Program Description
Standing with immigrant women as they build stable, powerful lives in Minneapolis.
Immigrant women are often the connective tissue of their families and communities, and they frequently face the steepest barriers to getting ahead. The Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project (IWAP) walks alongside women in Cedar-Riverside and beyond, helping them navigate the systems, resources, and opportunities that can make the difference between getting by and thriving.
Community is at the heart of everything IWAP does, and some of our most meaningful work happens when we gather. Each year, our Women’s Night Out brings together the women we serve for an evening designed to celebrate them: an uplifting, joyful space that honors their strength, their stories, and the community they’ve built together. Throughout the year, IWAP also hosts events that connect neighbors with the information and resources they need. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, for example, we partnered with Fairview Health Services to host Survivors, Always, an event that brought community members and local partner organizations together around healing, safety, and support. These gatherings strengthen the web of connection around the women we serve, and they’re always open to the partners and neighbors who make this work possible.
Our Approach
IWAP is rooted in a simple belief: people deserve a voice in the decisions that affect them. Instead of telling women what they need, we start by listening and asking, “What can we do together?” Our advocacy is shaped by cultural understanding and by the lived experience of the women we serve.
Whole People in Whole Communities
No one comes to us with just one need. IWAP is part of Pillsbury United Communities’ Community Health work and is based at Brian Coyle Community Center, so women can connect with a wider network of support in one trusted place. That includes our food shelf, community meals, produce distribution, youth internships, and legal aid clinics offered in partnership with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid.
