The Women Who Lead Us

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.