Chicago Says No More | Syeda Fatima

March 16, 2017

Chicago Says No More leads the way for salon professionals to Listen. Support. Connect.

By Jessica McCarihan Jessica McCarihan is a member of the Steering Committee of Chicago Says No More and a trained advocate for victims of domestic violence. A first in the country, the Cosmetology Renewal License Domestic Violence Course (HB4264/PA 99-0766), effective January 1, 2017, requires all licensed salon professionals to take only once an awareness and training course which guides them on how to respond to clients who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Called Listen. Support. Connect., this free class is underwritten by Chicago Says No More, the only organization authorized to offer it, and does not increase...

March 6, 2017

How I Learned the Importance of Advocacy

By Deborah L. Graham Deborah Graham, a member of the Steering Committee of Chicago Says No More, is Senior Advisor, Illinois State Treasurer Office. I started to advocate because I survived domestic violence. When I was a victim 24 years ago, there were few agencies readily available for me to seek assistance. There were no housing programs, so I lived in the shelter for eight months. I secretly had to save money. I was afraid my children would be taken away by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). I was plagued with shame for a good number of years and kept...

February 7, 2017

Tone at the Top

Chicago Says No More CEO Breakfast By Kristie Paskvan Mesirow Chairman and CEO Richard Price, and CFO Kristie Paskvan with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, featured speaker at the Chicago Says No More CEO Breakfast at Mesirow Financial, January 31, 2017. This January, I met with a number of CEOs about a new workplace initiative to assist employees affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. 1-in-3 women and 1-in-7[1] men will experience some sort of relationship violence in their lifetime. That means you and I both probably socialize or work with people that have been affected, but we just don't know it, because most...

November 8, 2016

Are You in an Abusive Relationship?

Five warning signs you’re experiencing domestic violence By Neusa Gaytan “Immigrant Latinas may not know domestic violence is against the law.” Despite the prevalence of awareness messages about domestic violence and the relentless discussion of predatory sexual behavior during the presidential election campaign, many victims of abuse in the immigrant community remain in the shadows. Domestic violence is not just defined by one mode of behavior, for instance a “beating.” It is a pattern of abusive behaviors when a predator uses physical, emotional, economic, social media or sexual means to gain and maintain control over a victim. Typically, the controlling person is in an...

October 28, 2016

Chicago Says No More: Embrace the conversation

“People I had known for years, who I never suspected were victims, shared their journeys.” By Mary E. Toomey Last year, while organizing an employee awareness event at my company around domestic violence and sexual assault, I learned I did not realize the power silence can have, if we let it. In any setting, including a corporate one like Bank of America, it can be uncomfortable to discuss such a sensitive, serious issue. Yet, creating a safe space for dialogue and simply listening to each other is one of the most important things we as people and as a company can...

October 14, 2016

CHICAGO CATHOLICS IN DV MINISTRIES

By Rev. Charles Dahm, O.P. I have been preaching about domestic violence during Sunday services for eight years, visiting close to 90 parishes at least once. The Archdiocese of Chicago Domestic Violence Outreach (ACDVO) now includes ministries at 75 of about 350 parishes in the Chicago area. When I started visiting parishes, occasionally a priest would push back, usually because he did not understand the dynamics of domestic violence. Sometimes priests resist the idea of my sermon and a DV ministry because they think it is not a big problem or talking about DV will be controversial. Typically, there are two or three...

October 10, 2016

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO CALL FOR HELP

Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-877-863-6338 By Adela Tobias At 19, I was too young to understand I was in an abusive relationship. I felt lonely and isolated—even though I was in college in Chicago and living with my family and near my friends. One of my classmates who knew my boyfriend mentioned I should think about speaking to a counselor. I knew my parents didn’t like him. My mom saw the signs. I know now even I saw he was controlling. He wasn’t in school with me, but he had to pick me up after every class. If I had known about domestic violence earlier,...

September 30, 2016

WHAT IF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE JUST STOPPED?

By Yesenia Maldonado I was honored to participate in Chicago Says No More: A Call for Hope, sponsored by Verizon, a telethon recently held during the 5 and 6:00pm newscasts on CBS 2 Chicago. As one of 15 trained crisis counselors at this event, I responded to viewers who contacted the Domestic Violence hotline (1-877-863-6338) seeking advice about DV services and resources available to them or to someone they know. As a Steering Committee member of Chicago Says No More, and as Executive Director of Between Friends, an agency preventing and ending domestic violence in Chicago and the northern suburbs, this opportunity...

September 27, 2016

THE LASTING IMPACT OF “A CALL FOR HOPE”

By Gwyn Kaitis CBS 2 Chicago reporter Dana Kozlov hosted Chicago Says No More: A Call for Hope, sponsored by Verizon, on September 19, 2016 during the 5 and 6pm newscasts “Callers are afraid we are going to tell them to leave. We don’t. The decision to leave or stay is up to the individual.” Gwyn Kaitis, MA CDVP, executive director of Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-877-863-6338 The call volume tripled at the Domestic Violence hotline during the Chicago Says No More telethon on CBS 2 sponsored by Verizon, during the 5 and 6pm newscasts recently. .. …And the phones are still ringing. People in domestic...

September 20, 2016

SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR

By Mary MacLaren Duty, honor, country. This, we’ll defend.” “Not for self, but country.” “Aim high…Fly, fight and win!” U.S. Armed Forces slogans These lofty goals embodying long-standing traditions of the U.S. armed forces are words I live by—especially “Aim high,” which I now bring to my role as chair of the Workplace EAP Task Force for Chicago Says No More. As an officer for 23 years and a colonel in the Air Force for six, I know about the challenges experienced by women in the military. In 1985, I had just graduated from the National War College (NWC). My new boss, also an NWC grad,...