Kate Shank
Board member
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am originally from St. Paul Minnesota and lived there until going to college at Miami University in Ohio where I received a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. I moved to Chicago to attend law school at Northwestern University and always knew I wanted to use my law degree to do progressive social justice work. After graduating in 2001, I began my career at Legal Aid Chicago, which provides free civil legal services to people living in poverty, and serve today as its Deputy Director. During my years as a practicing attorney, I represented clients in eviction and bankruptcies but was always primarily focused on serving survivors of domestic violence to seek protective orders and in family law and custody matters. When I’m not working and volunteering with the Center, I enjoy spending time with my husband (who is a family law attorney) and six-year-old son at our home in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.
How did you first learn about the Center and what inspired you to become involved?
I met Charlie Stoops, one of the co-founders of the Center for Advancing Domestic Peace, when I attended his legal education presentation at the Chicago Bar Association. He talked about the services the Center provides and it was of interest to me because at the time I was representing survivors and wanted to learn more about community resources that could support them. At the close of the presentation, I spoke with Charlie and learned we had a personal connection – he knew my mom who also happened to be a dean of a school of social work. I think this helped him to remember me, and in 2014 he reached out to ask if I would be interested in joining the Center’s Board of Directors. I accepted his offer because I recognized how important services for those who have harmed an intimate partner are for increasing survivor safety and because it was a great professional development opportunity for me.
What are some of the different roles you've played since joining the Center’s Board of Directors?
For the past two years, I have served as the board chair and was previously vice-chair and secretary. I am also actively involved as a member of the event committee for our annual Purple Dove Gala fundraiser.
What have you found most rewarding about volunteering with the Center?
It’s so rewarding to be involved in a nonprofit that is community-based and in close touch with the people we serve. Since we have a smaller board, all of us have a direct impact on the organization’s work and that is really important to me. For example, as part of a strategic planning process, we were involved in coming up with the motto “to stop domestic violence where it starts” to describe the Center’s mission. We also work closely with the staff to plan the Purple Dove Gala and put in a lot of time and energy to ensure the success of the event. The Center has also made some really significant moves in the last year and half – from opening our site in DuPage County to securing a permanent location for our Chicago administrative office by purchasing the space we’ve been renting on the near west side - and the board has done a great job supporting our Executive Director & Co-Founder, Christine Call, in leading this expansion.
Are there any special moments that stand out for you?
A few years ago I attended a recognition ceremony for our Neighborhood Barbers for Peace outreach initiative and got the chance to talk with some of the barbers who have been involved. I was so impressed and moved by their commitment to their communities, especially their willingness to use the professional connection they have with their clients to educate and engage them in conversations about intimate partner violence. This is a perfect example of the many types of innovative partnerships we are creating to raise awareness.
What would you most like other people to know about the Center?
The Center’s violence prevention work is an essential compliment to the work that victim services organizations do to support survivors. It’s not an either or. Even if the marriage or romantic relationship has ended, we know that the family relationships will continue and want to make sure these interactions are healthy especially when there are children involved. If we can create better relationships and families free of violence, we can keep victims safe and prevent harm - to both children and other intimate partners – in the future.
Why do you think the Center's work deserves community support?
I think the Center deserves support because our work is such an important piece in reducing violence in our communities, which is something we all care about. We also know that family violence and community violence are interconnected. So, when families are living in safe homes, it makes our communities a better place to live.
What is your hope or wish for the organization's future?
I would love to see the Center grow so we can continue to serve more participants. I would also like to see more government, foundation, and private support for our services because so many of our clients cannot afford to pay for them. And, I hope we can continue to build stronger connections with other community organizations doing anti-violence work so that partner abuse intervention can be more fully integrated into broader violence prevention efforts.