On July 24th, 2012 Life Span held an advocacy rally to raise awareness and support for all victims of domestic violence. Staff and community members rallied outside the Criminal Court Building at 26th and California before the sentencing of William Balfour. Balfour was convicted of the domestic violence murders of Julian King, Darnell Donerson and Jason Hudson.
Our message to the media and the community is: RECOGNIZE IT! DON’T MINIMIZE IT!
Life Span has been awarded a $20,000 challenge grant from the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois. 1:1 Match on all new and increased individual donations. The challenge begins July 1, 2012 and lasts through June 30, 2013. Thank you!
“At least 16 people were killed last year in domestic-related incidents in Chicago, according to police statistics through late December. In recent years, 2007 had the most domestic violence homicides, with 44.” – Chicago Tribune, 1/24/12
Life Span was founded in 1978 to address the crucial need for services for women abused by spouses or intimate partners and has been at the forefront of the domestic violence movement by combining legal and counseling assistance to clients.
For the past 34 years they have continually increased their programming, staff, and the services provided to thousands of women and children each year.
We will be running in the Spring Half Marathon on May 20, 2012 in Schaumburg. All the money we raise will go toward helping Life Span continue to provide education, counseling and legal support that will change lives for the better.
Help us out by donating to this amazing cause! 
Runners: Natalie Kempa & Stacy Bayner (if you’d like to help us raise money and run with us let us know… the more the merrier!)
Come enjoy an evening of fine wines with us at Que Syrah, a terrific Lakeview wine shop.
Wine tasting of 6 – 7 wines presented by Que Syrah’s knowledgeable staff, who can recommend food and wine pairings and help you pick out wines for special occasions.
www.quesyrahwine.com
Cost:
$30 advance ticket purchase*
or
$35 at the door
(A portion of your ticket price is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.)
*Please contact Allison Gott at allison.gott@gmail.com (or any Life Span Associate Board member) to reserve tickets in advance.
Space is limited, so reserve your tickets ASAP!
In addition to a portion of your ticket price going directly to support Life Span’s services, 10% of the proceeds from any bottles of wine purchased during the event will be donated to Life Span.
Life Span is an organization committed to the cessation of domestic violence and sexual assault and to the immediate relief of those who suffer from its consequences.
www.life-span.org
Join us at the event to learn more about Life Span’s work in the community and how you can get involved, including opportunities to join the Associate Board.
Past and present Life Span staff attended the Chicago Bar Foundation Sun-Times Fellowships Award Ceremony on November 1, 2011.
Life Span Senior Attorney Keri McGuire was one of five Fellowship recipients this year.
Upon Receiving her Fellowship, Keri McGuire said:
[quote]I will not have to make the horrible choice to leave the job that brings much satisfaction to my life in order to pay the bills. There are so many more clients in need of help and I want to continue to help them. This fellowship will make that possible.[/quote]
Congratulations Keri!
From The Chicago Tribune – December 4th, 2011:
[quote]
Chicago State University police Chief Ronnie Watson was convinced he had a rape case on his hands in the early morning hours of Feb. 20, 2010.
An 18-year-old freshman reported being attacked by a fellow student after going to his dorm room to listen to music a few hours earlier. When she rejected his advances, he flipped her on her stomach, clapped his hand over her mouth and attacked her, she told police. Records show that abrasions on her body were consistent with her allegation…
[/quote]
[button link=”http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/cook-county-college-sexual-violence-20111204,0,624361.story” tooltip=”Cook County Rarely Prosecutes Campus Sex Assault Suspects”] Read the Chicago Tribune Article [/button]
This Holiday season, are you or is your company hosting a Holiday party? Would you like to make a major impact in your giving this year? Consider asking your guests to bring a toy, gift card, or cash gift to be donated to Life Span for our annual client gift drive. You may also consider donating the money you would spend on the party and gifts to Life Span. For additional ideas or more information, please contact Amy C. Fox, Life Span’s Director of Operations at afox@life-span.org for details.
Also, check out our Causes Page and ask your friends to be fans! We appreciate your support! Happy Holidays!
Life Span creates systemic changes in how the courts respond to sexual assault victims.
Read the article in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin “A changing view of sexual assault exists in society”.
The recently passed Illinois Justice for Victims of Sex Trafficking Crimes Act is part of a larger statewide campaign against sex trafficking.
Life Span Executive Director, Denice Wolf Markham, is quoted in the New York Times article “Campaign Against Sex Trafficking Gaining”