January 10, 2025

Grantee Partner Spotlight: The Brave House

by Joy Dumas

The Ms. Foundation is proud to support our grantee partners, who are at the forefront of organizing and creating solutions that improve people’s lives and bring us closer to achieving a true democracy. The insight and perspective they provide is invaluable. The Q&A below was generated by The Brave House Mental Health Advocate Joy Dumas. 

The Brave House is a community of support for young immigrant and refugee women and gender-expansive youth, ages 16-24, in New York City, with a focus on survivors of gender-based violence. They provide free legal aid, community events, and holistic services, including leadership training, one-on-one advocacy, mental health support, job and school assistance, support for new and expecting moms, and much more. The Brave House is a Girls of Color Initiative grantee partner. 

What brought you to this work?

Prior to being the Mental Health Advocate at the Brave House, I had always felt drawn toward help-based professions, and I love being part of an organization that approaches the concept of “help” in unique and flexible ways. My educational background is in human rights and Spanish, and I bring that background into my work every day.

The Brave House is a space where young, new New Yorkers can come and get legal advice from an experienced immigration attorney, relax in our immersive Healing Room, hang out in our Member Lounge, join community events where they can learn new skills and be a kid, and so much more. 

In a world that can be inhospitable and insensitive to the intersecting needs of young immigrant girls & gender-nonconforming youth, we offer a safe haven of radical hospitality and acceptance.

How do you connect/collaborate in your community? Who are your key partners?

The Brave House hosts monthly events at local colleges and high schools’ Immigrant Student Centers, including Brooklyn College, John Jay College, and the International High Schools. Our event offerings include networking parties, job and school support workshops, and wellness events. 

We also currently have a strong network of trusted partners that provide legal and mental health services to similar populations. We work with other nonprofits for referrals and collaborations supporting youth, immigrants, and survivors such as The Door, Sanctuary for Families, Sirens Women’s Motorcycle Club, and more. 

What are you learning or what are you teaching?

The Brave House is all about the young immigrant community we serve. Part of our team’s role is to listen and learn from our members so we can curate our services according to the evolving scope of our community. 

Our members come from 35+ countries, speak dozens of languages, and are at different stages of their immigration journeys. Each new member adds new colors and textures to the mosaic that is the community of diverse minds at the Brave House.

As the Mental Health Advocate at the Brave House, I am always learning about members’ personal stories, interests, goals and dreams. I’m also in a unique position to be able to share information about mental health and wellness with our members. It’s important that folks know that therapy and self-care isn’t selfish – it only makes us stronger! 

Tell us about a recent victory or something you’re proud of.

Recently, our team needed a French translator to conduct an intake with a young expecting mom who recently arrived from Guinea. We reached out to a long-time Brave House member who was kind enough to join the call to help translate between French and English. This older member is also a young mother, and shares a similar immigration experience with the new member.

The new member and the older member got along fantastically, and planned to stay in touch. Turns out, they got along so well that the older member is now the guardian in the new member’s legal case – a huge win! This act of support underscores the interconnectedness of our network and the vital role that older Brave House members play in fostering a supportive environment for all.

What can philanthropy do better and/or how can individuals be helpful allies?

Allyship thrives on participation. It is good for folks to stay up-to-date on immigration news and educate themselves about communities they aren’t familiar with. It is even better for folks to get involved with an organization that works directly with immigrants and use their strengths to contribute in a meaningful way. At the Brave House, allies who wish to work directly with members are required to take trauma-informed care training to guide their interactions. They support us at events, in professional development support, as mentors, and as champions and funders of our work! The most impactful philanthropy we’ve experienced are funders who respect our community’s ability to identify needs and dreams and trust us to meet those needs creatively, adaptively, and effectively.

What gives you hope?

Our amazing members! I’ve had the privilege of supporting hundreds of brilliant young people from all over the world, arriving at a pivotal transition point in their lives and bursting with ideas and potential. What they need is opportunity, community, and support through transitions, which they are so often excluded from due to their race and immigration status. 

Our members are resilient, thoughtful, hilarious, and so inspiring! When they are empowered toward achieving their goals and dreams, they are unstoppable. They are literally the leaders of the present and the future, at the Brave House and beyond.