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November 2019 Newsletter

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Senate refuses to reauthorize VAWA

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) became federal law in 1994. VAWA brought groundbreaking legal relief for victims of domestic and sexual violence and provided funding for innovative programming to address the needs of survivors. Congress has reauthorized VAWA periodically since then. VAWA expired in at the end of 2018, and Senate bipartisan negotiations to pass a critical bill to reauthorize VAWA were abandoned earlier this month.
Speculation about why Senators gave up on their efforts to pass legislation to protect victims centers on politics and gun rights. Joe Biden, who hopes to run for president next year, was the principal author of the original VAWA. Republicans may not want to draw attention to one of his successes. The 2019 reauthorization bill would prohibit abusers from gaining access to guns. Not surprisingly, the NRA and all who are indebted to this powerful gun lobby stand in opposition to the current reauthorization efforts.
The House passed its bill to reauthorize VAWA 6 months ago. The Senate’s inaction is endangering victims of domestic violence across the country. We urge senators to go back to work and pass their VAWA bill. Literally thousands of lives are at stake.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Recap

Throughout October, Life Span staff hosted and participated in Domestic Violence Awareness Month programming around the city and suburbs. Pictured above is Advocate Sasha Solov at a panel on domestic violence that she participated in at Northeastern Illinois University with partners from Apna Ghar, KAN-WIN, and Resilience. Below are Life Span staff, including counselor and yoga instructor Ryan Spanton, at Twisted Tree Yoga before a domestic violence awareness month vigil and yoga session.

 

Meet our new staff:

Karen Savella

Karen (she/hers) is the newest member of the Immigration Project team at our downtown office. Karen recently graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law. During her time there, she interned with Civic Legal Corps, working on divorce and parentage cases. She also worked as a legal assistant in a small immigration firm and spent her last semester as a volunteer assisting domestic violence victims with Family Rescue. Karen speaks Tagalog, and lives in Bridgeport with her husband, Zach.

To read more about Life Span’s November updates check out the rest of this month’s newsletter at the link below!

See entire newsletter here

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September 2019 Newsletter

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Youth Advisory Board to Raise Awareness About Dating Violence

“Domestic and sexual violence end here” is a Life Span motto and an ambitious goal. One way we can make it happen: educating the next generation. Life Span Director of Counseling Laura Valiukenas and Advocate Sasha Solov provided teen dating violence prevention training to a group of older youth. This group, called the “Youth Advisory Board” was recruited by Life Span and our partners at The Network and Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline. Members participated in a focus group, discussing ideas and graphic design to determine how to most effectively raise awareness about teen dating violence.

Thank you to all those who attended our
2nd Annual Light to Life event!

 

You can find all of the event photos on our Facebook page!

Meet our new staff:

L Pollard

L (she/they) is a new Criminal Court Advocate at Life Span. They just earned their Master’s in Education Policy from University of Illinois at Chicago. Their studies focused on how social structures and institutions perpetuate inequality.

As a graduate student L provided research and programming support for the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center and the Campus Advocacy Network at UIC. She has also volunteered with the YWCA providing advocacy and support for survivors. 

To read more about Life Span’s activities in September check out the rest of this month’s newsletter at the link below!

See entire newsletter here

Sign up to receive all Life Span e-mail updates here

 

Life Span March 2019 Newsletter

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Life Span Honored by the North Suburban Bar Association

 
Earlier this month, Executive Director, Denice Wolf Markham, accepted an award and donation on behalf of Life Span at the North Suburban Bar Association’s 2019 Gary Wild Dinner.

Legislative Breakfast with the Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence

Pictured: Life Span Policy Director, Jennifer Greene; Illinois State Representative Mark Walker; Illinois State Representative Michelle Mussman; and Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

Life Span joined the Northwestern Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence in hosting a legislative breakfast for federal, state and county legislators. At the breakfast, legislators learned about domestic violence resources in the community. Participants were informed about pending legislation that impacts domestic violence survivors, including the overdue VAWA reauthorization. We were thrilled to welcome so many legislators to the table!

To read more about Life Span’s activities in March check out the rest of this month’s newsletter at the link below!

See entire newsletter here

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Life Span February 2019 Newsletter

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Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Life Span’s counseling staff will be out raising awareness with presentations and tabling events at numerous suburban high schools throughout the month. Take some time to get educated and help us break the cycle. Follow along on social media with the hashtags #TeenDVMonth and #TDVAM2019.
More resources can be found at loveisrespect.org and breakthecycle.org.

To read about our public comment on the proposed changes to Title IX, the Chicago mayoral election, our new staff, and more, check out the rest of this month’s newsletter at the link below!

See entire newsletter here

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Life Span Fall Newsletter

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  October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Life Span staff attended a number events in order to spread the word about our services and the resources available to survivors. Below are just a few examples!

On October 19th, the VOICES (Violence on Illinois Campuses Elimination Strategies) Project hosted their Fall Symposium entitled Overcoming Resistance: Meaningful Approaches to Changing Campus Culture and Preventing Violence at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU). Pictured above is the VOICES team: Pam Stratigakis (Assistant State’s Attorney), Kailey Hopkins (Paralegal/Advocate), Katherine Davis (Civil Attorney), and Sasha Solov (Project Coordinator).

We had two incredible featured speakers at the symposium, Dr. Valyncia Raphael ( pictured left ) from Cerritos College, presenting on Title IX Work as Oppression Disruption, and Heather Imrie ( pictured right ) from Catharsis Productions presenting Beat the Blame Game, a program that dives deep into unpacking victim-blaming.

 

See entire newsletter here