This past year, WINGS recognized its 40^th Anniversary. WINGS has evolved from a small grassroots organization to the largest provider of domestic violence services in Illinois.

Throughout four decades, we have been empowered by our community of supporters:

• generous donors,
• dedicated volunteers,
• loyal shoppers,
• caring staff,
• strong leadership, and
• inspiring survivors.

Thanks to this support, we have continued to grow and evolve to meet the rising need for our services. Over the years, WINGS has served thousands of survivors who have healed and soared to incredible heights. From serving in public office to becoming counselors to giving back to WINGS as a board member…and much more!

As we reflect on our fiscal year 2025, WINGS had many achievements:

Learn more about WINGS Fiscal Year 2025 in Review.

 

Recognizing the Need

In 2024, the statewide Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline received 59,704 contacts for help, a 26% increase over 2023 and a 140% increase over 2019.

• In 2024, 18,940 contacts to the Illinois Hotline were in need of domestic violence shelters, representing a 5% increase over 2023 and 112% increase over 2019.

• For more than a third of the year, 130 days, there were no beds or cribs available in Chicago domestic violence shelters.

• Housing requests also spiked as shelters remained at capacity. In 2024, The Hotline received 2,325 requests for affordable or transitional housing across the state. This represents a 77% increase from 2023 and a shocking 383% increase from 2019.

Learn more about the need for domestic violence services in our area in this great report from FOX 32 Chicago.

 

 

WINGS Safe Houses

WINGS Safe Houses provide crucial shelter in areas where domestic violence services are in great need. The agency’s Suburban Safe House is the only domestic violence shelter in northwest Cook County and WINGS Metro is one of only a handful of domestic violence shelters in the city of Chicago.

Open 24 hours, WINGS Safe Houses provide critical emergency shelter as well as resources for stability.

In FY2025, WINGS Safe Houses served 416 survivors including 246 children with 21,520 nights of shelter.

Of Safe House clients completing an exit survey:

• 93% reported feeling safe.
• 93% felt more knowledgeable of community resources.
• 82% felt more financially stable.
• 59% moved to more secure housing including homeownership, private housing, public housing, family/friends, or WINGS Transitional Housing program.

Kenneth shares what it is like for families coming into WINGS Safe House around the holidays.

 

Housing Programs

National Purple Ribbon Award

This year WINGS Housing Programs received a prestigious Purple Ribbon Awards from DomesticShelters.Org. These awards are judged by a national panel of leading domestic violence professionals. Even more impressive, out of 76 Purple Ribbon Award winners, only five agencies received an accompanying $5,000 grant. WINGS Housing Program was one of the elite five.

One aspect that sets WINGS Housing Programs apart is its size. WINGS offers more than 150 housing units in five different housing program models. This allows the program to match survivors to a program that best fits their individual situation.

Dedicated and highly effective, many of WINGS Housing Program staff have decades of experience. This programming has helped create new beginnings for thousands of survivors over WINGS four decades of service.

Housing Program Impacts

In FY2025, WINGS Housing Programs served 388 survivors, including 236 children, with 97,241 nights of housing, an 18% increase over FY2024.

WINGS has a large variety of housing programs including:

• Shared Living – Two to three families living in a residence at no cost for up to six months. WINGS operates three shared living homes in Palatine, Park Ridge and Schaumburg.

• Transitional Housing – Households stay in WINGS leased transitional apartments for up to two years. Clients pay 30% of their adjusted gross income to offset expenses.
  • 93% of Transitional Housing clients reported moving to more stable housing when exiting the program.

• Permanent Supportive Housing – WINGS has 8 long-term residences for survivors who have a documented disability.

• Neighborhood Stabilization Program – A low-income housing program where households pay for utilities and rent under market value levels.

• Rapid Rehousing – WINGS has 55 Rapid Rehousing units citywide and 27 units throughout the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago.
  • 96% of Rapid Rehousing survivors completing an exit survey reported moving to more stable housing when exiting the program.

Video announcing WINGS Housing Program winning $5,000 grant.

 

La Tonya Walker, WINGS Chief Program Officer sharing closing remarks at WINGS 2025 Celebration of Courage.

Celebration of Courage

This summer, WINGS held its annual Celebration of Courage through a virtual event. Thirteen graduates of WINGS Housing programs and their children were recognized.

WINGS staff recognized each adult and child graduate one by one for their achievements.

Not only did graduates get recognition, but each current client and child in the program was recognized for the goals they have achieved. It was truly an inspiring evening for all attendees.

 

Community Based Services

This year WINGS Community Based Services served 561 survivors, a 21% increase over FY2024.

 

Counseling

“Group therapy has been a game-changer for me. I’ve been able to tap into my emotions and speak my truth in a way that’s been super healing. I love that I can see myself in others, and they’re seeing themselves in me too. It’s like we’re all in this together, you know?

Speaking up has been a way for me to reclaim my voice and take back control. I’m not letting the perpetrator define me; I’m defining myself. I’m taking ownership of my story, and it’s liberating.” ~Alicia*, participant in WINGS Counseling groups.

 

WINGS Counseling Program served 240 adults last year with 7,685 hours of service.

 

• These numbers including WINGS Foglia Family Resource Center – In FY2024, the Foglia Family Resource Center (FFRC) opened its doors to serve adult, teen and child survivors in the community. WINGS FFRC provides a wide range of free, trauma-informed support services in English or Spanish as well as virtual or in-person. Learn More.

 

 

Hospital Partnerships

WINGS staff educates healthcare professionals about domestic violence and offers bedside safety planning, counseling, and referrals to patients.

• FY2025 this program provided 84 patient consultations to survivors and trained 671 medical professionals and community members.

• This year, WINGS Hospital Program completed a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Pilot Program with Northwest Community Hospital. WINGS is in the process of creating a TBI Toolkit for domestic violence agencies to develop procedures and relationships with medical partners to best serve domestic violence survivors recovering from brain injuries. Learn more here.

Learn more about WINGS response to aiding survivors with Brain Injuries.

 

Survivor Lifeline

Survivor mentors are matched with survivors moving from domestic violence shelters into housing. Forming a connection to a mentor with shared experiences, clients are linked to resources, assisted with budgets to maintain housing, and supported in their career aspirations.

• Over FY2025, Survivor Lifeline provided mentors to 84 survivors with 1,275 hours of mentoring services.

• This year through generous funding from BMO and The Greer Foundation, WINGS has expanded our award-winning Survivor Lifeline Mentoring Program. This year WINGS hired an additional Survivor Lifeline Coordinator who is focusing on matching survivors with mentors in Chicago. Learn more here!

 

A New Direction

Community-based domestic violence education, legal advocacy, and referrals based in the Chicago neighborhoods of Beverly/Morgan Park.

• Over FY2025, AND served 53 survivors and provided 983 hours of service.
• Learn more here!

 

Children and Family Services

WINGS Children and Family Services program provides a continuum of services to children recovering from the trauma of domestic violence. Over FY2025, WINGS served 544 children with 12,138 hours of services.

Outcomes

• 96% of guardians attending Parenting Groups reported learning new skills and 100% surveyed reported that they would use the information and skills that they learned.

• 97% of children were able to identify two actions to take to feel safe

• 93% of children reported they understood the violence that occurred in their family was not their fault.

 

Thank You to our Community of Supporters!

 

More room to shop: FY2025 WINGS Resale expanded its storefront.

WINGS Resale

In FY2025, WINGS Resale made $2,410,591 in sales and sold 689,008 items. Selling 21% more items over last year, sales included:

• 198,568 clothing pieces
• 214,597 housewares
• 4,821 furniture items
• & More!

Thanks to generous donations and loyal customers, WINGS Resale provided nearly $60,000 worth of essential clothing, furniture, and housewares to survivors this year.

WINGS Resale assists survivors of domestic violence at critical times in their journey:

• Arriving at the Safe House: Many survivors flee to WINGS with only the clothes on their back. WINGS Resale provides clothing and other immediately needed items, typically within a few hours of getting a request from WINGS staff.

• Moving into Housing: Families moving into transitional housing program select furniture and houseware items…including a one-time free delivery within 48 hours of their shopping appointment.

Thank you to our donors, customers, volunteers, and staff for making this high-level of service possible!

 

See Pam, WINGS Pantry Supervisor, fill an order.

WINGS Pantry

In FY2025, WINGS Pantry provided $404,313 worth of products donated to survivors, an 8% increase over last year.

Each month families utilizing WINGS services are offered pantry items.

As a result of generous donors:

• 2,835 gifts were distributed during the holidays
• 1,430 coats and winter items were distributed
• 223 children received school supplies
• And much more!!

These items provide peace of mind to survivors who are often recovering from financial abuse.

 

 

In FY2025, WINGS won the 2025 Volunteer Organization of the Year from the Village of Schaumburg.

Volunteers

In FY2025, WINGS had 2,466 volunteers, a 6% increase over last year.

These volunteers donated 67,186 hours, the equivalent of 32 full-time employees.

Learn more about why WINGS volunteers continue to donate their time here.

We could not achieve these outcomes, without our dedicated staff, financial supporters, volunteers, in-kind donors and more!

 

 

 

 

 

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