Elgin’s Community Crisis Center

By Kevin Miehlke, Roosevelt University student

We live in a world where violence unfortunately exists within the homes of some families. The side effects of domestic violence can be detrimental to individuals, and experiencing or witnessing violence can leave children with a shattered sense of how to appropriately function within their relationships.

However, the Community Crisis Center of Elgin believes that through children we can break the cycle of violence and prevent future generations from living with the threats and fears of family violence.

The Center has been open since 1975, and although they have seen a 2003-2004 renovation of their building to be completely ADA compliant and struggled through times of financial stress, its doors have remained open every single day in order for victims of domestic violence to safely seek out shelter and resources.

It is crucial that children be reached early on so that habits of fear and violence do not become engrained into their lives. Just last year, Community Crisis Center was able to provide services to 480 young people and give shelter to 155 of them.

Gretchan Vapnar, executive director of the Community Crisis Center, oversees the coordinators for children’s services. She explains that the Center wishes to encourage children in their programs to identify and articulate their feelings so that kids can develop better conflict resolution skills. Certified professionals provide age appropriate counseling to improve self-confidence and an understanding of family functionality.

In order to reach out to other children in the community who have experienced domestic violence, the Center’s community educators work with some of the nearby school districts to speak with students and faculty on domestic violence, sexual assault, and economic issues. By having these Center community educators maintain a clear presence in schools, students can be assured that there are resources and contacts available if they have witnessed domestic violence.

Members of the Community Crisis Center have seen that the majority of relationships related to domestic violence are male-centered, and so there must be efforts taken against the idea that men demonstrate a controlling behavior. Children need role models in their community, both men and women, who can express to younger generations the dire need for loving and caring relationships between spouses and families.

Unfortunately, like so many businesses recently, the Center has been significantly affected by decreases in funding for their programs to the extent that layoffs and pay cuts had to be made in order to keep their operations running continually twenty-four hours a day. They cannot afford to close their doors for the sake of all those they have supported as well as future clients. The agency’s hotline is staffed by professionals who often serve as the first wave of support for victims.

Some of the other specific services the Center provides include legal and medical advocacy; meals and financial help for housing; shelter for women and their children; counseling; economic crisis program; sexual assault program; and the batterer’s intervention program. The Community Crisis Center staff pride themselves on creativity and a strong sense of family as they ambitiously work to accomplish the goals they’ve set.

There is a level of domestic violence in Illinois that is far greater than the resources available in agencies aiding efforts against domestic violence. However, initiatives run by the Community Crisis Center and other organizations associated with the Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence are doing their best to combat domestic violence and educate surrounding communities concerning the extent of such violence. Just as the Community Crisis Center has never allowed their doors to be closed, we all must work without ceasing to ensure that domestic violence does not become a habit of the future.

Roosevelt University Students are learning about domestic violence in their Writing Social Justice course.