Creative Responses to Human Needs

I am fortunate to serve on the Board of Directors of No More Tears, a non-profit in South Florida that provides individualized assistance to victims of domestic violence and their children. We are all volunteers who do whatever we can to help each survivor in the way that she needs. Many of the ladies we have assisted (42 in the last three years) are immigrants who have suffered tremendous physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and financial abuse at the hands of husbands or boyfriends. They have also suffered from the institutional barriers imposed on immigrants to the U.S., such as lack of knowledge of available resources and inability to access some of them.

No More Tears' volunteers, led by founder and president Somy Ali, first work with each woman to help identify her dreams, interests, and desires. We then do whatever we can with our limited funds to make these dreams a reality. Given that funds are always uncertain, we have learned to be creative in what we do and to collaborate with others. So, instead of paying a mover, we move survivors ourselves. Unable to buy them all vehicles, we donate our own, or donate our time to transport these women. Rather than paying for childcare, we are their children's babysitters.

This is just a little bit of what we do--there is so much more. At essence, though, is that we treat each woman like a human being, offering her warmth, love, and support.