Our Mission
We provide immediate safety and build long-term solutions to abuse.
Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC) is committed to ending domestic violence. Using a self-help, empowerment approach, we provide a shelter for adults and children, counseling, advocacy, and a 24-hour hotline for people affected by domestic violence. We work for social change through education, service collaboration, and institutional advocacy.
We stand with survivors
Connections for Abused Women and their Children is committed to ending domestic violence.
CAWC is a 501 (c) 3 designated nonprofit organization, staffed by a team of multi-cultural staff, volunteers, interns and is governed by a Board of Directors CAWC has an annual operating budget of approximately $2.1 million. CAWC enjoys a broad base of support from local, state, and federal government; corporations; foundations, United Way; and individuals, as well as special event revenue.
CAWC has a long history of service and advocacy in the domestic violence arena. In 2008, CAWC changed its name from Chicago Abused Women Coalition to Connections for Abused Women and their Children and retained the highly recognizable acronym of CAWC.
CAWC continues to be a strong leader in the domestic violence field on city and state levels. We are known for our emphasis on bi-cultural, bilingual services and programs. Connections for Abused Women and their Children is a member of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Metropolitan Chicago Battered Women’s Network.
Donate Monthly to CAWC
A monthly donation helps ensure that survivors and their children have access to safe shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and other critical resources for survival when they need them most.
A monthly gift fuels social change and advocacy by providing education for service providers and the wider public about the impact of domestic violence.
Your monthly gift means a steady source of income and allows CAWC to plan and provide care, resources, and protection for domestic violence survivors for weeks, months, and years to come. Monthly giving programs are cost-effective and have fewer administrative costs, meaning even more of your donation goes directly to survivors.
Domestic Violence Programs
Shelter, counseling, safety planning, legal advocacy, outreach and education
Need immediate help?
Humboldt Park Outreach Program (HPOP)
HPOP provides a full range of bilingual and bicultural (Spanish/English) core domestic violence services to adults on a walk-in or appointment basis.
Hospital Crisis Intervention Project
HCIP, housed at John Stroger Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, provides quality direct services to domestic violence victims at the critical time when they seek health care.
Greenhouse Shelter
Greenhouse Shelter provides a safe refuge and vital support to help victims and their children take those brave steps to ending abuse. Greenhouse Shelter was the first domestic violence shelter in Chicago.
Haymarket Center
Domestic violence services at Haymarket Center, a comprehensive substance abuse facility, include education about domestic violence and group and/or individual counseling to survivors.
Services
Knowledge. Support. Counseling. We’re with you at every step.
Too many people think escaping domestic violence is just walking out the door. It is never that easy. Our services help you take the legal and emotional steps to take back your life.
Children's Services
Counseing and guidance to break the cycles of domestic violence.
Counseling
Individual and group sessions with trained professionals. You are never alone in this.
Court Advocacy
Protect yourself by knowing your rights. We fight for you.
Education & Training
We work with hospitals and other groups to understand domestic violence.
Police Relations
We work with the police to protect you and your rights.
Substance Abuse
Helping break the link between addiction and abuse. We help you get safe and clean.
Ways You Can Help
A safer Chicago depends on the community
There are many ways to help CAWC strengthen survivors and their children. Find your path.
Donate to our cause
You can help save the life of a adult or child being victimized by domestic violence by making a gift to CAWC today.
Become a volunteer
Volunteering isn’t easy, but it is worth it. Get trained, get experience, and use your talents and drive to help abused woman and their children.
Fulfill our Wishlist
Our shelters and programs need supplies. We have easy ways to provide survivors and their children the items they need to be independent.
Learn about domestic violence
Stopping domestic violence starts with understanding the many forms it takes. Recognize the signs of abuse in your life and others.
News & Events
Every day, survivors are getting stronger. See our collective power.
News and events about CAWC, domestic violence, and the strength we have together.
Media Inquiries
CAWC is proud to shine a light on the reality of domestic abuse and how we can fight it.
Call: 773.489.9081
Empower Yourself to Solve Human Rights Problems This Giving Tuesday
In a world full of complex social issues — with human rights violations among the most dire, even in wealthy nations like the US — it's easy to feel powerless. Many people perceive the enormity and number of these problems and become overwhelmed, feeling that they...
What You Can Do for National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Every October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). This is a time in which we turn our attention to a crucial human rights issue that affects millions globally: domestic and intimate partner violence. For those who haven’t been directly impacted by partner...
Socioeconomic Risk Factors for Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence
Domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) are pervasive human rights violations that affect millions of individuals worldwide. While these forms of violence can occur across all socioeconomic groups, research consistently shows that socioeconomic risk...