Judge Jennifer Clifford, Chairperson of the 17th Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council (FVCC) and co-chair of the Statewide FVCC, announces that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The community is encouraged to support the multiple community awareness activities planned throughout the month to provide education and honor those who have been impacted by violence in Winnebago and Boone counties.
The FVCC has planned many awareness activities throughout the month of October including virtual lunch and learns, proclamations, information booths and the annual Shining the Light ceremonies to take place in Winnebago and Boone Counties. The annual Shining the Light on Domestic Violence ceremony for Winnebago County will be held at Crusader Community Health on West State Street on Thursday, October 23rd at 5:30pm. Boone County’s annual Shining the Light on Domestic Violence Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, October 7th at 5:00pm at Senior Connections. Additional information about planned events can be found by visiting the 17th Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council Facebook page or by signing up for the mailing list at bit.ly/FVCClist.
Judge Clifford commented, “We hope many take advantage of the opportunities throughout the month of October to learn about domestic violence and prevention efforts against domestic violence that exist here in our community, as well as show support to the survivors and families impacted by violence. We are thankful for the multiple organizations that partner with us not only in October but throughout the entire year to address our community’s response to domestic violence.”
The 17th Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council is funded by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and serves Boone and Winnebago counties. The FVCC serves as a forum to coordinate community and professional efforts to address family violence, including domestic violence, teen dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse. For more information about the work of the FVCC, contact Nicole Ticknor at
