For individuals fleeing civil war, terrorism, and repressive regimes in their home countries, TASSC offers more than a peaceful refuge. Founded and led by torture survivors, it serves 330 clients (called members) each year, helping them apply for asylum and build new lives. Most come from Ethiopia and Cameroon, arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs. Together with a clinical case manager, they create a roadmap for their journey to recovery, including medical treatment (through on-site care and referrals), bilingual, trauma-informed counseling, and therapeutic activities like yoga, story-telling, art workshops, and more. A career counselor assists with job searches and resumé preparation, and staff and pro bono attorneys offer services to navigate the complicated asylum application process. Most importantly, TASSC restores in its members the belief that they are a welcome and dignified part of the human family.

Headquarters: DC-Ward 5

Where They Operate: DC-Ward 5; Brookland

Age Groups Served: Pre-teen/teen (12-17); Young adult (18-24); Adult (25-49); Seniors (50+)

Population(s) Served: Individuals with Disabilities; Individuals who identify as LGBTQ; Low- to Moderate-Income Community Members; Men/Boys; Women/Girls; Students; Immigrants/Refugees


  • Survivors provided with comprehensive pro bono legal services, which means helping them apply for asylum, offering legal advice and guidance, gathering evidence to support their case and representing them:   98
  • Survivors served with in-house clinical case management services, which means ensuring that their basic needs are addressed while supporting them on their long-term path to self-sufficiency:   291
  • Survivors served with psychological care, including individual psychotherapy, yoga classes and psychological evaluations to support asylum cases:   195
  • Survivors who participated in advocacy meetings in congressional offices:   80
  • Hours contributed by professionals offering their pro bono services :   9,160

Awards & Recognition

2016 Congressional Citation from Congressman Chris Van Hollen for exceptional work supporting torture survivors
2015 Feature in the Washington Post
2015 Feature in the Philadelphia Inquirer

Press

Budget (FY2023)

  • $3 million or higher
  • $1 million to $3 million
  • The current budget for Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition is: $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

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