My Sister’s Café: Determined to Help Survivors of Domestic Violence Especially During Quarantine
My Sister’s Café is a volunteer-based support program of My Sister’s House – a non-profit that helps prevent and assist survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. They specialize in providing culturally responsive services to Asian and Pacific Islander survivors, but their goal is to help survivors of all ethnicities.
My Sister’s Cafe is a part of My Sister’s House’s “Women to Work Program” – which provides job training and financial support to help domestic violence survivors “get back on their feet” financially. The café serves delicious foods with an Asian flair at 455 Capitol Mall, and includes a variety of boba milk tea, Vietnamese sandwiches, and daily lunch specials. The café’s friendly staff and atmosphere welcome many repeat visitors.
Unfortunately, since the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, My Sister’s Café has had to temporarily close down to protect the health of their café staff. They determined that providing take-out and small delivery options was too risky since many of their usual patrons – downtown workers – are now telecommuting due to the public health crisis.
Furthermore, while the number of domestic violence calls to My Sister’s House’s 24/7 HelpLine have always been
high, they have seen a 17% increase in phone calls for help due to the stay-at-home order. The danger of COVID-19 and the dissatisfaction from the economy and politics has created more stressful environments for families at home.
My Sister’s House is anticipating a continuous increase in calls for help as the year progresses. It will be more difficult for them to aid and support survivors without the funds raised from their annual 5k “Run for a Save Haven” and annual gala. Due to the current public health crisis, both events have been postponed to a later date. Nevertheless, they are determined to find alternative solutions for survivors who need help.
You can support My Sister’s Café and their cause by purchasing gift cards on their website. My Sister’s Café is still offering catering services for groups of 50+ people, which can be placed through email. They are looking forward to opening as soon as people return to work.
Contact Information
Address: 455 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 650 Capital Mall, Sacramento, CA Phone: (916) 930-0626 Email: info@my-sisters-house.org Website: http://www.mysisterscafe.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_sisters_cafe/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mysisters_house Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysisterscafe/
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