KAN-WIN

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As Korean women, we have heard many stories of our fellow sisters who have been subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual violence with no place to go for safety and support. We knew that these painful stories could not be ignored because they could be our mother's, our sister's, our friends', our daughter's or our own.

There is a Korean folk wisdom that says: Happiness increases as we share, and pain decreases as we share. We wanted to be friends and sisters who could hear, share the pain, and walk with those women suffering from violence.

In the late 1980s women's advocates and social service providers came together in response to the growing demand for domestic violence services in the Korean American community. Out of these discussions came the formation of KAN-WIN.

KAN-WIN was officially founded on August 15, 1990 on the 45th anniversary of Korean's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. By choosing this historic date, KAN-WIN sent a clear message of its mission: Freedom from violence.

KAN-WIN is the first independent organization in the nation established solely to address violence against women and children in the Korean American community and continues to be the only comprehensive domestic violence service agency for Korean Americans in the Midwest.

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May 1989 Concerned community members in the Korean American community meet to address the crises needs of women and children affected by domestic violence in the Korean American community.
June 1990 In preparation for operations, KAN-WIN’s founders host its first fundraiser on August 15th with the Kimchi Jar fundraising campaign. Kimchi Jars advertising KAN-WIN’s programs are placed in Korean businesses to raise money and gain support.
August 15, 1990 KAN-WIN officially launches on the 45th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule by opening a Korean/English bilingual hotline.
1992 KAN-WIN hires its 1st full-time staff, and hosts its first 20-hour domestic violence training program.
1994 KAN-WIN co-hosts the STEP OUT STOP ABUSE walkathon with local domestic violence agencies to raise money and awareness for women and children affected by domestic violence.
1995 KAN-WIN hires its 2nd full time staff and expands from hotline to a comprehensive advocacy program, which include legal and social service advocacy.
1999 Benefit concert hosted by local Asian American artists names KAN-WIN as the sole beneficiary.
2000 For KAN-WIN’s 10th year anniversary, KAN-WIN holds Korean comfort woman "Quest for Justice" art exhibition and a community forum at the Daley Center. The exhibition features paintings and sketches by former Korean comfort women, which were done as a part of art therapy. Korean comfort women were sex slaves in the Japanese military camps during the World War II.
2001 Transitional Housing program, which is long-term housing and self sufficiency program, starts for victims of domestic violence and their children.
2002 KAN-WIN officially extends the crisis hotline hours from regular business hours to 24-hours. Prior to this, the line was forwarded to the City of Chicago Domestic Violence Helpline on weeknights and weekends.
2003 KAN-WIN launches the Children's Program, targeting the needs of child witnesses to domestic violence. WGN-TV and Harris Bank recognizes KAN-WIN as an Unsung Hero. In honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, second generation Asian artists hold a benefit concert at Music Institute of Chicago.
2004 KAN-WIN expands its services to broader Asian American Community through strategic planning.
2005 February, KAN-WIN hosts a press conference to mobilize the Asian American community around the brutal murder of Koo Eunju to take an active stance against domestic violence. In November, KAN-WIN celebrates its 15th anniversary with the Generations of Women Making Change benefit dinner. KAN-WIN presents the Change Maker Awards to Rev. Haeran Kim, Korean American Nurses Association, and the Chicago Foundation for Women for their commitments to building safe and healthy communities. KAN-WIN hires full-time Policy Advocate for active participation on issues of women and immigrants.
2006 KAN-WIN starts toll-free hotline services.
2007 KAN-WIN opens an additional space in Des Plaines, IL for administrative, community education & outreach. In addition, KAN-WIN extends its services from domestic violence counseling to General Women’s counseling.
2008 KAN-WIN launches Legal Clinic with 11 different Asian languages sponsored by Korean and other Asian American pro-bono attorneys and law school students.