifestations is the last refuge of racially bigoted and anti-woman scoundrels.  Take a team of women who, just a few decades ago, would not have been allowed on a college basketball team; might not have been admitted to a prestigious university.  Before the most recent Civil Rights Movement they would have been the wrong race.  Before the most recent Women’s Movement – and Title 9 -- they would have been the wrong gender.

"It is our way"

Sweet sixteen in Karachi, and everyone got on my nerves. Top contender: my driver, Miskeen. An arrogant young alpha-male Pathan, he was quick to pick fights and behaved more like an over-protective older brother than an employee. He personified chauvinism, and I hated him. When he swaggered back to his village to marry a girl a year younger than me that his parents had chosen, I was at once relieved to lose his menacing scrutiny over my budding love life, and sympathetic toward his unfortunate child-bride. 

2006 10th Anniversary Auction and Dinner

2006 marked the 10th Anniversary of the founding of Chaya, and at a gala auction and dinner event on June 17, 2006 Chaya honored its founders and supporters, past and present, for their commitment to growing and sustaining Chaya over the years.

This was an evening of celebration, fun and festivities. A wonderful opportunity to catch up with all of the wonderful people who came together 10 years ago to lay the foundation of an organization that has become a community mainstay.

Jack Storms of Storms Photographic was kind enough to donate his services to take pictures of the event. Click here to see all the rest of the wonderful images. The images are offered for sale and a portion of the proceeds will go to Chaya. So look for a friend or family member and send them a picture. It's worth a thousand words and clearly worth a few bucks for a great cause....

---Rajan

What is Chaya?

The year was 1996. A group of South Asian women began receiving calls at their homes or jobs from other South Asian women who needed emotional and physical shelter from abuse. To meet that need, Chaya (translated from the Sanskrit word for "shelter" or "shade")  was born.

While excellent organizations served Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees, Chaya was uniquely qualified to offer culturally sensitive support to South Asian women, and as the South Asian community has grown, so has the need for Chaya.  South Asian refers to persons from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet.

---Rajan