Emergency Response Case Manager, Alex Mayugba is used to late-night calls. Within 30 minutes of receiving a call, our Emergency Response staff meet victims where they are, no matter the time of day.

When stay-at-home orders, economic instability, and disruption of social services forced survivors into increasingly vulnerable and unsafe conditions, Alex and the Emergency Response team knew they had to quickly pivot to continue meeting the needs of survivors. Now, emergency response is coordinated virtually – from picking up survivors through rideshare apps to providing emotional support and safety planning over the phone. The team leaned on new technology and innovative thinking to rapidly adapt program models, prioritizing the health of staff and clients in the face of massive logistical challenges.

“I appreciate Cast’s recent initiatives to foster a safe and supportive environment for staff and clients belonging to communities that continue to face mistreatment, violence, and injustice – more recently the Black community and now the AAPI community. I have hope that we will continue to stand up for and support our colleagues and clients coming from any and all marginalized groups in times of distress.”

Alex Mayugba, Cast Case Manager

Day in and day out, Alex and her team are called upon to find ways to better support our clients through an equitable, diverse and inclusive lens. This is especially important as clients struggle with very real fears of interacting with law enforcement or potentially becoming the victim of hate-based violence. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements, focusing on how the issues of systemic racism and inequality affect our clients so that we can center justice and belonging in our work. Staff like Alex, who is a strong advocate for preventing violence against the AAPI community, are powerful leaders in this work.