Content warning: This article mentions domestic violence.
Purple tote bags stuffed with colorful brochures detailing fair housing resources, informational posters on legal aid for abuse survivors and graphics showing options for trauma-focused therapy hung from the shoulders of resource fair attendees as they made their way down rows of brightly-clad tables on the second floor of YWCA Evanston/Northshore.
To recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the YWCA chapter hosted its third annual CommUNITY Domestic Violence Resource Fair on Thursday night. The fair included 25 community organization tables offering a variety of resources on housing, counseling, legal aid, health services and financial wellness.
“This event really tries to highlight the visibility of the impact of domestic violence on families, and also tries to bring together community organizations to show that there are wrap-around services for folks,” said Jennifer Allen, YWCA’s director of Domestic Violence Services.
Allen added that bringing awareness to resources that address some of the barriers to holistic safety and success is especially important for domestic violence survivors.
One participating organization, Open Communities, helps people find affordable and fair housing regardless of identity by addressing discrimination based on factors such as race, gender and relationship history.
Dominic Voz, the organization’s Director of Fair Housing, said the most important part of the resource fair was making people aware of their rights and the organizations available to them.
“Without the knowledge, you can’t take action,” Voz said.
Community member Robin Waller participates in the YWCA’s counseling program and stopped by the resource fair to look for housing resources.
She said she often gets discouraged and overwhelmed when she tries to navigate the housing search while caring for her teenage daughter and expecting another child.
“It’s stressful,” Waller said. “Am I going to be able to find somewhere where I want to go, where it’s safe and affordable? Even while working, it’s still a struggle.”
Waller said she appreciates that the resource fair consolidates information beyond the YWCA in one place.
“Resources are always helpful, you can’t just stop at one place and assume they’re going to have everything,” Waller said.
The resource fair also helps connect organizations within the community to each other.
HyeYoon Chung, the peer advocate leadership coordinator for KAN-WIN, said KAN-WIN often gets calls about finding housing for homeless survivors of domestic abuse in addition to its main service, providing prevention outreach education for domestic violence survivors. Chung said the organization always makes an effort to get to know other organizations to best help their clients.
Anahi Gonzalez, a senior case manager at Catholic Charities, a social service organization that provides affordable housing, food assistance and crisis support, attended the event to gather more details about organizations that they can collaborate with and draw resources from for their own clients.
Gonzalez said having a place to connect with other organizations in person is especially important, as it helps make domestic violence survivors aware of the broad set of issues addressed by the organizations.
“Sometimes they don’t have anywhere to go,” Gonzalez said. “The value of the resource fair is that there are agencies out there that are able to hear them out and help them.”
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