Global Displacement: Serving Asylum Seekers

As World Refugee Day 2022 approaches, we reflect on the crisis of global displacement. Today, more than 100 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide. These refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people find themselves in vulnerable situations, without the necessary support.

Clients arrive at Elmhurst Hospital and New York City from across the globe . The yarn above represents their journeys to Libertas, the nail in the center.

When clients arrive at Libertas, 90% are asylum seekers. Forced to flee their homes and lives because of targeted persecution, separated from their families and support systems, and at risk for discrimination, our clients seek safety and refuge here.

A photo taken by Libertas staff at the U.S-Mexico Border Wall - 24% of Libertas clients come across the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Receiving asylum is key to clients’ sense of stability. However, the complex and lengthy asylum process adds years of stress and fear compounding their trauma.

“I always worry about my immigration.”

- Libertas Client

Understandably, Libertas clients still in the asylum seeking process utilize mental health resources at a higher rate and for longer periods of time compared to those who have been granted asylum. Libertas supports clients’ health and well-being through the provision of holistic services including supportive counseling and mental health care. We encourage compassion and understanding as these incredibly resilient individuals navigate multiple challenges on the path to rebuilding their lives.

In celebration of World Refugee Day, the Libertas Center is hoping to raise $4000 for Libertas clients' emergency needs. Thank you for your support!

A Toast to Audrey's Challahs

A Toast to Audrey's Challahs

"I was able to combine my love for baking and my desire to help my city." - Audrey Moussazadeh

The Libertas Center would like to express our sincere gratitude to Audrey Moussazadeh, a local high school student who has raised more than $4,500 to support the Libertas Center by selling challahs through Audrey's Challahs - "Challahs freshly baked with love in NYC 💖."

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City in full force in the spring of 2020, Audrey and her family felt a small, unforeseen impact in the midst of the shutdown: the absence of their beloved challah. The braided bread that the family normally bought outside their home was unobtainable due to the unsafe conditions, so Audrey turned to baking her own.

Soon, Audrey realized her love for baking had the potential to make a difference.

"As the city opened up more, I continued to make my own challahs for my family and shared them with my friends and their families as well," Audrey said. "All of my friends loved what I was making and that’s when I got the idea to begin selling them. I wanted to help people during such a difficult and unprecedented time, and it hit me that selling my challahs could be the way that I could make a difference."

Before long, Audrey was baking and delivering challahs by the dozens. She sold her first Audrey's Challah in the fall of 2020 and hasn't looked back. Since then, she has sold more than 300 challahs and raised more than $4,500! Audrey is innovative and creative with her Challahs too, from baking cookie dough, Oreo, and apple cinnamon challahs to creating college-themed and holiday-centered flavors.

After some thought, she knew she wanted to focus her efforts towards a good cause, but the question arose of where she would direct her generosity.

"After getting a glimpse of the toll that the pandemic paid on healthcare workers as my mother works in the Elmhurst Emergency Department, I decided I wanted to dedicate all the funds I’d raise to Elmhurst Hospital," Audrey said.

Audrey looked into Elmhurst hospital's services, programs, and departments, and after some research, she decided to focus on the Libertas Center and our clients.

"The Libertas Center stood out to me because the program reaches individuals in need of help who often are not provided the support they need," Audrey said. "After reading more about the Libertas Center, I knew I wanted to contribute to it in any way I could."

Audrey has helped Libertas in so many ways. In addition to her financial contributions, her passion, ingenuity, commitment, and generosity have served as an inspiration to Libertas staff. We cannot thank her enough for her hard work!

Audrey continues to bake and sell challahs through Audrey's Challahs Instagram page to support the Libertas Center, and she plans to become more directly involved in our program soon.

"I plan to continue baking challahs to raise money for the Libertas Center, and additionally hope to work more closely with the members of the program in the coming year," she said.

Audrey has been a wonderful supporter, partner, and friend to Libertas, and we hope you'll join us in thanking her for all she has done!

Libertas Staff Take Part In NCTTP Symposium

On September 17th, the National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs (NCTTP) held their annual symposium. This event provided the opportunity for survivor of torture programs to join virtually. They discussed recent events, local and national updates, and the variety of services and resources each program relies on. The Libertas Center’s Executive Director Dr. Dinali Fernando was invited to introduce the keynote speaker and moderate discussion.

Ashley Mitchell (MSW) and Cybele Martinez (BA) took part in the symposium as well. Ashely, Cybele, and Dinali added their invaluable experiences to the discussion, and they focused on their best practices surrounding treatment for torture victims, mental health maintenance, and service improvement.

“I attended in order to expand my knowledge of survivors of torture programs and how I can also improve my skills as a clinician,” Cybele said. “I learned a lot from my peers who have 20 plus years of experience in this field, especially about prioritizing cases and how to stay informed about the cultures we serve.”

Libertas Celebrates World Refugee Day

On Sunday June 20th, Libertas partnered with the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and several other immigrant justice organizations to host the 5th Annual World Refugee Day Music Festival.

The free outdoor community celebration, hosted at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, featured musical acts from around the world, along with theater, dance, visual art and more. World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe, and the festival was a wonderful celebration of their cultures and talents.

Dr. Fernando presents at the 2021 Gold Foundation Virtual Conference “Humanism and Healing: Structural Racism and its Impact on Medicine”

Dr. Fernando presented at the Gold Humanism Conference on a panel on “Advocacy and Grassroots Change with four other clinicians who successfully created change to address healthcare problems for vulnerable populations, and discussed their work and how participants can become advocates.