WINGS Awarded Four Prestigious National Domestic Violence Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                           

May 22^nd, 2026

WINGS Awarded Four Prestigious National Domestic Violence Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago, IL – May 22^nd, 2026 – WINGS Program, Inc. recently received four distinguished Purple Ribbon Awards from DomesticShelters.org: Christy Martin, Survivor of the Year; Jewel-Osco, Business Partner of the Year; Megan Wiesner, Team Member of the Year; and More Than a Phone, Outstanding National Organization.

Judged by a national panel of leading domestic violence professionals, these awards ensure that recipients are among the best in their field. The Purple Ribbon Awards winners are selected based on the size of their organization within each category. All honorees were celebrated during a virtual event held on May 21, 2026.

About the Winners:

Christy Martin, Survivor of the Year

This year, the nationally released biopic Christy was released about Christy Martin’s life: from pioneering women’s professional boxing to the brutal attempted murder by her then spouse and trainer. While promoting the film, Christy put a spotlight on the work WINGS is doing in the Chicago area during media segments, visited the agency’s Safe Houses, held a special fundraiser screening of the film with a Q & A afterwards, and much more. In addition, through her own non-profit, Christy’s Champs, she has assisted 250+ survivors and provided $130,000 in lifesaving aid.

Jewel-Osco, Business Partner of the Year

Jewel-Osco has leveraged its many resources as a dominant grocer in the Chicago region to raise awareness of domestic violence and WINGS services since 2017. Over these 9 years, Jewel-Osco has aided WINGS by hosting campaigns and fundraisers across its more than 170 stores, providing monetary donations, donating in-kind items, leading and giving guidance on WINGS Board of Directors. Jewel-Osco’s total monetary giving exceeds $52,000, in addition to thousands of dollars in in-kind donations.

Megan Wiesner, Team Member of the Year

Megan Wiesner, LCSW, CDVP, CPAIP, started her career at WINGS as an intern and is currently Director of Clinical Services. In addition to excellence in client service, Megan’s strengths include staff training and mentoring, developing sound policy, and educating the community on topics related to domestic violence. Under Megan’s leadership, WINGS Clinical Services, which provides domestic violence education and counseling, served 240 adult clients in FY25, and delivered over 7,685 hours of counseling and support group services. Services are provided in English and Spanish, in person and virtually.

More Than a Phone, Outstanding National Organization

More Than a Phone has transformed the landscape of survivor safety by addressing one of the most urgent and overlooked needs in the domestic violence field: access to a safe, reliable, unmonitored smartphone. Founded in 2017 and scaled nationally in 2018, the organization now partners with more than 200 domestic violence programs across the United States, providing free smartphones and data service to survivors the moment they need them most. Since WINGS began working with the agency in 2024, More Than a Phone has donated 160 phones with SIM cards, chargers and four months of unlimited call, texts, and 15 GB of data.

Honorable Mentions:

WINGS additionally nominated the following individuals who received Honorable Mentions:

• La Tonya Walker, Executive of the Year
• Hospital Program, Program Launch of the Year

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About WINGS Program, Inc.

The mission of WINGS Program, Inc. is to provide housing, integrated services, education, and advocacy to end domestic violence. With more than 40 years of experience, WINGS Program, Inc. is a premier provider of domestic violence solutions.

As the largest domestic violence agency in Illinois, WINGS creates high-quality, customized, domestic violence programs for survivors of all ages, ethnicities, and gender identities. WINGS programs have provided over one million nights of safe housing, life-changing community-based counseling, and award-winning mentoring programs.

Anyone experiencing domestic violence can receive help by calling the 24-hour hotline at 847.221.5680. For more information, visit www.wingsprogram.com.