The Tahirih Justice Center has served over 34,000 immigrant survivors fleeing gender-based violence since 1997. Across our five locations, our dedicated staff members provide holistic trauma-informed services to immigrant survivors and their families through legal representation and social services, policy advocacy, and community outreach and training. Tahirih staff exhibit a high level of cultural humility, speak multiple languages, and, above all, are committed to creating a world without violence.
Meet our Greater DC-Baltimore Social Services Program Manager, Ashley DiIonno.
“Having worked at Tahirih for over 10 years, I have had the privilege to see hundreds of survivors gain safety through immigration protection in the US.”
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you want to work at Tahirih?
I have worked as an advocate for immigrant women and girls since 2007 and for Tahirih since 2014. It was always my dream to work at an organization like Tahirih. This organization’s foundation in Bahai values and its mission to serve and uplift survivors of GBV places it in the intersection of my passion for social justice and my faith which fuels my desire to be part of a larger movement for the betterment of all humanity.
What do you do at Tahirih?
As the Regional Social Services Program Manager, I work with our Managing attorneys in our Baltimore and Greater DC offices to support our interdisciplinary teams of legal and social services advocates as they join our clients on their journey to justice, safety and stability. We make sure they have the support, guidance and resources they need to support their clients and take care of themselves. We provide training and technical assistance throughout the region at local, state and national levels.
What about your work at Tahirih do you find most inspiriting?
Our clients are surrounded by so many barriers to achieving the safety and stability that all human beings deserve. I am inspired every time a client pushes through a barrier to advocate for themselves and every time I witness our advocates come alongside a survivor who may be losing hope. When I see them work as a team to ensure that neither legal nor social/systemic barriers will prevent survivors from achieving their goals, I know that I am part of something unique and transformative.
What about your work at Tahirih do you find most challenging?
Systemic barriers like residency or income restrictions are the most challenging things to fight against in our work because there are no quick solutions. Overcoming them takes persistence and tenacity and sometimes doesn’t happen for years.
How do you see Tahirih making a difference?
Having worked at Tahirih for over 10 years, I have had the privilege to see hundreds of survivors gain safety through immigration protection in the US. I have seen some cases where lives were hanging in the balance for seven years or more finally obtain stability and permanency. On a daily basis, I see our advocates building relationships with other service providers and collaborating with them to build and strengthen a network of support to wrap around survivors of GBV across the DC, Maryland, Virginia region.
Outside of work, what is your favorite thing to spend your time on?
Right now I’m obsessed with amigurumi which is a form of crochet with which you make animals and other figures. So far I have made a bunch of pumpkins, a giraffe named Dolores, a baby triceratops named Tina, two unnamed dolphins and a shark named…Sharky.
