Our leaders are ending the year strong with our #peer workshops. A participant shared “To me survivor led justice looks like educating others. Healing and bringing pain to purpose." This is why these #workshops are important. We are grateful for the collaboration with LoSAH, our most recent partner!

We're kicking off our end-of-year campaign: The Heartbeat of HTA. Our goal is to raise $20,000 by December 31, and thanks to an anonymous community partner, every donation will be matched dollar for dollar starting today! Support Healing to Action's work by donating at our link in bio!

Next in the #PetsOfHTA series: Chato & Penny! HTA's Organizer Jocelyn is mom to this dynamic duo, who engage in healing by demanding computer breaks via cuddles, snacks & long walks; joining the #DogsofHTA in lovingly ensuring their humans step away from their screens! #PetsInHealing #petsofbsky

After pushback from gender-based violence (GBV) organizations, the Mayor's Office increased the 2026 Budget proposal to $21M. That is level funding from the 2025 Budget. Yet, under the $21M budget for GBV services in 2025, domestic violence related homicides increased by 47% as of today.

Many of HTA's partners joined the recent #NoKings march. We were especially moved by Palenque LSNA Director's inspiring poem: https://youtu.be/7dommC4Ow9M#NoKings Justice for survivors is something we continue to fight for alongside many issues. Everything is interconnected. #HandsOffChicago

We are so proud to have been part of yesterday's You Are Not Alone event! The rain spared us, and we stood together and raised our voices for survivors (and hopefully some awareness for Domestic Violence Awareness Month).

Federal strong-arm tactics create an atmosphere of fear that further isolates survivors from the support services they need to leave abuse. Read more in our Letter to the Editor: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/19/l...

The Wheel of Power and Control is a tool for understanding domestic violence, but what can it tell us about the violence we are seeing in the streets of Chicago? Sign up for our mailing list to find out in our upcoming Monday newsletter. #DVAM

When asked why #PeerToPeer solutions are important to her, HTA Survivor-Leader Dianne said “If I could go back in time, I would’ve wanted another peer like me intervening instead, because I felt like the police were not there for me..."

October is LGBTQ+ History Month! 🌈 This month and every month we celebrate and affirm the LGBTQ+ community! LGBTQ+ rights are human rights! 🏳️‍🌈

BIG NEWS: A federal judge has extended the consent decree prohibiting ICE from arresting people w/o warrants or probable cause and ordered ICE to produce a list of people who have been arrested w/o warrants since June in six Midwest states including Illinois. Read more ⬇️

Join us and many more community organizations on Tuesday October 7th at 12 pm at Daley Plaza! 💜 Together we will be distributing materials and resources, and showing soliarity for all survivors during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We hope to see you there! #DVAM

True solidarity means that no one gets left behind and everyone’s safety and well-being matters, which is why we pivoted our in-person fall event to virtual last night which launched a mutual aid drive to support our community of survivor leaders. 1/3

#TakeAction | Support #survivors in Chicago by submitting public comment for the Special Hearing on Gender-Based Violence Submit a written comment to [email protected] by 1 pm on 9/23. Full template available at the link in our bio. #ChicagoBudget

From our Co-Director Sheerine Alemzadeh's published Letter to the Editor in the @chicago.suntimes.com: "Increased ICE raids are a recipe for further silencing already terrified survivors, giving them nowhere to go and no one to call without risking their safety and freedom."

There is a crisis of #GBV impacting our community - everyone deserves #PublicSafety. We don’t just need to stay afloat - we need more resources. City Council needs to invest $40M in gender-based violence non-police based initiatives, including survivor-led peer-to-peer intervention models. 1/2

When she called the police in April, officers warned her the report would go to ICE and told her not to file in person. “If he were to hurt me again, I don’t think I could report it, because that’s where my story would end,” she said. fiercebymitu.com/news/ice-sur...

Sign says it all 💛

Survivors of gender-based violence do not need more barriers, more threats, or more challenges as they navigate an already complicated road to justice and healing. ICE’s presence at Cook County’s domestic violence courthouse is especially frightening and cruel. (1/2)

EVENT UPDATE ‼️ Solidarity Healing Night Shifting to Virtual - Read to learn why and how we are pivoting our 9/18 event to ensure the safety of the HTA community while preserving the original intention of our event: to build solidarity among the HTA community through healing and collective action.

Recently we hosted a #Workshop on #GBV and Survivor-Led Justice in partnership with Metropolitan Family Services North Center! We focused on: 🔹 Defining GBV 🔹 Exploring gender roles & their impact on our communities 🔹 Uplifting community-based solutions to end GBV #SurvivorLed 1/2

We can’t wait to see you September 18th for Solidarity Healing Night! Check out the delicious food and vendors we have on deck for you! And don’t forget! Shey Bae DJ will keep the energy flowing with dreamy, uplifting beats all evening. Grab your ticket today at our link in bio!

NEW: A federal court again ruled the Trump administration violated the terms of our family separation settlement and must take specific steps to remedy it by ensuring that families hurt by this cruel policy can access the services they need.

Gender-based violence affects our entire community. Safety for survivors is safety for all. In 2025, the rates of gender-based violence have increased in Chicago. As of July, fatal shootings related to #DomesticViolence are up 81% compared to 2024, even as other homicide rates decrease. 1/4

What to expect at HTA's Solidarity #Healing Night! Join HTA on Thursday, September 18th for a night of community care and building collective #solidarity around ending gender-based violence. Pre-registration for is required so grab your tickets at our link in bio today before we sell out!

We are excited to announce the future publication with @haymarketbooks.org of a book about the Youth/Police Project, documenting 10 years of young people growing up & navigating policing on the South Side of Chicago. Read more at invisible.institute/ypp & sign up for updates at bio.site/stayingsafe

People being held at the immigrant detention center in Florida known as "Alligator Alcatraz" face human rights abuses including denial of due process and legal counsel, according to a new federal lawsuit brought by the ACLU. https://www.democracynow.org/2025/8/20/aclu_alligator_alcatraz

Next in the Pets of HTA series: Alice Kingsleigh! Alice is a big flirt & will have you wrapped around her lil' beans in no time. She's a big snuggler and will heal you with her loud purrs and sweet kisses. #Pets #PetsInHealing #PetsOfHTA #PetsOfBluesky

HTA's free community event, Solidarity Healing Night, is made possible by our generous sponsors @woodsfund.org, Revolution Brewing, Marz Brewing, Mujeres Latinas en Accion, Hawks Quindel, Salk Flores & Broderick Ltd., Hudson Dental, and The Prinz Law Firm. Grab your ticket today at our link in bio!

Have you been following our posts around funding for survivor services in the Chicago 2026 Budget cycle? Are you looking to take action and uplift the voices of survivors? This is your chance. Healing to Action is hosting a virtual GBV Teach In & Action Night on August 27 from 6-7:30 pm on Zoom.

Making sure a survivor feels supported can be hugely impactful in the aftermath of assault. Do you know how to respond when someone tells you they have been sexually assaulted? Read our blog for five tips. 🧡 www.caase.org/support-sexu...

A sweeping wave of federal Medicaid cuts is poised to leave hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents without coverage, threatening hospitals, deepening health disparities, and placing the state's most vulnerable communities at risk. #BigUglyBill news.wttw.com/2025/08/06/i...

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: SURVIVOR POWER INSTITUTE DEADLINE EXTENDED! Still interested in applying? Good news! The deadline to apply has been extended to August 15th. Check out the link in our bio for the application, info session recording, and our assessment tool. #SurvivorLeadership #Training

On September 18th, we’re hosting Solidarity Healing Night to honor the power of survivor-leadership and our collective resilience in addressing the root causes of gender-based violence at this political moment. Register today for this free, family-friendly event at the link in bio to snag your spot!

✨ SPI ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT ✨ Meet Jill, the Executive Director of Chicago Jobs with Justice and a member of SPI's inaugural cohort! 👉 Look out for Part 2 soon and share this with someone interested in survivor leadership. Apply to SPI today: forms.gle/L1cSHNDKnB52... #SurvivorLed #WorkerLed

Chicago Council Members have a unique opportunity to lead the city and the country in demonstrating its commitment to survivors of gender-based violence by stabilizing the 2026 city budget to increase public safety for survivors. 1/4

Across the U.S., people can't afford to pay rent, buy groceries, or see a doctor. And yet, Congress just gave ICE a budget bigger than most militaries. -How’d we get here? -Who benefits from keeping us divided? A better future is still possible. Watch, learn & share ⬇️ www.nilc.org/articles/vid...

Being incarcerated doesn't make anyone any less deserving of safety and a life free from sexual harm. From our work with #CriminalizedSurvivors, we know that unfortunately, these experiences of abuse are not rare. But they are unacceptable. www.wbez.org/criminal-jus... @wbez.org

"It’s estimated that almost 3 out of 4 farmworkers in the U.S. are immigrants, with research documenting that as many as 80% of women farmworkers experienced sexual harassment. (1/2)...

Happy #DisabilityPride Month! Allow us to introduce you to two leaders who have used their voice to fight for a more accessible Chicago: Mike G. and Hayde G. Both joined HTA to continue fighting for a better world for survivors with disabilities everywhere. #DisabilityJustice #SurvivorLeadership

NEW #TOOL ALERT Use our new #assessment tool to gauge your organization's readiness to implement survivor leadership and schedule a 1-1 with HTA to see how the Survivor Power Institute could support your work. Access the free tool at our link in bio or here: survivor-power-ready...#TOOL#assessment#SurvivorLed

In 2026, thousands of survivors in Chicago may lose access to critical services due to cuts in federal funding. Our upcoming “Building a Survivor-Centered Chicago” Toolkit equips elected-officials to develop responses to gender-based violence We need our community to advocate for this with us. 1/3

SPI #AlumniSpotlight: We were privileged to have 3 cohort members from @nwlc.org in 2023, including Danie S., who told us a bit about her experience and gave advice to those considering applying. Applications are due August 1st. Link bio! #MovementWork #SurvivorLed

As Chicago grapples with federal #BudgetCuts going into the 2026 budget cycle, we call on our community & City Council to invest in community-based solutions to #GenderBasedViolence and vital services. We MUST take survivors' desires into account during budget advocacy. #Survivors #AntiViolence

SPI is designed to move organizational leaders into action. #Training participants develop goals to implement survivor leadership in their organizations. We then provide support for 6 months to ensure that participants have the tools to achieve their goals. Application due 8/1. Apply in bio.

We are out of office! ☀️ Our team will be resting and recharging this week and will respond to any emails, messages, or requests when we return.

In the last month, while rates of crimes in Chicago have decreased, fatal shootings related to gender-based violence have gone up 74%. If we want to reduce and prevent community violence, gender-based violence has to be a part of the equation. (1/2)

No entity, including the federal government, gets to decide whose lives are worthy of protection. Wishing our LGBTQ+ community members joy during this month's celebrations, while fighting to ensure they are able to feel safety that joy requires every day of the year. #Pride #LGBTQ #TransEquality

In mid-June, our leaders joined a workshop led by @chicagowomenshealthcenter, on perimenopause. In a space of trust and connection, the group explored common myths and the lack of research surrounding this life stage, making visible an often-overlooked experience. #Perimenopause #HealthEducation

Join us TOMORROW for our SPI info session! Help us reach the leaders working to end gender-based violence in their communities by sharing this with 2 people/orgs you think would be a good match. Spanish and ASL Interpretation will be available. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...