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player ready...In celebration of its five-year anniversary, House of Peace shelter is holding a fundraiser in Lake Forest featuring music from The BoDeans.
The concert, called Rock for Peace, will take place on Nov. 5 at the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest.
“There are a ton of people involved with House of Peace shelter from the Lake Bluff and Lake Forest community,” said Donna Williams, who serves on the volunteer board that organized the concert. “Because the theater (at Gorton) is new, we thought it would be a draw.”
House of Peace, a shelter for women who have been physically abused, evolved from Most Blessed Trinity Parish in Waukegan. Women parishioners who had been abused formed a support group that named itself the Phoenix Group, said Aida Segura, the shelter’s director.
House of Peace mostly serves Latina women from Lake County between 25 and 45 years of age, Segura said. Most have children and could be described as “working poor.”
As the Phoenix Group evolved, it decided forming a shelter was the next step.
“The Latina women also needed a place for healing, for escaping domestic abuse,” Segura said. “Many shelters in Lake County didn’t have workers who were bilingual or understanding of particular issues this community experienced. This was a population that was seriously underserved in the county.”
Volunteers renovated a former rectory and in November 2011, House of Peace opened. The shelter offers tutoring in English, individual counseling, a lawyer who works pro bono, lessons on parenting and child care and a domestic violence support group.
It’s a bit different than most domestic abuse shelters in that women and children stay there for six months. During that time the shelter works with occupants to help them recover from domestic abuse, gain skills that will allow them to become independent while developing job skills or learning to drive. An after-care program is also available once women leave the shelter.
“This population in many cases is under served and under employed and uninsured,” Segura said. “A population that in many cases is not eligible for government help (due to being undocumented).”
Then there is finding money to operate House of Peace. Williams said about 35 percent of the budget comes from grants, 20 to 30 percent comes from Most Blessed Trinity Parish and the rest comes from fundraising.
“We hold several events each year but this is the first time we’ve tried something on this scale,” Williams said.
The BoDeans have agreed to perform for a reduced price and most of the expenses for the concert have been donated by local businesses, Williams said. That means just about all the money from ticket sales will go directly to House of Peace shelter.
Tickets are $200 and may be bought at www.gortoncenter.org. The ticket includes food at a carving station, gourmet appetizers, desserts and an open bar. Seats are reserved and parking is free.
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