WINGS has new home in Palatine

A large Northwest suburban domestic violence agency has a new home for helping mothers and their children in need.

WINGS, which stands for Women in Need Growing Stronger, has taken over the operation of a Palatine home that provides transitional housing.

The building has been run for 10 years by Crystal Lake-based Home of the Sparrow, another nonprofit that helps homeless women and children. But that agency wants to focus more on the McHenry County area, so it has handed over the shelter.

This month, the Palatine organization took over, and an official "passing of the key" ceremony will take place in a few months.

The shelter will be the fourth transitional house for WINGS, which also operates homes in Barrington, Schaumburg and Park Ridge. The organization also runs a safe house and 21 apartments.

The organization helps women and children who are victims of domestic violence and need a safe place. These facilities allow women to go to school, work and care for themselves and their family.

WINGS will take on additional costs and will have to hire more staff, said Executive Director Rebecca Darr.

But some of the costs will be subsided by federal grants, she added.

"We are very grateful to Home of the Sparrow for entrusting us with the home," Darr said.

Bruce Bendix, board president for the Crystal Lake non-profit, said the group wants to better focus its efforts on McHenry County.

Now, they will have one shelter in Crystal Lake and one in McHenry.

"It makes more sense to run our shelters out of McHenry," he said. "We are trying to work more cooperatively with similar non-profits in the area."