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Marissa married Keith in 2019. Keith was physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive towards Marissa, including hitting her while she was pregnant with their son Isaiah. The abuse of Marissa continued. One day Marissa suffered injuries to her shoulders and and couldn’t pick up her own son. Marissa called Life Span to help her obtain an Order of Protection and a divorce. After Marissa’s case began, her husband’s attorney emailed her, stating that the Emergency Order of Protection was vacated because she failed to show up to court. Her return date on the Emergency Order of Protection, however, was two weeks away, and she told us that she had never received notice of a new date. Marissa was terrified that Keith would show up at their home, confront her, and try to take Isaiah. So she and Isaiah jumped into her car and drove to a nearby cheap motel. Marissa had no access to funds but Marissa’s mother had just enough cash to cover the cost of the hotel for one night.

“Some of the most stressful hours of my life.” Marissa’s Life Span attorney learned that Keith’s attorney did not send her proper notice of the court date, as the email he had attempted to send her bounced back and he received an error message. As this discovery was made late on a Friday afternoon as courts were closing, Marissa was understandably concerned about where she and Isaiah were going to sleep for the rest of the weekend. Thanks to you, our supporters, we were able to cover the remainder of her hotel costs, giving her much needed relief during what she called “some of the most stressful hours of my life” until we could get into court Monday morning. Keith’s attorney attempted to negotiate dismissing the order of protection and instead entering a mutual stay away order, but Marissa and her Life Span attorney successfully argued that this was an abusive relationship, not a case in which two spouses just don’t get along. Life Span was also able to negotiate with Keith’s attorney a divorce along with child support. Thanks to donors like you, the legal and resource aid provided Marissa with much needed financial and emotional relief, and enabled Marissa and Isaiah to begin a new life.

We celebrate the many strong women who have shaped Life Span, with your support. We have been uplifting and empowering survivors of domestic violence in the Chicago area for 46 years.

Our story officially begins in 1978, when, Life Span began by a group called “The Founding Mothers” and our first office was opened in Des Plaines. The Founding Mothers hosted support groups for survivors, ran a 24/7 crisis helpline, and advocated for better implementation of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act.

Throughout the 1980’s we developed creative ways of supporting the work we do. In 1982 we sold the “Community Cuisine” cookbook, which featured recipes from our staff and clients. In 1987, we held our first Sport-a-thon and challenged individuals to walk/bike 18 kilometers to raise awareness of the fact that a woman was abused every 18 seconds in the United States during that year.

In 1991, Life Span’s then Executive Director Leslie Landis expanded our services through the opening of the Center for Legal Services & Advocacy. By 1995, we opened an office in Chicago’s Loop, not far from the downtown Chicago courthouse, to keep up with the need for aid in the city of Chicago. We continued to launch a variety of new projects throughout the 90’s, including the Children’s Program and Immigration Project in 1998. We officially began representing sexual assault cases in 2005.

In our 46 year history we have been led by three executive directors, all women. Our current Executive Director, Amy Fox, leads the fight for all genders who survive domestic and sexual violence. Most recently, she joined other strong women in Chicago to announce the Women’s Right to Privacy Initiative. This initiative would keep court case files containing women’s reproductive health information safe and private.

Our Board of Directors, 81% women, have followed in the footsteps of our Founding Mothers. And with your support, together we will fight to end gender-based violence.

Life Span is funded by donors like you. Could you help us today?

While we provide free counseling, advocacy, and legal representation, sometimes clients need a little more help to get a life started free of an abuser. A security deposit. Groceries. Children’s clothes. The basics. Could you donate today?.

Perhaps you’ve seen us write about the impact COVID has had on our clients, and what we’ve done about that thanks to your support.

Just this month, COVID impacted our clients in two new ways:

1) Abusers have cashed COVID stimulus checks that are meant for clients and their children Life Span attorneys help clients to retrieve this through court or petition with the IRS.

2) Abusers, exercising their power and control, decide to refuse to become vaccinated, putting family members at risk while demanding joint custody of a child.

So while vaccine availability and stimulus checks are certainly good news, they do not come without a fight for many of our clients.

What continues to be the biggest issue we see in our client survivors? Survivors in need of financial assistance: help with the rent, utilities, childcare, and basic necessities. Wherever possible, we help clients navigate government covid assistance programs,

When all else fails, we tap our emergency client assistance fund. If you are able, please consider donating to it today.