October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month: 4 Myths and 5 Ways You Can Help

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this year we will be highlighting 4 myths and 5 ways you can help.  To spread the word on this pervasive issue, please feel free to pass this info along to your friends, family, and networks.

This October we need your help to raise $40,000 for WINGS 40^th Anniversary so that we can continue to expand our services to meet the needs of our community.

Myth #1: Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) only affect athletes and have little to do with domestic violence.

Fact: Over 75% of domestic violence survivors suffer single or repeated traumatic brain injuries, according to an article by the American Brain Foundation.

WINGS will soon be launching our new TBI Toolkit which details best practices for serving survivors with brain injuries within a hospital setting.

Hospitals are often the first point of care for domestic violence survivors. Providing safety planning to survivors on-site saves lives and provides critical resources to survivors.

Among all the DV bedside assessments conducted by WINGS in the brain injury pilot, 80% of patients disclosed they had experienced head or neck trauma.

Survivors with TBIs may experience a number of neurological effects that make it more difficult for them to move forward with their goals towards freedom including:

• Memory Problems
• Behavioral Changes
• Fainting and Dizziness
• Difficulty Speaking
• Headaches
• PTSD
• Depression
• Anxiety
• And More

WINGS Medical Advocates understand these challenges and assist survivors by breaking down their goals into clear, manageable steps.

Myth #2: If the violence were so bad, survivors would leave.

Reality: People stay in abusive relationships for many reasons.

The most dangerous time for a survivor is when they are leaving. Click here to view the ways abusers will seek to hold power and control over their partner.

Fear and inability to find another safe place to stay can be a factor.

3 Fast Facts:

1. 59,074 contacts were made to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline according to a 2024 report from The Network Advocating Against Domestic Violence. These contacts have more than doubled over the past 5 years.

2. 18,940 of these contacts asked about shelters, making it the number one resource requested. In Chicago, there were no available beds or cribs in domestic violence shelters for a startling 130 days.

3. Last year WINGS provided 118,761 nights of shelter and safe housing, an 11% increase over the prior year.

Tiffany, a survivor who utilized WINGS Safe House shares:

“When we arrived at the safe house, it was late at night. They welcomed us with open arms. They fed us and made beds for us – and assured us we were safe. But that was just the beginning of my WINGS journey.

In the coming days and weeks and months, they provided me with legal services, job assistance, childcare, tax help, eyeglasses, speech therapy – and encouragement. Always full of grace, a love I never had…

Today I can say I’ve spread my wings – I work full-time to provide for my three beautiful children, who are healthy and thriving. I’m no longer hiding – I’m pursuing my dreams.”

Upon leaving WINGS Safe Houses or Housing programs, 95% reported not returning to their abusers.

Myth #3: Children are not aware or affected by the domestic violence in their household.

 3 Fast Facts:

1. 1 in 15 children are exposed to domestic violence each year.

2. WINGS served 544 children last year with 12,138 hours of counseling and services.

3. Through WINGS Children and Family Services Program, 97% of speaking-aged children could name actions to take to feel safe – which is crucial to healing.

WINGS Graduate Julianne* Shares:

“My mother, two sisters and I were in the WINGS Transitional Housing Program.

WINGS counseling services changed my life. I remember being so lost and angry, but when I met with my social worker, I was able to play with my toys and talk about what I had been through and how I was feeling in the moment. This made all the difference in the world to me because I felt seen, heard, and understood by my social worker.

In college, I decided I wanted to be a social worker to help others like WINGS had helped me. I have come to a place where I am at peace with my experiences, negative and positive, and I look forward to my future.”

Myth #4: All domestic violence survivors need shelter.

Reality: Not all survivors need housing or shelter, and some might not be ready to leave.

WINGS Community Based Services provide counseling, mentoring, legal advocacy and education, and hospital program interventions. These services are provided in our local communities: at WINGS Foglia Family Resource Center, Hospitals, and at A New Direction in Beverly/Morgan Park.

Last year WINGS Community Based Services helped 561 survivors – a 21% increase over the prior year.

WINGS Hospital client Zara* shares:

“I spent over twenty years in a domestic violence marriage…a relationship filled with physical, sexual, mental, emotional, and financial abuse…I had been made to believe it was somehow tied to love.”

Zara recalls, “With great fear, I reached out [to WINGS Hospital Program] and I received more than I ever expected. I found family. I found safety…I learned skills that I will carry with me forever.”

Zara says she learned how to set boundaries and identify red flags in relationships, adding, “I encourage anyone reading this – don’t suffer in silence. There is hope. There is healing.”

5 Ways You Can Help: 

1. Make a donation of $40 for WINGS 40^th Anniversary – to ensure WINGS Hospital Program remains able to provide life-saving interventions.

This month we have a goal to raise $40,000 to support survivors with critical services. This includes WINGS services ranging from housing to counseling and more. Every donation helps.

2. Help spread awareness – Share this post or videos with friends or followers. Together we can make an impact.

3. Wear Purple on October 23rd for #PurpleThursday. Tag WINGS and share on social media.

4. Shop and Donate to WINGS Resale – which provides needed clothing and supplies when people flee with the clothes on their back.

5. Purchase needed items on WINGS Pantry’s lists to help families receive needed food, household supplies and even seasonal items ranging from school supplies to holiday gifts.