Q: What organization are you a leader of?

A: I am part of the Metro Associate Council for WINGS Program, Inc. (WINGS). The mission of WINGS is to provide housing, integrated services, education, and advocacy to end domestic violence. Since it began in 1985, it has provided a pathway to independence for people whose lives have been disrupted by domestic violence through emergency safe shelters and transitional housing for victims. The organization also helps families in crisis with basic needs such as food and clothing.

Q: Why did you want to get involved with the organization?

A: People rarely want to discuss domestic violence or acknowledge it as an issue. I wanted to help WINGS bring education and awareness to the community. WINGS has developed a program and configured its shelters to remove limitations that many other programs have. All services are extended to anyone experiencing domestic violence regardless of gender, sexual orientation, financial means, children’s ages, disabilities, etc.

Q: How do you help the organization move the needle?

A: I am a part of the associate council, where we focus on raising money and gathering donations to support the shelters and programs offered through WINGS. We also extend the organization’s reach from the Northwest suburbs to the city as well as different demographics.

Q: What do you find most enriching from the work you do?

A: Being a part of an organization like WINGS provides a different sense of enrichment than many others. To best serve the victims and families of domestic violence survivors, we need to maintain a balance between visibility, privacy, and safety. All of these efforts are seen by the number of clients who successfully leave their abuser and find the strength to rebuild what they had to leave and not go back to their abuser.

Q: What would you advise someone who is interested in getting involved?

A: They should determine the type of involvement they seek and how much time and effort they want to commit. There are many ways to get involved; some are as simple as shopping or donating to one of our resale shops, attending an event, etc.

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