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Category: Press Release

Letter to the Editor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASELETTER TO THE EDITORAs incidents of domestic violence continue to be ever present in our local media, we feel compelled to continue lifting up the realities of abuse and inform our communities that there is help available. As providers of both domestic violence services for victims and services to help those who use […]

Annual Homewood art project: Benches for Change support SSFS

By: Carole Sharwarko HF Chronicle July 15, 2020 Colorful and conveniently placed benches have popped up around downtown Homewood, the 2020 incarnation of an annual art installation. Benches for Changes is a program facilitated by Homewood Business Association that benefits South Suburban Family Shelter, a Homewood-based nonprofit organization that provides services to families experiencing domestic […]

Jewish volunteer group collects carloads of meals for families in need

By: Carole Sharwarko H-F Chronicle July 10, 2020 Volunteers unloaded bags of food so that donors could stay inside their air conditioned cars on a sultry Wednesday morning, during a food collection for South Suburban Family Shelter. The event was organized by the local group of Juf Tikkun Olam Network of Volunteers (TOV) within the […]

COVID-19 fallout challenges domestic violence victims, workers

By: Carole Sharwarko HF Chronicle June 16, 2020 The executive director of a local domestic violence services agency said the low number of requests for services during Illinois’ stay-at-home order don’t tell the whole story about what victims experienced during that time. Jennifer Gabrenya is executive director of South Suburban Family Shelter, a nonprofit in […]

Paint-your-own seating project supports agency’s ‘benchmark’ anniversary

By: Carole Sharwarko HF Chronicle March 10, 2020 This spring, you have the chance to paint a piece of public art that supports an important community cause. “Benches for Change” is the latest in annual installations sponsored by the Homewood Business Association that highlights aspects of the neighborhood with resident-created art. This year the project […]

SSFS launches month of ‘change’ to fight violence

By: Carole Sharwarko HF Chronicle October 11, 2019 – 21:39 Be the Change cards created by South Suburban Family Shelter offer a suggestion for each day in October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and were handed out during the Be the Change Celebration. (Carole Sharwarko/H-F Chronicle) With community sing-alongs and a swishing rainbow dress, the South Suburban Family Shelter kickoff event for […]

Free Eye Exams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FREE EYE EXAMS   HOMEWOOD, IL, June 13, 2018 – South Suburban Family Shelter in partnership with Prevent Blindness Illinois and Rosin Eye Care Centers will offer free eye exams on June 26 by appointment. Anyone age 5 and older who does not have vision insurance and has not had an eye […]

University of Chicago Medicine Ends Partnership with Domestic Violence Workers Medical Advocates dismissed from UC Medicine Ingalls ERs and Urgent Cares

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE University of Chicago Medicine Ends Partnership with Domestic Violence Workers Medical Advocates dismissed from UC Medicine Ingalls ERs and Urgent Cares   HARVEY, IL, November 20, 2018 – After nearly 20 years of serving the community, University of Chicago Medicine/Ingalls Hospital has ended their contract with South Suburban Family Shelter to provide […]

A Letter from Kris Scott, CEO

On behalf of the staff and board of directors of Anew: Building Beyond Violence and Abuse, I extend our deepest condolences to the families of Shaneiqua Pugh, her seven children, and all those impacted by Sunday’s mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed a devastating number of lives lost to domestic violence—individuals killed at the hands of intimate partners. Among them are Dr. Cerina Fairfax, wife of Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax; Nancy Metayer Bowen, Vice Mayor of Coral Springs, Florida; Pastor Tammy McCollum of Charlotte, North Carolina; Myneika Scott of Grovetown, Georgia; and Davonta Curtis of Chicago, Illinois. These names represent just a fraction of the lives lost. Too many stories go untold, and too many families are left grieving.

As these tragedies continue to unfold, I am reminded of the urgency of our work. Domestic violence does not discriminate—it affects individuals across all communities, backgrounds, and identities. In recent weeks, there has been heightened visibility around the murders of Black women.

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, 45.1% of Black women have experienced domestic violence, and more than half of Black female homicides are connected to intimate partner violence.

At Anew, we see the impact of this violence every day—and we also see the possibility for change. We provide comprehensive, wraparound services to survivors, while also investing in prevention efforts that address the root causes of abuse.

We believe accountability is essential. Through our Partner Abuse Intervention Program, we work with individuals who have used violence, helping them take responsibility for their actions while building the skills needed to create nonviolent, healthy relationships.

We also believe prevention begins early. Through our Community Education and Prevention Program, we are equipping young people—from pre-K through high school—with the knowledge and tools to build safe, respectful relationships and break cycles of harm before they begin.

This moment calls for more than awareness—it calls for action. Each of us has a role to play in creating safer communities, supporting survivors, and holding systems accountable. Everyone deserves to live a life free from abuse. I remain committed to a future where that is not an aspiration, but a reality.

 

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