Featured Team Agency Profile: Metro YWCA

IL IMAGINES CHICAGO

TEAM AGENCY SPOTLIGHT

Agency/Program name: 

YWCA Metropolitan Chicago/Sexual Violence Support Services

820 W Jackson, Ste 550

Chicago IL 60607 

Office: 312.229.7259 

24hr Rape Crisis Hotline: 888.293.2080

Web: www.ywcachicago.org 

Facebook: facebook.com/ywcachicago

Twitter:  twitter.com/ywcachicago

Agency overview:

YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is committed to providing women with the support and tools needed to transform their lives, be confident in their choices and make valuable contributions to their communities.

Agency/Program Mission:

YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

Range of services: 

Sexual Violence Support Services:

Counseling, Medical and Legal Advocacy, Prevention Education, Rape Crisis Hotlines

Specialties:   

Rape Crisis Services 

Disability accessible:

All Facilities are accessible.

Meet our Senior Co-Chair Anacany Barrera:)

IL Imagines Chicago Team Member Spotlight

Team member name: Anacany Barrera         

Position:  Coordinator, Crisis Line and Volunteer Services

Agency/Program: YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Sexual Violence Support Services

Member since: 2013

Member Bio: 

Anacany received her undergraduate degree in History from Utah Valley University.  Anacany brings six years of experience working directly with underserved members of the community through Head Start.  Anacany spent three years as the Bilingual Prevention Educator for the YWCA Sexual Violence and Support Services. Anacany is on mission to innovate how we provide services on the Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline and expand our volunteer program.

Quote: 

“There is no agony like an untold story inside of you.” 

Maya Angelou  

Why I joined IL Imagines.  

I was invited to attend the Chicago Team meeting when I started working at the YWCA and that is all it took.  I am very interested in working with underserved populations and IL Imagines is a perfect way for me to get involved. 

Fun Fact:  

I am a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Chicago Chapter and a mom to an adorable pup.

Happy New Year from IL Imagines Chicago. Great stuff for 2016!

Greetings world.  Hope all is well.  IL Imagines Chicago is excited to re-launch our blog.  We have lots of plans for 2016. 

What have we been up to? 
We have successfully completed 3 mini-grant projects.

Team members Linda Sandman and Osvaldo Caballero
lead educational group on SV and disability for parents of
children with disabilities in Spanish.

• Project 1, focused on developing and conducting 4 total, educational groups for parents to learn and support their children who are sexually abused.  This project was designed to engage Spanish and English speaking parents.

Full room of health care professionals learning about
intersection of sexual violence and disability.

• Project 2, focused on developing and conducting an all day seminar for health care professionals with information about sexual violence and disability issues.  The seminar was designed to train attendees on how better respond to the needs of and support survivors of sexual violence with disabilities that they encounter in their practice.

Proud self advocates & ally trainees for the
40hr SV Crisis Intervention Training

• Project 3, focused on developing and conducting the 40hr sexual violence crisis intervention training for people with disabilities and their allies.  Upon completion, participants would meet IL certification standards as rape crisis counselor/advocates as monitored by the IL Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA).

Our team has also participated in numerous community events and been invited to present on sexual violence and disability at various organizations.

Team members Jae Jin Pak(l) and Lisa Cesal(r)
Presenting on SV and disability as part of
40hr Training for Mujeras Latinas en Acion

Team members Cathy Saunders(l) and Lisa Cesal(r)
co-presented a webinar on self advoccy

What's happening in 2016?

We are getting ready for an exciting 2016.  We have lots in the works.  We will have regular updates here, on our blog.  

• Posts to get to know our team members and member organizations
• Activities for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) which is April, 
• Participating in the 2016 Disability Pride Parade, and more.
• Follow us on twitter @ilimagineschgo
• Follow us on our NEW instagram @ilimagineschicago
• Like us on facebook

Stay tuned. :)
IL Imagines Chicago Team

Hello 2013! It's all about the education...

Hi, I'm Megan one of the co-chairs for our Illinois Imagines Team. I am a sexual violence prevention educator at Rape Victim Advocates here in Chicago. I've been involved in the local Illinois Imagines collaboration since February of 2010.


Hmm, hmm...

Well what to talk about first? Illinois Imagines has been very active over the past few months. At the end of October I had the opportunity to attend the 2012 National Conference on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Against People with Disabilities. It was great to meet the women who have pioneered researching the intersection of disability and sexual violence. I went all the way down to Louisville to hear these speakers talk about their experiences in their own communities and how they focus on this intersection. The most enjoyable thing about this conference was the reminder that I am not doing this work alone. Not only do I have my Chicago team behind me but there are people all over the country who 'get it'. They are doing this incredibly challenging and necessary work and have been for decades. Here's a great quote from the workshop "Perspectives: Learning from the Past for a Better Future" with speakers Roberta Sick and Leslie Myers..."baby steps! Where you're at is where you start. If not you then who?" It was inspiring! 
Here are a couple of photos from the time I spent there: 

What else...

Well as you know one of our main goals on our team is not only professional development and education, like my trip to Louisville, but also having these conversations within the community. From October through December of 2012 myself and another educator, Stephen Adler from Rape Victim Advocates, worked with about 14 post-secondary students who have disabilities. We met with the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education students once a week for six weeks to talk about everything from dating relationships, options for survivors of violence and a whole lot about consent (one of my favorite topics). I would say it was a success!

Illinois Imagines also worked with Access Living in December. If you don't know Access Living they are amazing. Check them out here! This organization is definitely integral within our team dynamic... Anyway, we lead a two-part workshop on healthy relationships and sexual violence for the Empowered Fe Fe's, a group of women with disabilities that meet regularly at Access. We had some interesting conversations and a couple of the participants mentioned they were surely prepared to help a friend if they ever needed it following a sexual assault. Sexual violence is a tough topic but it's great to have more access to resources in the community. Talking about dating violence and sexual abuse are not fun topics but we always try to end on a positive note. Here is a picture of our "empowerment graffiti board" and a group shot. Hey that's me with the green scarf!

So that's all for now. It was a great 2012 and we have some pretty rockin' things planned for 2013. We are just getting started!

-Megan for Illinois Imagines Chicago

(left to right: Suvanna and Laura talking about IL Imagines)

 IL Imagines Chicago Team members, Laura Glowacki, Suvanna Hendrickson and Jae Jin Pak attended the annual Disability Resource Fair at Loyola University on Monday November 5, 2012.  This event was organized by Loyola University's Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) office. 

This event gave us the opportunity to connect with disabilty service organizations and groups both on campus and off campus.  We shared information about our mission and services.  There was interest in our trainings and learning more about our teams.

by: jae jin pak

INCLUSION vs EXCLUSION-A MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION

Concerning the subject of persons with Disabilities participating in the process, and a sister With a disability, I feel:
To include me is to empower me
To exclude me is to devour me, allowing evil
Thoughts of my violation to overpower me- like a Broken winged dove, I can not fly- refreshed only by th Silent tears I cry.

Do no turn a deaf ear, but please do hear and believe the Testimony I give.  I will not die, but live- survive 
Eventually, thrive and fly.

Allow me full inclusion, and be
Not disillusioned.  I am a credible person
With physical limitations.  Train me as 
A rape victim advocate and I
WIll be a force to be reckoned with.

Allow me in the courtroom with DNA evidence. 
He did not have consent- and so the full intent of
His actions were not clearly understood by her.
Give me the knowledge of how to put him away- 
And make today- his last day of freedom.

Do not turn a blinded eye to  me.
Open your eyes, and clearly see, my abilities.
Just how needed, I would be, for the survivor
Who has a disability.
Liability or asset- which one
Shall I be?

However, another question arises.
Do I stand alone?
How many others will there be?
To stand up with me, to ensure the next
Generation is sexually violent free?
Do you hear my passionate plea?
Full inclusion is a hard fought for
Victory.

Victory is assured by the number of
People with disabilities trained to work side by side with me.

Author: C. Saunders copyright 2012

posted by Jae Jin Pak with the kind permission of the author.