Kan-Win

KAN-WIN'S MISSION IS TO ERADICATE ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, INCLUDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, BY EMPOWERING ASIAN AMERICAN SURVIVORS AND ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH CULTURALLY COMPETENT SERVICES, COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, AND ADVOCACY.

THE PAST YEAR WAS DEFINED BY ADJUSTMENT TO A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT THREATENED TO UNDO MUCH OF THE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS MADE BY THE ANTI GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE MOVEMENT AND COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, KAN-WIN SHOWED RESILIENCE AND GRACE IN THE FACE OF SUDDEN AND URGENT CHANGES IN CLIENTS NEEDS BY MAKING THE FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO OUR OPERATION: PROVIDING 24/7 CRISIS INTERVENTION FOR VICTIMS TRAPPED AT HOME WITH HARM-DOERS. FOR CLIENTS LIVING WITH HARM-DOERS, THEIR HOME BECAME THE LEAST SAFE PLACE. ESPECIALLY AS MANY HARM-DOERS LOST THEIR JOBS, HAD THEIR HOURS REDUCED, BEGAN WORKING FROM HOME AND/OR OTHERWISE SPENT INCREASING AMOUNTS OF TIME AT HOME, SURVIVORS EXPERIENCED A NARROWER WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK HELP. THE INCREASED LEVEL OF DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH CONTACTING OUTSIDE HELP TRANSLATED TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED COMMUNICATION FROM CLIENTS AND INCREASED URGENCY WHEN CONTACT IS MADE. KAN-WINS DIRECT SERVICES TEAM WORKED UNCONVENTIONAL WORK HOURS AND MADE PERSONAL SACRIFICES TO PROVIDE CRITICAL AND OFTEN LIFE SAVING ASSISTANCE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE. ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY. MANY OF KAN-WINS CLIENTS ARE ELDERLY, DISABLED, AND/OR SINGLE MOTHERS WITH MINOR CHILDREN (THE AVERAGE CLIENT HAS ~2 MINOR CHILDREN) WHO WERE QUITE LITERALLY HOMEBOUND AND THEREFORE UNABLE TO OBTAIN BASIC NECESSITIES SUCH AS FOOD AND CLEANING SUPPLIES DURING THE PANDEMIC. MOREOVER, 41% OF CLIENTS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A RELIABLE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION. IN ADDITION TO HAND DELIVERING GROCERIES, ESSENTIAL HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES, ETC., KAN-WIN USED EMERGENCY FUNDING TO SECURE TRANSPORTATION FOR SURVIVORS WHO NEED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR URGENT NEEDS. A BIG CHALLENGE THIS HIGHLIGHTS IS THE FACT THAT MANY SURVIVORS LIVE IN ISOLATED AREAS. WHILE THE TERM FOOD DESERT HAS BECOME WIDELY USED TO DESCRIBE THOSE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING QUALITY PRODUCE/FRESH FOOD, WE DONT TALK ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT KAN-WIN CONSIDERS HUMAN SERVICES DESERTS AND THE EFFORT, TIME, AND INVESTMENT IT TAKES FOR ORGANIZATIONS SERVING CLIENTS IN SUCH AREAS. IN A SIMILAR VEIN, AROUND 75% OF KAN-WINS CLIENTS ARE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT AND DID NOT READILY HAVE ACCESS TO IMPORTANT UPDATES REGARDING COVID-19 DEVELOPMENT, BREAKING NEWS, BUILDING CLOSURES, ETC. KAN-WIN MAINTAINED A DEDICATED MULTILINGUAL WEBSITE AND SCHEDULED REGULAR CHECK-INS OVER-THE-PHONE TO ASSIST WITH SAFE AND TIMELY COMMUNICATION WITH SURVIVORS WHO ARE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT DURING THE PANDEMIC. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LACK OF LANGUAGE ACCESS NOT ONLY IN CHICAGO BUT THROUGHOUT ILLINOIS AND FRANKLY THE WHOLE COUNTRY CONTINUES TO BE AN INSURMOUNTABLE CHALLENGE FOR AAPI SURVIVORS AND THEIR ADVOCATES. LAUNCH OF MULTILINGUAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM. KAN-WIN SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED FOR A GRANT THAT ALIGNED CLOSELY WITH THE GOALS OF A PROGRAM KAN-WIN HAD BEEN DEVELOPING: MULTILINGUAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM (MAP). THROUGH MAP, KAN-WIN AIMS TO ENHANCE CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE AND LOCALIZED SERVICES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES TO THE CHINESE, MONGOLIAN, AND FILIPINX COMMUNITIES IN THE GREATER CHICAGOLAND AREA. ULTIMATELY, THROUGH MAP, KAN-WIN WILL TRAIN AND RECRUIT ADVOCATES WHO CAN TAKE LEADERSHIP IN SUPPORTING SURVIVORS WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF MAP WILL ALSO HELP TO ENHANCE KAN-WINS LANGUAGE ACCESS WITHIN OUR OWN ORGANIZATION. LEARNING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH RISE OF #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT. AN INTERNAL LEARNING SERIES HAD BEEN OPERATIONALIZED IN KAN-WINS STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT THE TRAGIC EVENTS LEADING TO THE RISE OF THE #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY TO LAUNCH FORMAL DISCUSSIONS AROUND RACIAL EQUITY. KAN-WIN HELD A 5-WEEK WORKSHOP SERIES ON ANTI-BLACKNESS WITHIN THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO HELP STAFF DELVE DEEPER INTO THEIR OWN BIASES AND PREJUDICE AND PROCESS THEM WITH ONE ANOTHER. KAN-WIN ALSO PROVIDED A 4-WEEK TRAINING SERIES ON TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY VIA MIMI KIM, THE FOUNDER OF KAN-WIN AS WELL AS CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS. THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING AND KAN-WIN WILL FURTHER EXPLORE CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY STRATEGIES SO THAT SURVIVORS CAN HAVE DIVERSE PATHWAYS TO JUSTICE.STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS. ONE OF THE VERY FIRST THINGS KAN-WIN ORGANIZED FOR SURVIVORS WERE FOOD/SUPPLY DRIVES, SHARE 1, IN FRONT OF LOCAL KOREAN GROCERY STORES. THROUGH THESE DRIVES, WE COLLECTED FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS FOR CLIENT FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO SECURE ESSENTIALS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. MOREOVER, AS PART OF KAN-WINS EFFORT TO ADDRESS SURVIVORS URGENT NEEDS ARISING FROM THE PANDEMIC, WE BEGAN COLLABORATING WITH CHICAGO SANCTUARY CHURCH NETWORK AND OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELPED CROWDFUND RESOURCES FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS, FOR WHOM MANY FINANCIAL RELIEF OPTIONS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. ADDITIONALLY, KAN-WINS PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOCAL HOSPITALS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM HAS ALLOWED US TO MAKE REFERRALS FOR FREE HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND COVID-19 TESTING. THESE FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIPS REMINDED KAN-WIN THAT EVEN THOUGH IT TAKES INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH AGENCIES, THEY CAN BE TRULY VALUABLE RESOURCES ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CRISIS. BUILDING GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP. KAN-WIN EXPANDED OUR OUTREACH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT AND SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED PARTICIPANTS ACROSS THE NATION; DURING THE GRANT YEAR, KAN-WINS PEER ADVOCATE LEADERSHIP (PAL) PROGRAM WAS ATTENDED BY PEOPLE IN MI, VA, CA, TX, AND GA. TO HELP GROW A SUSTAINABLE GRASSROOTS-LED ANTI-VIOLENCE MOVEMENT, KAN-WIN CONTINUES TO CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP AMONG CLIENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION TO OFFERING DIFFERENT, ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN THE ANTI-VIOLENCE MOVEMENT, KAN-WIN ASSISTS IN DEVELOPING IDEAS AND INITIATIVES THAT CAN CREATE CHANGE WITHIN PARTICIPANTS OWN COMMUNITIES. SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDE SHORT STORIES FOR CHANGE: RACE, GENDER NORMS, CONSENT, WRITTEN, ILLUSTRATED, AND PUBLISHED BY KAN-WINS YOUTH PAL (AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM: WWW.AMAZON.COM/DP/B08MNSRWNM, WWW.AMAZON.COM/DP/B08M8R5QNT, WWW.AMAZON.COM/DP/B08M8YQJ53), AND A WORKSHOP DEVELOPED BY A FORMER CLIENT (AND ADULT PAL) FOR OTHER SURVIVORS IN THEIR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING A LOCAL WOMENS SHELTER. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO OPERATE BEYOND SURVIVAL MODE AND THINK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE SUCH AS GROWING THE ANTI GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE MOVEMENT, OUR SUCCESSES IN BUILDING GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP DURING THE PANDEMIC REMINDED US THAT TIMES OF CRISIS CAN BE THE BEST TIME TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND MOBILIZE THEM INTO ACTION.

THE PAST YEAR WAS DEFINED BY ADJUSTMENT TO A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT THREATENED TO UNDO MUCH OF THE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS MADE BY THE ANTI GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE MOVEMENT AND COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, KAN-WIN SHOWED RESILIENCE AND GRACE IN THE FACE OF SUDDEN AND URGENT CHANGES IN CLIENTS NEEDS BY MAKING THE FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO OUR OPERATION: PROVIDING 24/7 CRISIS INTERVENTION FOR VICTIMS TRAPPED AT HOME WITH HARM-DOERS. FOR CLIENTS LIVING WITH HARM-DOERS, THEIR HOME BECAME THE LEAST SAFE PLACE. ESPECIALLY AS MANY HARM-DOERS LOST THEIR JOBS, HAD THEIR HOURS REDUCED, BEGAN WORKING FROM HOME AND/OR OTHERWISE SPENT INCREASING AMOUNTS OF TIME AT HOME, SURVIVORS EXPERIENCED A NARROWER WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK HELP. THE INCREASED LEVEL OF DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH CONTACTING OUTSIDE HELP TRANSLATED TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED COMMUNICATION FROM CLIENTS AND INCREASED URGENCY WHEN CONTACT IS MADE. KAN-WINS DIRECT SERVICES TEAM WORKED UNCONVENTIONAL WORK HOURS AND MADE PERSONAL SACRIFICES TO PROVIDE CRITICAL AND OFTEN LIFE SAVING ASSISTANCE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE. ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY. MANY OF KAN-WINS CLIENTS ARE ELDERLY, DISABLED, AND/OR SINGLE MOTHERS WITH MINOR CHILDREN (THE AVERAGE CLIENT HAS ~2 MINOR CHILDREN) WHO WERE QUITE LITERALLY HOMEBOUND AND THEREFORE UNABLE TO OBTAIN BASIC NECESSITIES SUCH AS FOOD AND CLEANING SUPPLIES DURING THE PANDEMIC. MOREOVER, 41% OF CLIENTS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A RELIABLE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION. IN ADDITION TO HAND DELIVERING GROCERIES, ESSENTIAL HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES, ETC., KAN-WIN USED EMERGENCY FUNDING TO SECURE TRANSPORTATION FOR SURVIVORS WHO NEED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR URGENT NEEDS. A BIG CHALLENGE THIS HIGHLIGHTS IS THE FACT THAT MANY SURVIVORS LIVE IN ISOLATED AREAS. WHILE THE TERM FOOD DESERT HAS BECOME WIDELY USED TO DESCRIBE THOSE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING QUALITY PRODUCE/FRESH FOOD, WE DONT TALK ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT KAN-WIN CONSIDERS HUMAN SERVICES DESERTS AND THE EFFORT, TIME, AND INVESTMENT IT TAKES FOR ORGANIZATIONS SERVING CLIENTS IN SUCH AREAS. IN A SIMILAR VEIN, AROUND 75% OF KAN-WINS CLIENTS ARE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT AND DID NOT READILY HAVE ACCESS TO IMPORTANT UPDATES REGARDING COVID-19 DEVELOPMENT, BREAKING NEWS, BUILDING CLOSURES, ETC. KAN-WIN MAINTAINED A DEDICATED MULTILINGUAL WEBSITE AND SCHEDULED REGULAR CHECK-INS OVER-THE-PHONE TO ASSIST WITH SAFE AND TIMELY COMMUNICATION WITH SURVIVORS WHO ARE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT DURING THE PANDEMIC. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LACK OF LANGUAGE ACCESS NOT ONLY IN CHICAGO BUT THROUGHOUT ILLINOIS AND FRANKLY THE WHOLE COUNTRY CONTINUES TO BE AN INSURMOUNTABLE CHALLENGE FOR AAPI SURVIVORS AND THEIR ADVOCATES. LAUNCH OF MULTILINGUAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM. KAN-WIN SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED FOR A GRANT THAT ALIGNED CLOSELY WITH THE GOALS OF A PROGRAM KAN-WIN HAD BEEN DEVELOPING: MULTILINGUAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM (MAP). THROUGH MAP, KAN-WIN AIMS TO ENHANCE CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE AND LOCALIZED SERVICES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES TO THE CHINESE, MONGOLIAN, AND FILIPINX COMMUNITIES IN THE GREATER CHICAGOLAND AREA. ULTIMATELY, THROUGH MAP, KAN-WIN WILL TRAIN AND RECRUIT ADVOCATES WHO CAN TAKE LEADERSHIP IN SUPPORTING SURVIVORS WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF MAP WILL ALSO HELP TO ENHANCE KAN-WINS LANGUAGE ACCESS WITHIN OUR OWN ORGANIZATION. LEARNING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH RISE OF #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT. AN INTERNAL LEARNING SERIES HAD BEEN OPERATIONALIZED IN KAN-WINS STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT THE TRAGIC EVENTS LEADING TO THE RISE OF THE #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY TO LAUNCH FORMAL DISCUSSIONS AROUND RACIAL EQUITY. KAN-WIN HELD A 5-WEEK WORKSHOP SERIES ON ANTI-BLACKNESS WITHIN THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO HELP STAFF DELVE DEEPER INTO THEIR OWN BIASES AND PREJUDICE AND PROCESS THEM WITH ONE ANOTHER. KAN-WIN ALSO PROVIDED A 4-WEEK TRAINING SERIES ON TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY VIA MIMI KIM, THE FOUNDER OF KAN-WIN AS WELL AS CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS. THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING AND KAN-WIN WILL FURTHER EXPLORE CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY STRATEGIES SO THAT SURVIVORS CAN HAVE DIVERSE PATHWAYS TO JUSTICE.STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS. ONE OF THE VERY FIRST THINGS KAN-WIN ORGANIZED FOR SURVIVORS WERE FOOD/SUPPLY DRIVES, SHARE 1, IN FRONT OF LOCAL KOREAN GROCERY STORES. THROUGH THESE DRIVES, WE COLLECTED FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS FOR CLIENT FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO SECURE ESSENTIALS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. MOREOVER, AS PART OF KAN-WINS EFFORT TO ADDRESS SURVIVORS URGENT NEEDS ARISING FROM THE PANDEMIC, WE BEGAN COLLABORATING WITH CHICAGO SANCTUARY CHURCH NETWORK AND OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELPED CROWDFUND RESOURCES FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS, FOR WHOM MANY FINANCIAL RELIEF OPTIONS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. ADDITIONALLY, KAN-WINS PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOCAL HOSPITALS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM HAS ALLOWED US TO MAKE REFERRALS FOR FREE HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND COVID-19 TESTING. THESE FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIPS REMINDED KAN-WIN THAT EVEN THOUGH IT TAKES INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH AGENCIES, THEY CAN BE TRULY VALUABLE RESOURCES ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CRISIS. BUILDING GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP. KAN-WIN EXPANDED OUR OUTREACH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT AND SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED PARTICIPANTS ACROSS THE NATION; DURING THE GRANT YEAR, KAN-WINS PEER ADVOCATE LEADERSHIP (PAL) PROGRAM WAS ATTENDED BY PEOPLE IN MI, VA, CA, TX, AND GA. TO HELP GROW A SUSTAINABLE GRASSROOTS-LED ANTI-VIOLENCE MOVEMENT, KAN-WIN CONTINUES TO CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP AMONG CLIENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION TO OFFERING DIFFERENT, ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN THE ANTI-VIOLENCE MOVEMENT, KAN-WIN ASSISTS IN DEVELOPING IDEAS AND INITIATIVES THAT CAN CREATE CHANGE WITHIN PARTICIPANTS OWN COMMUNITIES. SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDE SHORT STORIES FOR CHANGE: RACE, GENDER NORMS, CONSENT, WRITTEN, ILLUSTRATED, AND PUBLISHED BY KAN-WINS YOUTH PAL (AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM: WWW.AMAZON.COM/DP/B08MNSRWNM, WWW.AMAZON.COM/DP/B08M8R5QNT, WWW.AMAZON.COM/DP/B08M8YQJ53), AND A WORKSHOP DEVELOPED BY A FORMER CLIENT (AND ADULT PAL) FOR OTHER SURVIVORS IN THEIR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING A LOCAL WOMENS SHELTER. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO OPERATE BEYOND SURVIVAL MODE AND THINK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE SUCH AS GROWING THE ANTI GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE MOVEMENT, OUR SUCCESSES IN BUILDING GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP DURING THE PANDEMIC REMINDED US THAT TIMES OF CRISIS CAN BE THE BEST TIME TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND MOBILIZE THEM INTO ACTION.