Crisis Center helps domestic violence victims find fresh starts
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Throughout the pandemic the Crisis Center for South Suburbia has continued to provide shelter and essential services for victims of domestic violence like Sonja, Kathryn and Marjie. Check out their success stories below!
From mid-March through the end of May the Crisis Center provided:
- 2,261 nights of shelter and 6,032 meals for 186 clients
- 862 hours of counseling
- Direct financial assistance for 68 households
- 64 trainings and outreach events to raise awareness
- Support to 453 clients in navigating the legal system, including assistance to secure 118 Orders of Protection
- 67 Partner Abuse Intervention Program sessions reaching 258 abusers
During this time the Crisis Center also moved 17 households into their own apartments through the Transitional Housing and Rapid Re-Housing programs!
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Crisis Center helps Sonja find a fresh start after escaping abuse
Sonja's partner had been abusing her physically, mentally and verbally for two years, and Sonja needed to escape. She tried finding a shelter where she lived, but there was nothing so Sonja moved back to Illinois, hoping to stay with family.
They
turned her away, so she contacted the Crisis Center for shelter for herself and her son.
During her two-month shelter stay Sonja received case management, counseling, and housing assistance. Over time, she began to heal and move forward. She was able to obtain full-time employment, which increased her income and allowed her to set down permanent roots. In May, she secured housing through our Transitional Housing Program and moved into an apartment.
Sonja is safe and finally has a place of her own.
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Counseling helps Kathryn regain her confidence and pursue a new path
At first when Kathryn’s boyfriend began abusing her physically and verbally, she minimized the abuse and believed it was her fault.
After three years, Kathryn found the courage to flee.
Kathryn called the Crisis Center Hotline and began working with a counselor to regain her lost self-esteem and confidence. Kathryn felt conflicted about her feelings toward her abuser, and more than once she told her counselor she was tempted to return to him.
As she learned more from her counselor about the dynamics of domestic violence, Kathryn’s self-esteem grew by leaps and bounds. Not only did she no longer talk about wanting to return to her boyfriend, she started a full-time job and began the enrollment process for school credits. Kathryn is a survivor!
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Crisis Center follow-up prompts victim to enroll in counseling
After reading a domestic violence police report involving Marjie, an Advocate in the Crisis Center's Law Enforcement and Victim Outreach (LEAV) Program called Marjie for a safety check. Marjie was grateful for the call. After sharing her story with the Advocate, she agreed to seek counseling from the Crisis Center and to enroll her children, as well.
In counseling Marjie will learn about domestic violence, receive support to heal from abuse, and explore options for safety and independence. Her children will receive age-appropriate counseling and therapeutic intervention.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call our 24-hour hotline at (708) 429-SAFE (7233).
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Neat Repeats in urgent need of store volunteers
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We are urgently in need of additional volunteers for both of our Neat Repeats resale store locations. Just one 4-hour weekly shift can make a big difference in the lives of domestic violence victims!
The revenues from our Neat Repeats resale stores cover 30% of our programs' operating expenses, and our volunteers are crucial to the success of Neat Repeats. To join our amazing Neat Repeats volunteer community and learn about more volunteer opportunities with the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, please contact our volunteer coordinator at (331) 431-9688 or by email at
dmendyk@crisisctr.org
.
We are also gratefully accepting new and gently used summer clothing, shoes, home decor, and jewelry. Please consider making your donation to our stores and supporting victims of domestic violence and the Crisis Center for South Suburbia. Shopping and donation hours are listed below.
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Neat Repeats Worth
6602 W. 111th St.
(708) 361-6860
Sunday - CLOSED
Monday - 9-4
Tuesday - Thursday - 9-8
Friday-Saturday - 9-4
Donations accepted Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
or as space permits
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Neat Repeats Orland Park
9028 W. 159th St.
(708) 364-7605
Sunday - CLOSED
Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - Thursday - 9-8
Friday - CLOSED
Saturday - 9-4
Donations accepted Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
or as space permits
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Local resident donates masks for shelter clients
Hometown resident Ellen Meehan has been sewing face masks throughout the pandemic, and she regularly drops off batches for us to give to our shelter clients. She has brought us at least 100 already, and she is already working on more.
"I'm thrilled to be able to help out," Ellen said.
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Palos Hospital gives shelter children Easter in July
You've heard of Christmas in July...how about Easter in July?
Each year Palos Hospital employees donate treat-filled Easter eggs so we can set up a hunt for the children staying in our Emergency Shelter.
We couldn’t host this year’s event because our clients were staying in hotels until early June, but earlier this month we hid the donated eggs and children staying in our shelter had a blast finding them!
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Even babies get in on the action
4-month-old Aaro knows babies need diapers, and lots of them, so he and his mom Brittany recently donated this giant stack to the Crisis Center!
“We are happy that they will be put to good use for growing babies," Brittany said.
If you would like to organize a drive for items needed in our emergency shelter, contact Janice Barry at
jbarry@crisisctr.org
or (708) 429-7255.
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Community members donate items for summer craft kits for kids
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On any given day, 15 children are living safely at our shelter after previously experiencing fear and uncertainty. Because families staying at our shelter are restricted to their rooms to ensure their health and safety, staff have been assembling summer craft kits to keep the children busy and engaged. We are so grateful to everyone who generously donated supplies over the past few weeks so our youngest residents can make moon sand, paint rocks, create coffee filter flowers and more!
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Catered meal donations needed
Our hardworking staff continue to prepare and deliver meals to all of our client bedrooms to support social distancing guidelines. Did you know you can help out by donating a catered meal? Not only is it a treat for our clients, it also offers our staff a break. If you would like to donate a catered meal for our clients, please contact Sarah Tygart, Director of Victim Services, at
sberger@crisisctr.org
or (708) 429-7255.
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School supply donations needed
It's almost back-to-school time for the children staying in our shelter, and we are looking for donations of specific school supplies to ensure we can provide them with what they need to be successful! Please check out the list below and contact Janice Barry at
jbarry@crisisctr.org
or (708) 429-7255 if you would like to donate.
- Graph paper
- Accordion files – 7 or more sections
- Highlighters
- Markers
- Basic pencils
- Mechanical pencils
- Tabbed dividers
- Gallon Ziploc baggies
- Personal hand sanitizer
- Boxes of Kleenex
- Rolls of paper towels
- Calculators such as the TI-30XIIS
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There are so many wonderful ways to support the Crisis Center. Visit the
Ways to Help page
on our website to find a way that works best for you!
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Golf foursomes, sponsorships still available for Dianne Masters Cup Charity Golf Outing
Raffle, auction and Fund-a-Need support opportunities open to all this year
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The Dianne Masters Cup Charity Golf Outing is coming up on Tuesday, August 11 at Silver Lake Country Club. There is still time to register to golf or sponsor our outing! This major fundraiser is essential to help us continue to provide shelter and essential services free for victims of domestic violence and their children.
Support us online
This year for the first time all Crisis Center supporters can buy tickets for our item raffle, bid on items in our silent auction and opt to Fund-a-Need. We need ALL of your support now more than ever so please join us and
share the link
with friends and family!
Register to golf
Illinois' latest guidelines for safe play include two-rider carts and a modified scramble format with staggered tee times. 18-hole and limited 9-hole foursomes are available. Register now to reserve your spot!
Sponsor our outing
You can also show your support for our outing as an event sponsor. Sponsorships are going fast, but we have many Hole Sponsorships still available. For just $250, sponsoring a hole is a wonderful way to show that your business supports the Crisis Center! Opportunities for a customized sponsorship are always available, as well. Call Lisa Molloy
by Friday, July 31
at (708) 429-7255 or e-mail
lmolloy@crisisctr.org
.
Thank you to our Title Sponsor, AGA Farms!
Visit our event website
to register to golf, learn more about sponsorship opportunities, make a donation, or sign up to participate in our silent auction, raffle or Fund-a-Need. Silent auction items will be posted soon!
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Auxiliary hosting virtual walk to raise funds for Crisis Center
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Over the past 12 years the Crisis Center for South Suburbia Auxiliary has raised more than $115,000 to support domestic violence programs and services at the Crisis Center by hosting a variety of successful events. The Auxiliary’s annual Walk Against Domestic Violence usually takes place in August at Lake Katherine in Palos Heights, but this year due to the pandemic the organization is hosting a virtual event.
In lieu of registration, supporters can select a giving opportunity to help victims of domestic violence. Donors can give online at
AuxWalk2020.givesmart.com
or mail a check to Crisis Center Auxiliary, P.O. Box 174, Palos Park, IL, 60464. Donation levels are listed below and on the website, but gifts in any amount are welcome. The Auxiliary will collect funds through the end of August.
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Honor a loved one or organization by purchasing brick for Garden Walkway of Donors
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Did you know that you can honor or memorialize an individual or organization by purchasing an engraved brick for our Garden Walkway of Donors? Bricks are $150, and installation takes place in spring and summer - so now is the perfect time to purchase!
Click here
for more details and to download the order form, or call the Development Office for more information at (708) 429-7255.
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Shopping on Amazon.com? Start with Amazon Smile and choose the Crisis Center as a beneficiary and 0.5% of the profits will automatically be donated to the Crisis Center!
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