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Powering Chicago Holiday Lights Campaign to Brighten the Holidays for Connections for Abused Women and their Children Families (CAWC)

As the presenting sponsor for the City of Chicago’s Christmas Tree in Millennium Park, we know how much a stunning holiday lights display can fill all who see it with holiday spirit. That’s why this holiday season, we’re once more asking our communities to submit photos of their own holiday lights displays during the Powering Chicago’s Holidays campaign. New this year is our partnership with Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC) families. As part of this partnership, Stephanie Love-Patterson, CAWC’s executive director, joined Powering Chicago to flip the switch at the City of Chicago’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 19. 

From November 30 through December 21, we’re asking anyone with a holiday lights display they’re proud of to take a picture, post it on social media and include the hashtags #HolidayLightsChi and #LightsForCAWC. Throughout the month, we’ll share the photos on Powering Chicago’s social media feeds and tag CAWC to encourage donations in support of their important mission.

Here’s how you can participate in the Powering Chicago’s Holidays Campaign:

  • Take a photo or short video showing your indoor or outdoor holiday lights
  • Log into Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter and/or navigate to the home page/news feed
  • Create a post and write a few words about your light display, making sure to include the hashtag #HolidayLightsChi and #LightsForCAWC in your caption
  • Upload the photo with the post 
  • IMPORTANT: Make sure the privacy settings on the post are set to public. This is an important step, since we won’t be able to see your photo and message otherwise. 
  • Be sure to tag Powering Chicago in your post and follow our social media pages for updates throughout the campaign. Click an icon below to visit our social media pages and follow us:

To kick off the campaign, Powering Chicago has announced a $5,000 charitable donation to support CAWC’s mission to end domestic violence. 

“We are proud to make a powerful local impact by spotlighting the important work of CAWC, and are asking our member contractors and residents we serve to help brighten the holidays for CAWC families in this campaign and join us in making a donation to CAWC,” said Elbert Walters III, executive director of Powering Chicago. “The funds raised will allow CAWC to continue their focus on keeping families together and safe this holiday season and beyond.”

Using a self-help, empowerment approach, CAWC provides a shelter for adults and children, counseling, advocacy, and a 24-hour hotline for people affected by domestic violence. They work for social change through education, service collaboration, and institutional advocacy. 

“We are amazed and grateful for the support from Powering Chicago on behalf of our clients,” said Stephanie Love-Patterson, CAWC’s executive director. “We operate the city’s first 24-hour hotline and domestic violence emergency shelter. This support will help us continue to reach more women and children with our wrap-around services to help families stay whole.”