This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Glamourland, an annual philanthropy event put on by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Her Campus chapter, is coming up very soon. All proceeds from the event go to our partner, Courage Connection. Courage Connection is a local non-profit organization right here in Champaign, that provides help for members of our community facing domestic violence. In addition to Champaign county, they also serve Douglas, Ford and Piatt counties. Their services include shelter, a 24/7 hotline, a legal advocacy program, a housing assistance program and therapy/counseling services. All their services are free and confidential.

Domestic Violence (sensitive content warning)

Relationship violence is defined as a pattern of coercive and abusive tactics employed by one person in a relationship to gain power and control over another person. It can take many forms, including physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation and emotional, sexual or economic abuse. Domestic and intimate partner violence is a pervasive and rampant problem in our society.

A 2023 study by Martin R. Huecker, Kevin C. King, Gary A. Jordan and William Smock found that at least 5 million acts of domestic violence occur annually against women aged 18 years and older (Huecker et al., 2023). Courage Connection is dedicated to increasing awareness about domestic violence and providing support for survivors. They are a crucial resource in our community.

24/7 hotline

Courage Connection’s domestic violence hotline can be reached on two numbers: (217) 384-4390 or (877) 384-4390. Trained professionals are always working and available to ensure that they can assist people seeking help for either themselves or their loved ones.

Woman holding an iPhone to her ear — Photo by Patricia Zavala from Unsplash

Shelter

Courage Connection gives shelter to individuals or families fleeing domestic violence. The Courage Connection shelter program prioritizes confidentiality and safety. Residents are asked to honor the privacy of other clients by not discussing their names or situations with anyone else, in fact, everyone associated with the shelter signs a confidentiality agreement.

There is a communal living setting: Residents share the kitchen, common living areas, bathrooms and bedrooms. Children are also impacted by domestic violence; Courage Connection works with both parents and children, offering support, information and parenting resources.

Their services include counseling, case management, personalized safety plans, housing assistance and more. Additionally, the residential shelter program has laundry facilities and provides clients with linens (sheets, towels and blankets).

Two women sitting on a sofa at work — Photo by Toa Heftiba from Unsplash

Outreach and Education Program

Aside from providing direct support for survivors of domestic violence, Courage Connection has an Outreach and Education Program that provides best practice information and resources about domestic violence.

They reach out to the community in media and by printed materials. They also directly provide these materials to service providers, schools, businesses, clubs, churches and more.

More information on their outreach and speaker programs can be found by clicking on this link: https://courageconnection.org/get-educated/

women placing sticky notes on wall — Photo by You X Ventures from Unsplash

Donating

If you would like to donate to Courage Connection, you can do so through this link: https://courageconnection.org/donate/

If you would like to support Courage Connection through Glamourland, tickets can be purchased here: https://forms.gle/ueDuFxkAVWdCmXeT6

Let us combat domestic violence together.

Citations

Huecker, M. R., King, K. C., Jordan, G. A., & Smock, W. (2023). Domestic Violence. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

Courage Connection: Glamourland’s Philanthropy