Aurora mayor hosts breakfast roundtable with Mutual Ground

On Jan. 26, Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin, Whitt Law, and Mutual Ground hosted a Mayor's Roundtable Discussion at the Aurora Country Club to address the issues of domestic and sexual violence in our communities.

All of the cities and villages in Mutual Ground's service area, which includes southern Kane County and all of Kendall County, were invited to attend.

Among those present were Mayors Richard C. Irvin of Aurora, Gary Golinski of Yorkville, Rick Olson of Sandwich, Robert Housler of Plano, Kevin R. Burns of Geneva, and Village Presidents Gail Johnson of Oswego, Jeffery D. Walter of Elburn, Dale Berman of North Aurora, and Rick Montalto of Sugar Grove.

Mutual Ground has begun a lengthy strategic planning process that will guide them into the future with programming that best serves the needs of individuals affected by domestic and/or sexual violence.

The feedback they gained at this function included important insight, and invaluable information, for planning for the next three to five years.

"We were thrilled to be able to tap into the extensive knowledge and experience of each of these city leaders. It was great to get feedback on what Mutual Ground could be doing better to spread awareness of the seriousness of these issues and increase avenues to help victims," said Michelle Meyer, executive director of Mutual Ground.

The mission of Mutual Ground is to provide education, awareness, and life-changing services that empower individuals, families, and communities to end the cycle of domestic and sexual violence.

To learn more about Mutual Ground and the services it provides, visit www.mutualground.org or call (630) 897-0084. Visit www.facebook.com/mutualground/ or twitter.com/MutualGrounddv.