Bar Foundation grants
Shelter protects abused women
Family Rescue, an agency dedicated to alleviating domestic violence in Chicago, has received an $8,000 grant from the Illinois Bar Foundation in support of its seven-year-old Court Advocacy Program (CAP).
“As the only program of its kind in operating out of a Chicago Police Department station, civil court, and misdemeanor and felony court, Family Rescue is uniquely situated to assist victims and survivors of domestic violence each step of the legal process,” said executive director Joyce M. Coffee.
Its range of assistance includes immediate crisis intervention, advocacy with police, court accompaniment and follow-up support. Prevention is encouraged through community education.
Family Rescue endeavors to reduce domestic violence by supporting and sheltering victims and survivors and helping them access, understand and obtain safety through the legal system.
“Since 1981, Family Rescue has been a refuge of safety for more than 55,000 people, and we strive to be a refuge for thousands more,” said Tara B. Dabney, director of communications and development.
Referring to clients as “casualties of the war waged against victims of domestic violence by the one they love,” Dabney noted that “CAP provides vital services for victims who use the legal system as a tool for mitigating the violence.”
The Bar Foundation made grants totaling $8,000 to Family Rescue’s Court Advocacy Program during three prior years. For more information, call (773) 375-1918.
Urbana project has intervention
The Illinois Bar Foundation has provided a $5,000 grant to A Woman’s Fund in Urbana toward a Court Advocacy Project that informs and assists domestic violence victims.
In addition to initial crisis intervention, referrals and assistance in obtaining orders of protection, the project helps clients with extensions, modifications, rules to show cause and orders for withholding.
A Woman’s Fund operates a pair of 24-hour hotline intervention initiatives: a Domestic Violence Program and Rape Crisis Services.
In its safe, non-violent shelter, residents participate in cooperative living by sharing space and housekeeping responsibilities and respecting the rights of others.
Founded in 1971 by a grass-roots group of women, A Women’s Fund filled a gap for a population of women and children that was ignored by social service agencies. Its domestic violence shelter reportedly was the first in Illinois.
Clients are empowered to create their own service plans to find solutions to the obstacles they face. They are helped to heal from the trauma of violence and plan for violence-free futures.
The organization serves Champaign, Douglas, Ford and Piatt Counties through offices in Urbana, Champaign, Rantoul and Monticello.
For more information, call program director Heather Fox at (217) 384-4462.
Aurora center goes bilingual
Mutual Ground, an Aurora provider of services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Kendall and southern Kane Counties, has received a $5,000 grant from the Illinois Bar Foundation.
The funds support a Domestic Violence Legal Court Advocacy Program that makes sure victims receive information about their rights under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act.
Free support is provided during court hearings, along with explanations of the order of protection process and referrals when necessary. Appropriate treatment of victims by police departments and the justice system are advocated.
Three of Mutual Ground’s five full-time court advocates are bilingual/bicultural, assisting Hispanic clients who represent more than half of the caseload.
The organization also offers proactive prevention programs in line with its philosophy that social change is necessary to reduce the incidence of domestic violence and abuse.
Mutual Ground was incorporated in 1975 by a volunteer Women’s Development Council that met at Waubonsee Community College to discuss the needs of abused Aurora-area women. For more information, call executive director Linda R. Healy at (630) 897-0084.
Survival skills being taught
The Crisis Center Foundation in Jacksonville has received a $5,400 Illinois Bar Foundation grant in support of its legal advocacy program for domestic violence survivors.
The goal of the foundation is to enable victims to regain or develop the necessary skills to live without further abuse. It provides education about remedies, rights and options under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act.
Advocates help victims access and navigate law enforcement and court systems, and promote the safety of battered women through seeking arrest and prosecution of order of protection violators.
Crisis Center officials and volunteers meet regularly with law enforcement representatives and maintain working relationships with victim/witness coordinators in Morgan and Green Counties.
Founded in 1984 by concerned citizens, the foundation employs eight full-time and four part-time staff members, and operates a 14-bed shelter for women and children who flee homes where they have been abused.
It maintains a 24-hour hotline from which victims can get answers from a staff member or volunteer trained in domestic violence, crisis intervention and advocacy.
For more information, call executive director Dona Leonard at (217) 243-4357.