Crisis Center's Kitchen Witches Ensure A Fresh Start

TINLEY PARK, IL — One in four women and one in nine men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the Crisis Center for South Suburbia. Living with an abusive partner is not easy. Most people surviving in an abusive relationship have little to no control over their lives or their finances.

“By the time a victim of domestic violence finds the courage to leave and come to our emergency shelter, they are barely hanging on,” said Sarah Tygart, Director of Victim Services at the Crisis Center for South Suburbia. The local agency has been providing support services, shelter, housing, counseling, advocacy and education services for over 40 years in Chicago’s south suburbs.

According to a news release from the shelter, many of the victims who live temporarily in the shelter move on to the agency’s Transitional Housing Program that provides community-based apartments and support services for up to 24 months while survivors work on securing employment or improving job skills, so they can attain permanent housing.

One of the keys to a successful transition from shelter living to a fresh start in an apartment has been Zelda’s Kitchen Witches, a group of dedicated women who have stocked kitchen shelves and counters in Transitional Housing apartments with small appliances, dishes, pots, pans, and everything else you need in the kitchen, according to the release.

The Kitchen Witches got their name from the dolls often given to women moving into a new home. According to an old European tradition, the dolls represent good luck.

“When we know a client is moving from the shelter to one of our apartments, we call Zelda’s Kitchen Witches,” said Dany Garcia, Director of Operations at the Crisis Center. “They make our clients feel so welcome. They leave a personal note and a little gift along with all of the kitchen essentials, and when the clients move on to permanent housing, they take whatever they need with them.”

The “witches” generally host showers throughout the year and use the donations to stock the kitchens.

“It has not been easy to collect donations during COVID, but we’ve been able to meet every request,” said Janet Evans, founder of Zelda’s Kitchen Witches. In the past few years, Zelda’s Kitchen Witches have helped 35 families by stocking their kitchens.

“We are happy to be part of the great progress these brave women are making. The Crisis Center should be proud of its wildly successful Transitional Housing program. We’re just happy we can help,” Evan said.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence can be physical, financial, and emotional. One constant is that it is all about one person exerting control over another. Domestic violence is the most common but least reported crime in the U.S., according to the release.

For more information about domestic violence and free services offered at the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, visit www.crisisctr.org. If you are a victim of domestic violence, call 708-429-SAFE (7233).