Domestic violence vigil tonight at Harper

The vibrant quad in the center of Harper College's Palatine campus transforms itself Thursday night into the peaceful setting for a candlelight vigil for domestic violence victims.

At 6:30 p.m. officials with Harper College's Rita and John Canning Women's Program will partner with WINGS, or Women In Need Growing Stronger, to remember abuse victims and raise awareness of the college's programs that offer hope.

The Harper vigil is the second in a series of four planned this month, nationally recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The first one took place Tuesday in Hanover Park, while another is planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Conant High School and at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at Harris Bank in Hinsdale.

Tonight's free event will include local and state politicians who will speak about advances being made in the legal system to follow through on serving orders of protection, and convicting abusers.

Scheduled speakers include state Sen. Matt Murphy, state Rep. Suzie Bassi, Rolling Meadows Mayor Ken Nelson and Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz, along with testimony from a domestic violence survivor.

"We were going to have just one, but since our organization is spread out across the Northwest suburbs, we figured we'd have a series to reach more people and raise more awareness," said Christin Coster, event planner for WINGS. "We want to get out the word that domestic violence is a problem and it is in our community."

She points to the triple murder in April in Hoffman Estates, where a young man is accused of stabbing to death his girlfriend's father, 17-year old sister and 85-year old grandmother.

"People need to be aware that it happens right here," Coster adds. "It's not just something that happens to other people."

Knowing that, Harper's Women's Program provides education, career planning, and life skills to more than 400 clients a year, many of whom are domestic violence victims.

Just this week, current numbers in Harper's Women's Program reflect a nearly 35 percent increase over last year, said Kathleen Canfield, Women's Program director.

"Most of that is due to the bad economy, but as people lose jobs the instances of domestic violence increases," she adds. "It is prevalent in our community, it's just that no one talks about it."