The Texas Bar Foundation has awarded Plano-based Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation a $12,000 grant to expand its legal services for victims of domestic violence at its Peaceful Oasis Shelter. The shelter, which opened in January, is the first and only domestic violence shelter in North Texas to address the specific cultural and language needs of Muslim women, including immigrants and refugees.
“We are so grateful for the investment of the Texas Bar Foundation, which will provide critical services to women who need legal assistance – protecting themselves and their children from a batterer or working through the complex immigration system,” said Hind Jarrah, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation founder and executive director. “This grant will allow women at the Peaceful Oasis to access legal counsel they otherwise could not afford or access due to language barriers.”
The recently opened Peaceful Oasis shelter offers shelter and social services to all victims of domestic violence and is the first and only shelter in North Texas to address the specific needs of Muslim women.
The culturally sensitive staff speaks 14 different languages and specializes in addressing the spiritual, cultural and dietary needs of Muslim women that are not addressed in mainstream shelters. The shelter also welcomes and regularly serves women of non-Muslim backgrounds.
It is estimated that the North Texas Muslim population is 200,000 and growing. The region annually receives more than 18,000 refugees, and a sizable number of them are from Muslim countries.
The Foundation serves both residents and refugees living in Dallas and Collin Counties. In the last year, the organization has served more than 200 adult victims of domestic violence and their children.
Since 2005, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation has been an ambassador from the peaceful, caring Muslim community, providing social and domestic violence services that foster peace and well-being in the home, mobilizing Muslim youth in community service and leadership development, educating about topics essential to individual and community welfare and creating understanding through interfaith outreach.
About the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation
Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded and run by Muslim women to empower, promote and support women and their families—a mission that ultimately creates stronger communities. For information, visit www.tmwf.org.
About the Texas Bar Foundation
Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $14 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation’s largest charitably funded bar foundation. For more information, visit www.txbf.org.