We can run domestic violence out of town!

Running a marathon has always been on my bucket list. After years of dreaming about it, I finally registered for my first marathon...in 2020. When the world shut down and the marathon got cancelled, I decided I didn’t want the pandemic to take this away from me. Many months and hundreds of miles of training later, I set up my own marathon course around my neighborhood, and I did it!

Running a marathon all alone, with no one cheering me on, no energy from a crowd, and only my isolation partner (love you, Noah!) waiting for me at the finish line was pretty disappointing. I vowed that day to get a real marathon experience once the world opened back up.

THIS IS THE YEAR!

I’ll be running the Chicago Marathon this October, and I can’t think of a better way to honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month than to raise money for an organization doing fantastic work in the DV world. The Network is a coalition of local domestic violence service providers (including the org I work for!) that aims to end domestic violence through training, education, and policy advocacy. Among other things, The Network provides a 24/7 hotline that keeps track of all shelter openings in the state and can provide assistance in over 240 languages. My favorite service The Network provides is direct cash transfers of up to $1,000 for survivors fleeing violence, as financial constraints are often the number one reason people stay in abusive relationships.