Crisis Center for South Suburbia Expands Shelter and Services
Crisis Center for South Suburbia Expands Shelter and Services (Tinley Park, IL) — Increased funding from the State of Illinois, and other support from local foundations and the community, has helped the Crisis Center for South Suburbia expand its emergency shelter and other programs to meet the growing needs of victims of domestic violence.
“There have never been enough emergency shelter beds in the south suburbs of Chicago to meet the demand,” said Pam Kostecki, Executive Director of the Crisis Center. “Over the last 5 years, we’ve had to help more than 3,000 victims find alternative resources because our shelter was full.”
In the past six months, however, renovations at the shelter and the relocation of all non-shelter staff to an alternate office site resulted in the shelter’s expansion from 35 beds to 54, including cribs.
A recent visit from Congressman Sean Casten included a tour of the shelter and the renovations. He learned more about the significant unmet need for domestic violence services. Casten was impressed with the welcoming atmosphere and the new Tranquility Room to support trauma-informed care and healing. The room features relaxation chairs, a meditation area, a reading nook filled with materials focused on healing, building self-worth and resilience, and an art therapy station.
“The expansion and renovation was the result of hardworking staff and volunteers,” said Kostecki. “The shelter is always evolving to accommodate the needs of our clients, but this has certainly been the most expansive transformation in many years.”
The emergency shelter is not the only program that expanded and increased capacity to serve more victims of domestic violence. More counselors were hired to offer free counseling and support groups to anyone in the community who is struggling with domestic violence, which can be physical, emotional, and financial. Additional staff were also hired to promote domestic violence prevention and education in local schools and the community.
The Partner Abuse Intervention Program (PAIP), which provides education and intervention for abusers, expanded services and locations. Additional Spanish and Arabic speaking staff were added, and classes are now offered for women who abuse. An additional meeting location in Alsip, which is easily accessible by public transportation, was secured to host group sessions.
Victims of domestic violence are often immobilized by fear and have nowhere else to turn in a crisis. As part of its continued commitment to meet the needs of more victims, the organization has launched a campaign to support Emergency Services programs including shelter, counseling and filing Orders of Protection for victims of domestic violence. “We will be there to help these families when they are in crisis, but we can’t do it alone. We need help from the community,” Kostecki said.
The Crisis Center is now seeking donations to cover the costs of Emergency Services, some of which are not covered by any other funding source. Donations can be made at Donate to CCSS – Crisis Center for South Suburbia (crisisctr.org).
Crisis Center for South Suburbia Expands Shelter and Services
Responses