Chicago nonprofit Apna Ghar releases cookbook featuring 29 recipes from survivors of gender-based violence

# Chicago Nonprofit Apna Ghar Releases Cookbook Featuring Recipes From Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

Apna Ghar, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to ending gender-based violence through support services, community outreach and advocacy, has released *Recipes from Our Home*, a cookbook featuring 29 multicultural recipes contributed by survivors of gender-based violence. The publication celebrates the cultural traditions, resilience and personal experiences of survivors while highlighting the role food can play in fostering connection and healing.

According to a news release, the cookbook was developed over several years using contributions from survivors who accessed Apna Ghar’s emergency housing services and participated in the organization’s cooking groups. The collection brings together recipes and personal reflections, offering readers a glimpse into the culinary traditions and lived experiences of people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Neha Gill, executive director and CEO of Apna Ghar, praised the courage and resilience of the survivors who contributed to the project. She said the cookbook demonstrates that survivors find more than safety through the organization’s services, including a sense of community, opportunities for healing and the ability to rebuild their lives with greater confidence and independence.

Alongside the recipes, contributors share reflections that connect food with their memories, traditions and personal journeys. By giving survivors an opportunity to tell their stories in their own voices, the book aims to celebrate their identities and experiences beyond the circumstances that brought them to the organization.

The release also reflects Apna Ghar’s broader work supporting people affected by gender-based violence. Earlier this year, the nonprofit marked its 35th anniversary with a gala titled “Together We Thrive,” held on May 16 in Chicago. The event brought together more than 300 civic, community and corporate leaders, activists, organizational partners and supporters to recognize the organization’s work and the people advancing its mission.

The anniversary celebration was hosted by Emmy Award-winning anchor Ravi Baichwal and Rahul Sharma, founder of Strategic Inclusion Consulting and founder and bandleader of Funkadesi. The gathering also recognized members of the Apna Ghar community for their contributions to its mission and vision.

Apna Ghar serves survivors from 50 countries, with immigrants and refugees accounting for 75% of its program participants. For many of those served, cultural traditions and shared experiences can help create connections across language barriers and provide a sense of familiarity during difficult periods of transition.

Food has become an important part of that process. The organization views cooking and sharing meals as opportunities for nourishment, emotional support and community-building, allowing participants to exchange traditions and develop relationships with people from different backgrounds.

Tegest Enyew, Apna Ghar’s program coordinator, collected and extensively tested each recipe featured in the cookbook. She described the organization’s cooking groups as meaningful spaces where survivors can share cultural traditions and create new memories associated with empowerment and belonging.

Enyew added that the publication allows readers to experience some of those connections and carry them into their own families and communities. Through the recipes, the organization hopes to extend the spirit of shared learning and cultural exchange beyond its cooking groups.

The cookbook also features original artwork, writing and design contributed by artists based in South Africa, India and Singapore. Endorsements from chefs and community leaders further support the project, bringing together creative contributors and advocates around the publication’s central themes of resilience, culture and community.

On October 19, Apna Ghar held a preview event at the Metropolitan Club in Chicago’s Willis Tower. The gathering brought together cookbook contributors, endorsers, survivors and community partners, giving them an opportunity to receive advance copies and celebrate the collaborative effort behind the book.

More than a collection of recipes, *Recipes from Our Home* presents food as a way to preserve cultural identity, build relationships and recognize the strength of survivors. By sharing their culinary traditions and personal reflections, contributors help broaden the understanding of recovery and highlight the importance of community support in rebuilding lives.

The cookbook is available in both print and e-book formats through Apna Ghar’s official website, offering readers an opportunity to explore the recipes and support the organization’s continuing work with survivors of gender-based violence.