Havenly

Havenly's mission is to build the community power of refugee and immigrant women through job training, education, and organizing. Havenly was founded in 2018 with a mission to break the cycle of marginalization that keeps refugee women in New Haven in poverty and isolation. Our flagship 6-month fellowship is a paid job training program that combines work experience at our restaurant with English, digital and financial literacy, advocacy, food safety classes, and more. But we do more than that - we know that the only lasting, real solution to this problem is building economic and political power together. That is why we are dedicated to creating community, sharing knowledge, and supporting our alumni as they advocate for themselves and their communities. To date, we have graduated over 85 refugee and immigrant women from our program and supported more than 550 family members, generating more than a million dollars in income for refugee families. 80% of our graduates have found employment and the average wage they are earning is $17.50/hour, compared to the $10 per hour wage that refugee women earn on average in the United States. Our impact on economic wellness goes beyond earning a living wage, however. To us at Havenly, a “refugee” includes anyone who has come to the US in search of refuge - whether they are legally defined as a refugee, asylum seeker, remain undocumented, or have a different immigration status. The need for our training and support services for these populations remains as crucial as ever, and that is why we are developing innovative ways to provide people the tools and support to change the material conditions of their own lives.