A Dream Come True – Take a Peek at WINGS New Foglia Family Resource Center

Take a peek at WINGS new 5,218 square foot Foglia Family Resource Center (FFRC), including its meditation room, children’s group counseling rooms, and staff reflections on a dream come true.

A Dream Come True

From Left: Rebecca Darr, WINGS President & CEO; Beth, WINGS Director of Children and Family Services; & Megan, WINGS Manager of Clinical Services at FFRC Open House November 2023.

When WINGS Fogila Family Resource Center (FFRC) opened November 2023, it was a dream come true for Beth, WINGS Director of Children and Family Services.

Beth shares, “A couple of years ago, I was meeting with Rebecca Darr (WINGS President & CEO). She is always telling us to dream big. She asked, ‘What would you like to see for the Children’s Program in the future?’ I said that I would like to reach more children and expand it into the community. To be able to have children who are still living in the community come in and receive counseling services. Also, to go into middle schools and high schools to teach them about healthy relationships and what red flags are.

Now here we are, with the opening of the FFRC we can address both of these ambitions. I’ve never worked in an agency before that said I could dream big and then the dream came true. Here at WINGS, it did come true.”

The Community Need

Since the pandemic, contacts to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline have continued to increase, year over year. According to The Network who oversees the hotline, in 2022 there was a 74% increase in calls requesting domestic violence support groups.

This annual report also reported there was a 106% increase in requests for children’s services. While at the same time, domestic violence direct service providers throughout Illinois reported a one to three month wait for children and families in need of counseling and mental health services.

No Longer a Wait List

“I’ve been with the agency for a decade…I’ve seen a giant wait list for counseling services and a need for both adults and children. With the FFRC, we no longer have a wait list. I’m very happy to say that. We can offer services to those in the community that don’t necessarily need the housing services that WINGS provides,” Megan, WINGS Manager of Clinical Services shares.

Resources

From Left: Megan, WINGS Manager of Clinical Services; Rebecca Darr, WINGS President & CEO; April WINGS Director of Community Base Services and Suburban Safe House Services; Beth, WINGS Director of Children and Family Services.

The FFRC provides a wide range of free, trauma-informed support services to meet the needs of adult, teen, and child survivors of domestic violence.

Services are offered in English and Spanish.

Virtual and in-person counseling options are available.

At the FFRC, qualified professionals offer:

• Domestic Violence Education
• Safety Planning
• Individual Counseling
• Support Groups (Adults, Parenting, Teen, Children)
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Grief Counseling
• Nurturing Parenting Program

Photo Tour

Meditation Room

The FFRC offers a Meditation Room for counselors and clients to meet.

“The lights are dim to give more of a calming experience. They (clients and counselors) can do grounding in here and guided meditations…We have yoga mats that they can use and we have a counselor who is also a yoga instructor,” April, WINGS Director of Community Base Services and Suburban Safe House Services says and adds, “We also allow staff to come in. I have used this space for supervision (staff) meetings…Working in this industry, we too as staff need to take care of ourselves.”

Children’s Group Rooms

“I’m so excited about our new addition (the FFRC). Here we can provide counseling to children who are still living in the community. Prior to that, the children needed to be living in one of our programs. So now we can take children who are living at home, sometimes they may still be in a family that is experiencing domestic violence, or they might have recently left.

We provide counseling, case management, and advocacy for those children. In addition, parenting groups are offered for the non-abusing parent. They can come in and receive one-on-one parenting sessions or connect with one of our group classes,” Beth, WINGS Director of Children and Family Services shares.

Individual Adult Counseling Rooms

Teen / Adult Group Counseling Rooms

Survivors interested in learning more about WINGS counseling services may call 847.519.7828.

Callers will complete a confidential intake over the phone and the address will be provided upon acceptance into the program. FFRC is located in a northwest suburb of Chicago.

Anyone experiencing domestic violence can receive help by calling the 24-hour hotline at 847.221.5680.

Thank you to our community supporters who make this work possible!