Resilience News
Hybrid 40-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training
This training provides an in-depth examination of how sexual violence impacts individuals, communities and broader society. Participants will leave with foundational knowledge on sexual violence.
New Office Location
We are thrilled to officially announce that Resilience’s main office has officially moved to 444 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 970, Chicago, IL 60611!
What’s New?
- Prime Address: Located on the iconic Magnificent Mile, our new office is at the heart of Chicago’s bustling energy.
- Modern Space: Experience a fresh, inviting, and contemporary environment with stylish design features.
- Client-Focused Amenities:
- Free Trauma Therapy: Our dedicated therapy rooms provide a safe and supportive space for healing.
- Free Group Workshops: Join our community sessions led by expert facilitators, covering topics like resilience, self-care, and coping strategies.
- Training Events: Stay tuned for regular training sessions on trauma-informed care, mental health advocacy, and more.
Getting Here:
- Public Transit: The CTA Grand red line stop and Divvy bike station are just a four-minute walk away.
- Bus Routes: Multiple bus lines run along Michigan Avenue, connecting you to various Chicago neighborhoods.
- Convenient Access: Nearby Wacker Drive and Lake Shore Drive make commuting a breeze.
We are excited to share our new space with you. For more information about free trauma therapy, free medical and legal advocacy, or our free survivor support groups, please check out our full roster of Programs & Services.
Remembering Founder Dr. Natalie Stephens As Resilience Turns 50
In 1974 Dr. Natalie Stephens founded Rape Victim Advocates (Resilience) with the support of ten medical and nursing students. Events and Special Projects Manager, Jennifer Zale, sat down with Dr. Stephens’ daughter, Martha Turner, to talk about Resilience’s early years, the evolution of attitudes and support for survivors, and who her mother was as a person.
Interview with Naihal Almoghrabi
Meet Naihal Almoghrabi, a Resilience Volunteer Medical Advocate, whose unique and critical role requires approaching all survivors by believing them and advocating for their needs and rights.
Dive into our exclusive interview below to gain insight from Naihal, who speaks about our volunteer program, the impact of advocates’ support in hospitals, and the importance of giving back to organizations like Resilience.
Get to Know Resilience’s Newest Team Members: Exclusive Interviews!
We take pride in celebrating the individuals who strengthen the bonds within our remarkable community, uniting us in our shared mission.
In this month’s feature, we highlight Azisti Y. Dembowski, Director of Finance, Dr. Claudia Garcia-Rojas, Director of Advancement, LaQuita Hearn-Quinn, Advancement Coordinator, and Dr. Jennifer Zale, Events & Special Projects Manager.
Dive into our exclusive interview below to gain insight from these new team members. Learn what inspired them to join Resilience, their aspirations for the future of the organization, and much more.
Interview with Andrea King
We are proud to celebrate the people who serve and connect our incredible community. Each month, we interview a different member of Resilience’s community to hear more about the work they’re doing to empower survivors and end sexual violence. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Andrea King, Resilience Associate Board President. Read our interview below to hear from Andrea about how she got involved with the Associate Board, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and more.
Watch our FY23 Wrap Up Video
Thank you to our supporters for helping Resilience achieve so much in Fiscal Year 2023! With your help, we served over 1,400 survivors of sexual violence in Chicago.
Click here to view our FY23 video and learn more about our reach this past fiscal year.
Through all our programs and services, we connected with our community to empower survivors and end sexual violence. As we begin the new fiscal year, we look forward to even more success. Resilience thanks our incredible volunteers, Board of Directors, Associate Board, partners, donors, and supporters. We also send all our gratitude to our staff. Without all of your tireless work and dedication, none of this would be possible. Every day your steadfast support brings us closer to ending sexual violence. Here’s to even more empowerment in fiscal year 2024!
Interview with Alondra Guzman
We are proud to celebrate the people who serve and connect our incredible community. Each month, we interview a different member of Resilience’s community to hear more about the work they’re doing to empower survivors and end sexual violence. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Alondra Guzman, Resilience’s Children’s Legal & Medical Advocate. Read our interview below to hear from Alondra about how she got involved in advocacy, empowers survivors who are minors, and celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.
Interview with Anna Candoleza Muglia
We’re proud to celebrate the people who serve and connect our incredible community. Each month, we interview a different member of Resilience’s community to hear more about the work they’re doing to empower survivors and end sexual violence. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Anna Candoleza Muglia, BSN, RN, SANE-A, Pediatric SANE, and SANE Program Coordinator in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rush University Medical Center. Read our interview below to hear from Anna about working with survivors in hospitals, the importance of building trust with patients, and her hopes for the future.
Read our interview with Anna below.
Interview with Jon Center
We’re proud to celebrate the people who serve and connect our incredible community. Each month, we interview a different member of Resilience’s community to hear more about the work they’re doing to empower survivors and end sexual violence. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Jon Center, President of Resilience’s Board of Directors. Read our interview below to hear from Jon about the work he’s done with Resilience over the past four years and what he’s looking forward to in Resilience’s new fiscal year.
Read our interview with Jon below
Supreme Court News – July 2023
The beginning of this summer has been filled with celebrations honoring Juneteenth, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and our nation’s Declaration of Independence. Ironically as these summer celebrations followed one another, we also took steps backward as harmful news from the Supreme Court came to light. Historically and internationally, support for affirmative action has sought to achieve goals such as bridging inequalities in employment and pay, increasing access to education, promoting diversity, and redressing past harm. Similarly, protections around discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity have worked toward bridging inequality, increasing access, and condemning hate.
Common Thread Partnership with Black Sheep Collective
Black Sheep Collective is asking survivors from all walks of life to participate in the Common Thread project by parting ways with any clothing items or textiles they may carry that are connected to their experience with sexual violence. Please click below to learn more.
Welcome Resilience’s New Executive Director, Donna Jacobson!
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Resilience’s new Executive Director, Donna Jacobson. We believe that her passion for our mission, her experience, and her vision will enable Resilience to continue to achieve its mission – to assure that survivors of sexual assault are treated with dignity and compassion and to effect changes in the way the legal system, medical institutions, and society as a whole respond to survivors.
Interview with Katie Kirshenbaum
We’re proud to celebrate the people who serve and connect our incredible community. Each month, we interview a different member of Resilience to hear more about the work they’re doing to empower survivors and end sexual violence. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Katie Kirshenbaum, a Resilience Trauma Therapist. Read our interview below to hear from Katie about working with survivors in different ways, things we can all do to support LGBTQ+ survivors, and more.
Read our interview with Katie below.
Standing Silent Witness on Chicago This Week
Resilience was thrilled to host Standing Silent Witness 2023, our signature SAAM event, on April 28, 2023, at Daley Plaza. In a visual demonstration of the silencing of survivors, participants gather silently for one hour wearing t-shirts with stories and messages protesting sexual violence and rape culture. This powerful event includes community members, advocates, volunteers, and survivors amplifying stories that are too often ignored as a way to break the silence about sexual violence. At the end of that hour, we break the silence by chanting messages of support. Thank you to everyone who participated in and supported this event!
Thank you to Brenda Ordonez, Northwestern University & CAN-TV for featuring this event and creating this video. To watch the video, please click here.
Interview with Jillian Furey
We’re proud to celebrate the people who serve and connect our incredible community. Each month, we interview a different member of Resilience to hear more about the work they’re doing to empower survivors and end sexual violence. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Jillian Furey, a Resilience Associate Board member, survivor, and former Resilience client. Read our interview to hear from Jillian about her healing journey, getting involved with Resilience, and the upcoming Empowerment 5K.
Read our interview with Jillian below.
Welcome to our new Board of Directors members!
Resilience is pleased to welcome our two newest Board of Directors members.
Interview with Yazmin Garcia
We’re proud to celebrate the people who serve and connect our incredible community. Each month, we interview a different member of Resilience to hear more about the work they’re doing to empower survivors and end sexual violence. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Yazmin Garcia, a Volunteer Medical Advocate. Read our interview to hear from Yazmin about the impact of Resilience Volunteer Medical Advocates and the challenges and triumphs of the work they do.
Read our interview with Yazmin below.
