CHICAGO, IL (October 22, 2010) – Wellspring Center for Hope enlisted the arts to give “a call to action” to nearly 350 high school students when they attended a “Teen Symposium” on domestic violence.
Spoken word artists, singers, dancers as well as speakers communicated the message: “domestic violence is a crime and an affront to our homes, schools and communities, and only we can eliminate it,” says Executive Director Elouise Spencer.
WellSpring provides a support system for victim of domestic violence and is sponsored by the Evangelical Covenant Church Board of Benevolence. It is located in an area where police receive more than 2,000 domestic violence calls a month.
The center held the symposium as part of national Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “With the increase in violence among youth, especially in the communities we target, we knew we needed to reach out to make an impact,” Spencer said.
Speakers included Dennis Mondoro and Millicent Crawford, who work in the U.S. Attorney General’s office in Washington, D.C. Other speakers included representatives from the Illinois State’s Attorney office and the city’s Department of Human Services
Family Violence Initiative Department.
The success of the conference has opened doors for Wellspring to connect with additional schools and organizations within the community, Spencer said.
Throughout the month, AVA is publishing online daily stories written by Covenanters about their experiences of healing and hope.
