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Linda has been coming to counseling for several months after finally leaving her abusive husband. She quickly set goals to work on her self-confidence and find a job so she and her children could lead a safe and independent life.
Linda always dreamed of working in law enforcement, but her abuser would never allow her to pursue any opportunities in the field. In the past few months, Linda has become a new, stronger person. She applied and quickly moved through the testing process for multiple police departments. We recently celebrated with her as she was accepted into a local police academy training program and started training a few weeks ago.
Linda’s journey was one of courage and trust. She discovered strengths she never knew she had and today she walks with her head held high knowing she is free and her children are safe.
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After a year of planning, and months of hard work, the shelter’s six new fully furnished bedrooms (10 new beds total) are almost ready to welcome those seeking safety and shelter. In addition to the new bedrooms, we added a client lounge and coffee bar where clients can relax, unwind, and support one another. One of the greatest transformations, which is almost ready too, is the addition of our new Tranquility Room equipped with massage chairs, meditation area, art therapy nook and even a piano for those who find solace in creating music. Follow us on Facebook and other social media platforms to see the transformation! | |
Our Community Education and Prevention Team has been incredibly busy doing presentations in the community. Some staff have been in local high schools and junior high schools talking about healthy dating. Others are partnering with local entities such as the Frankfort and Tinley Park libraries to do a variety of educational presentations about domestic violence. For more information email us at communityeducation@crisisctr.org. | |
Recite Me is an adaptive software that has recently been added to the Crisis Center website. With the click of a mouse, it allows anyone seeking information on our site to have it instantly translated into the language of their choice, thus making services and information more accessible. | |
Volunteer & Staff Spotlight | |
Ila Desai has been a volunteer at the Neat Repeats store in Worth for the last three years. Her name Ila is pronounced “EE-la” in Eastern Indian and means “earth.” Ila decided to volunteer at Neat Repeats right after her retirement. She is full of life, loves to laugh, and her energy is contagious. Ila loves to travel and has been all over the world. She travels with friends and family, and her favorite places are Paris, Iceland, and Alaska. She recently visited the shelter for a tour and believes that others need to know that they “can do it.” By this she means that if you are down, you can rise above, “you can make it.” She winks as she speaks with a beautiful smile across her face. We are lucky to have such a wonderful volunteer helping our mission! | | |
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Katie joined the Crisis Center team just over a year ago and has been an incredible addition. She has a bachelor’s in Political Science and a master’s degree in European Union Studies, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After she graduated, Katie worked for the FBI researching drones, and oddly enough, she did lots of writing during that time. Katie fondly refers to herself as a “nerd” and says the best part of her job as our grant writer and coordinator is getting to incorporate data and established scientific research into grant applications that will support our work with survivors of domestic violence. Whether it’s our own service data or long-term national trends and research, Katie uses that information to do what she does best – write grants. Last year Katie secured over 2.5 million dollars in government and private foundation grants. | | |
The staff and volunteers at the Frankfort Library, including Diana in Adult Services, created dozens of Family Movie Night boxes for our shelter bedrooms on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, their annual Day of Service. The boxes were filled with movies, cocoa, mugs, candy and goodies. | |
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Town Center Bank continued their longtime support with a generous $1,500 gift. | |
The Community First employee committee at Peoples Bank in Orland Park once again chose to support the Crisis Center. Lisa Molloy, Events and Engagement Manager, was present for a recent check presentation. She talked about our expansion efforts and our upcoming gala. Later, the bank confirmed an increased gift totaling $5,000, which they have chosen to use as a Courage level sponsorship for the gala! | |
Zelda’s Kitchen Witches, a local volunteer group who has been supporting Crisis Center clients for years, puts the “heart” in every one of our community-based homes. Clients moving into Transitional Housing or Rapid Re-housing apartments often have no household belongings or supplies as many of them move directly from our shelter into an apartment. The Kitchen Witches work hard collecting items such as dishes, silverware, bakeware and more so they can stock each kitchen with essentials. Their kindness never goes unnoticed! | | |
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Thank you to all who made purchases throughout the years on AmazonSmile and chose the Crisis Center as the beneficiary. Since 2014 we have received donations totaling more than $1,700. Unfortunately, as of February 20, 2023, Amazon has chosen to eliminate the program. You can still purchase items through our Amazon Wish List and have them shipped directly to us.
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The Frankfort Chamber of Commerce is recognizing our efforts and has chosen the Crisis Center to be the beneficiary of funds collected at their upcoming Inaugural Women in Business Awards night. This event will take place on Wednesday, March 22, at CD&ME and nominations are being accepted through February 9 for award categories including Behind the Scenes, Community Supporter, Inspirational Leader, Family Business, Future Star, and Outstanding Mentor. | |
We’ve been chosen as a recipient of the myWalgreens™ donation program! Donate your myWalgreens™ cash rewards to the Crisis Center for South Suburbia through 2/28/23 - it’s easy! Donate via the Walgreens mobile app on your phone, or login to your myWalgreens™ account at www.walgreens.com to donate your cash rewards. Check out the quick "How To" video below! | |
Special Events and Opportunities | |
Scan the QR code above to connect to our gala event website, purchase tickets, make a donation, become a sponsor or register to bid on our auction packages! Our silent auction will be up by Wednesday, February 23 and includes an autographed Taylor Swift guitar, concert tickets, amazing experiences, and so much more. Register now with your cell number and we'll send out a text to you when the auction items are open--don't miss out! | |
Shop Neat Repeats for your evening and formal wear needs! Beautiful dresses, elegant jewelry, stylish shoes and purses, All Clothing 50% Off Wednesday, February 22 through Saturday, February 25! Perfect timing if you’re looking for a dress and accessories for the gala! | |
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Join our VIP shopper list!
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Don't forget to shop Neat Repeats Online where all
Neat Repeats items are 50% off 24/7!
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