SPEECHES:
Molly Pim:
Good evening! Thank you all for joining us for our 29th annual Light Up the Lakefront! As we do each year, to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we gather to light candles in a striking visual tribute to all those affected by domestic violence. We are deeply moved and grateful that you all are choosing to spend your Tuesday evening with us. For those who have joined us in the past, we appreciate your ongoing support and your commitment to standing with us in remembrance and solidarity. For those who are new to this event – welcome to our community of survivors and advocates. Throughout the evening, if you need crisis support or someone to speak to, there are members of our team who are available to support you wearing purple name tags. Please use them as a resource and know that you are not alone. Please be sure to stop by our snack table for refreshments and our registration table to learn more about our work, pick up materials, sign up for our newsletter, and join our It Takes a Friend Domestic Violence Awareness Month fundraising campaign to raise $60,000 throughout October! Thank you again for joining us this evening and thank you to You Got Construction, Inc. for sponsoring this beautiful event. It is now my pleasure to introduce Susan Hoesly, President Elect of Between Friends’ Board of Directors.
Susan Hoesly:
Good evening, and welcome to Light Up the Lakefront! My name is Susan, and I’m the President-Elect of the Between Friends Board of Directors. Tonight, I’d like to take a moment to reintroduce you to Between Friends, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to ending domestic violence and supporting survivors. Between Friends provides a range of free, life-saving services to domestic violence survivors. These include our toll-free Crisis Line, individual, group, and family counseling, as well as court advocacy to support survivors navigating the legal system. Beyond that, we lead prevention and education efforts through community education services and our teen dating violence prevention program, REACH. Our mission is simple yet profound: to prevent domestic violence and break the cycle of abuse. We aim to equip our communities with the tools and knowledge they need to foster safe, respectful, and equal relationships. The reality of domestic violence in our society can be devastating and defeating. I decided to join the board of Between Friends because I see this organization, its mission, and this community as inherently hopeful. Each year, for me, this beautiful vigil serves as a reminder of the challenging reality of domestic violence but also reignites my hope that together we can learn, heal, connect and grow. This work matters. This agency matters. And it matters that you are here with us tonight in solidarity to remember and honor those impacted by domestic violence each year. Thank you for joining us and for honoring survivors with your presence and support. Now, it is my pleasure to introduce the Executive Director of Between Friends, Verda Bhatti.
Verda Bhatti:
With the leaves changing colors and a hint of chill in the air, we at Between Friends start getting ready to mark the Domestic Violence awareness month by gathering for a vigil at a Chicago beach on October 1st. A tradition that we have upheld for almost 3 decades. In the past 38 years we have not only responded to the outcome of domestic violence through survivor services but worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the devastating impact it has on the mental and physical well-being of a person. Domestic violence is a pressing concern that affects more than direct survivors. Its effects echo throughout our communities, impacting everyone. The terrifying reality of Domestic Violence is that Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten. On average, nearly 24 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. For one year, this equates to approximately 12 million adults and over 19 million children affected every year by domestic violence. Thank you for joining the staff, clients and community of Between Friends to light candles as a remembrance for those we lost, as a tribute to those who continue their journey, and a pledge to help those who are still deeply impacted by the cycle of Violence and abuse and need our help. Thank you again to our premiere sponsor, You Got Construction, for your generous commitment to this annual event AND for lending us your van and muscles to help transport all our supplies! In a few moments the staff will be handing out lighters and we will begin to light the candles. One of the candles that will be lit tonight will be in remembrance of an 11-year-old child who was killed last March protecting his mother from an abusive ex-partner. As an agency dedicated to preventing domestic violence and ending the cycle of abuse we know that, when domestic violence is present, children are at the greatest risk of serious injury or death when they try to protect their nonviolent caregiver from harm. Preventable tragedies like this are not only an unimaginable loss for those who loved him, but also for our larger community. They reverberate throughout our own homes as we mourn the loss of members of our community due to domestic violence. And this is why we gather and stand in solidarity and remembrance each October 1st. Between Friends offers healing-centered intervention and prevention services to survivors and their loved ones. And you are integral to our mission and work. As we gather tonight, our ability to continue providing these critical services remains under threat due to severe cuts in funding. Our primary source of federal support, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), received a devastating 44% reduction last year. VOCA funding supports survivors of domestic violence, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, and other serious crimes. But due to a sharp decline in deposits into the Crime Victims Fund, organizations like Between Friends are facing unprecedented challenges. As we look ahead to future years and the persistent need of survivors across Chicago, we are preparing for up to 43% more in additional cuts. These cuts put countless survivors and their children at risk of losing access to the help they desperately need. You can find out more about how to donate or get involved at the registration table, or by scanning the QR codes throughout the event. Your presence here has shown your support and dedication to the cause in a very tangible way. I am urging you to open your hearts tonight, together we have the power to make a difference.
