State's attorney praises Harper's women's program

Recalling humble beginnings while growing up in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez says her own mother could have benefited from resources such as those provided by Harper College's newly dubbed Rita and John Canning Women's Program at Harper College.

Alvarez's father died when she was 12, leaving her widowed seamstress mother to enter the work force making doctors' uniforms at a factory.

"It was a struggle for her ... if there were (programs like Harper's), perhaps there was a way she could have pursued an education," Alvarez said.

Alvarez addressed a crowd of nearly 100 people Thursday afternoon on the Palatine campus about the importance of supporting Harper's 39-year-old women's program, where about 65 percent of clients are victims of domestic violence seeking to gain financial independence for themselves and their children.

The women's program also provides single mothers, displaced homemakers or individuals with limited English proficiency with financial and emotional support, as well as counseling and career services. Eleven similar programs in the state have folded due to lack of funding, and Harper's demand has jumped 25 percent since the recession began.

In addition, Alvarez discussed her office's efforts to better serve the vulnerable population of domestic violence victims. She said all 30 assistant state's attorneys dedicated to prosecuting those cases in Cook County now report to a single supervisor to provide consistency. She said her office is turning outside of the county board for funding, obtaining grant money for domestic violence services and allowing her office to expand a resource center. Her domestic violence staff will also undergo a 40-hour training program next year.

Alvarez said the occurrence of domestic violence can spike during difficult economic times. She referenced last week's double murder and suicide by an Elk Grove Village man who had been out of work for several years.

"Clearly financial reasons are never a valid reason for taking the life another one, but the tragic story is a sad reminder for all of us the toll the economic climate is taking on us," Alvarez said. "Domestic violence affects all cultures, all neighborhoods, all economic classes."

At the reception 100 women, including state Rep. Suzie Bassi of Palatine, Canning and fellow Harper College board members Diane Hill and Laurie Stone, were recognized for donating at least $1,000 to the women's program for a total of more than $150,000.