Harmit has 15 years of professional experience working in the anti-violence movement providing supportive services to victim-survivors of domestic violence, and sexual assault. She is no stranger to being the first, being the only. After being a first-generation college student, for several years she was the only Punjabi-speaking advocate in mainstream DV organizations. She learnt on Hotlines how to respond to folks in crisis. And she noted the gap: the community she knew best was not calling. She sought out and embraced the community-driven work at Sikh Family Center and was in 2017 hired as the first paid staff person.
In her current position with the Sikh Family Center, Harmit provides technical and strategic operational support: from Canva specialist, to strategic measurement lead, and volunteer coordinator. Harmit also leads a survivor storytelling group, by and for survivors. She has coauthored evidence-based reports, streamlined operations, engaging community volunteers with an eye on preventing burnout, fostering inclusion and sustainability, thus advancing Sikh Family Center’s core values.
As a community organizer and creative at heart, she is committed to transforming conversations, exploring prevention strategies, and implementing innovative approaches to address issues such as family violence and mental health within the community. In her most important role as a mother of two, she also commits herself to bedtime stories, hiking adventures, and teaching her little Singh and little Kaur to appreciate the simple things in life.