When survivors of domestic violence turn to Catholic Charities in crisis, we welcome them, and all that they carry, with arms wide open. Their journey toward recovery starts with safety. Over time, it moves toward long-term healing that carries on across generations. Accompanying them and their children as they transform their lives and move from doubt to strength, anxiety to hope and crisis to community is a privilege — and part of our unique calling here at Catholic Charities. Services and support for survivors of domestic violence are needed more than ever in our communities across Cook and Lake counties. Calls to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline have risen 45% since 2022. The hotline received nearly 18,000 contacts requesting shelter in 2023. Our programs at Catholic Charities address this growing need — and are possible thanks to the support of our generous partners. Last year, more than 100 women and their children stayed at Catholic Charities transitional housing residences in Cook and Lake counties. Approximately 380 women and men received domestic violence counseling and outreach services from our Domestic Violence Counseling program, funded in part by generous contributions from donors who want to support this work. Domestic violence is about power and control. Supporting the agency of survivors empowers them to turn their lives around and flourish. This affects not only their futures, but also their children’s futures. Every day, I am in awe of the courage that survivors of domestic violence demonstrate. I am also in awe of the extraordinary trust they place in us at Catholic Charities. Our goal, for every woman we serve, is self-sufficiency. First, we provide a safe and supportive space for them to heal. Then, we empower and assist them in regaining control of their lives. We do this with compassion for and understanding of the trauma they have endured. A trauma-informed approach is part of all our domestic violence services, which include counseling, outreach and transitional housing programs. Survivors can call our safe, secure, confidential intake line to seek help and ask for services needed so they and their children can get to safety. Our case managers, therapists and counselors provide one-on-one counseling and case management, helping survivors develop individualized support plans. In our transitional housing programs, mothers and their children who are survivors of domestic violence can receive safe housing, intensive case management, connections to benefits and medical care. Depending on their individual cases, some families may stay longer. These comprehensive programs provide wraparound services including counseling; English language instruction, parenting and financial literacy classes; art therapy, sewing and meditation classes; onsite childcare; and children’s programming. Our team ultimately helps the mothers and families we serve transition to permanent housing. The women we work with are the authors of their own stories. A volunteer art therapist who works with women in one of our transitional housing programs calls these their “resurrection stories.” As one woman wrote about hers: “My resurrection is that now all of my fears have vanished. I feel happy, calm, more mature, strong and with a great desire to move forward with my life. And, I am able to give the best of myself to my children, my two treasures, and to continue helping others.” Through our partners’ support, the mothers and families we serve move forward to the next phase of their lives — a phase of their own creation. Our role is simply to welcome them, help them understand their options and accompany them in deciding the best next step on their journey. It is an awesome privilege to witness how transformative the journey to healing is for so many of the families we work with. If you or someone you know is a survivor of domestic violence seeking healing and recovery, please call the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-863-6338 or Catholic Charities’ domestic violence intake line at 312-655-7106.
About the Author Deborah Hammond is program director for Domestic Violence Services and Supports for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. For more information, or to make a gift, visit catholiccharities.net.