Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC) is a 501(c)(3) organization providing emergency response and comprehensive domestic violence services, enabling survivors to access the tools they need to increase their safety and establish independence. Since its inception in 1977 with the establishment of the first domestic violence hotline , CAWC has continued to meet the needs of survivor
s by expanding programming throughout the community. The agency currently operates four programs at five different locations in the city of Chicago: Greenhouse Shelter, the Humboldt Park Outreach Program (HPOP), the Hospital Crisis Intervention Project (HCIP) and Domestic Violence Services at Haymarket Center. In 1977 CAWC established Chicago’s first domestic violence hot line and in 1979 opened the first domestic violence shelter in Chicago. CAWC fills a large gap in need on the West Side of Chicago, as we are the only organization in the community that is providing comprehensive domestic violence services for both adult survivors and their children, including walk-in and appointment-based outreach services, a safe and confidential shelter, and hospital-based services. Hospital of Cook County; because of the program’s tremendous impact, it became a national model for similar programs. In addition to our direct service provision to survivors of domestic violence, CAWC also provides hundreds of hours of public education, trainings, and workshops to healthcare providers, social service organizations, government agencies, and the public at large.
