Sometimes helping someone starts with knowing where to turn.
That is the message Erin Stevenson, founder of the Do Good Movement and a Palos Park resident, hopes people take away from an upcoming community event focused on domestic violence awareness and support.
“Sometimes making a difference starts with simply knowing where to turn,” Stevenson said. “We want this event to create a space where people can learn, connect and understand that resources and support are available.”
Stevenson founded the Do Good Movement in 2015 with a focus on wellness, service, community connection and helping people find purpose through giving back. The organization has worked with children, families, educators and community organizations through programs centered on wellness, mindfulness, confidence and service.
One of its newest initiatives is She CAN!, a women’s wellness community that brings women together through movement, mindfulness, personal goals and community service. The campaign encourages women to support one another while giving back to their communities.
The Do Good Movement and She CAN! are now partnering with Fresh Laundromat to bring that spirit of service to an event focused on domestic violence.
The community event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 12 at Fresh Laundromat, 8105 S. Cicero Ave. in Chicago.
Representatives from the South Suburban Crisis Center and NAMI will be available to provide information about services and resources for individuals and families affected by domestic violence.
The event also will give community members a chance to do something tangible. Participants will help put together care packages that will be distributed through the South Suburban Crisis Center.
Supplies for the packages have been donated by the Moraine Valley Community College Food Pantry and the Palos Park Woman’s Club, with additional community support helping make the project possible.
“We also want to give our community an opportunity to move beyond awareness and actually get involved,” Stevenson said.
The event has a personal connection for the Schultz family, which owns Fresh Laundromat.
Lauren Schultz, co-owner of Fresh, said her family lost someone to domestic violence. That experience changed the way the family viewed the issue and the signs that can sometimes be missed.
“We lost someone in our family to domestic violence,” Schultz said. “What we’ve learned since is that it often hides in plain sight.”
Schultz said abuse can involve controlling someone’s finances, isolating them from family and friends or making them question their own judgment.
“We want our community to know exactly what resources are out there for them and the people they love,” she said.
Children attending the event also will have an opportunity to take part in activities centered on mindfulness, movement and calming techniques.
The Do Good Movement and The Children’s Learning Center will offer activities that introduce children to simple ways of handling strong emotions and stressful situations.
The event is another part of the Do Good Movement’s She CAN! campaign, which has focused throughout 2026 on encouraging women to set goals, overcome challenges and reach their own finish lines.
She CAN! ambassadors competed in the Chicago Triathlon in August before taking part in 70.3 and full Ironman events in Madison in September.
Stevenson said the physical challenges are only one part of what the campaign represents.
“Training for these events has taught us that we are capable of more than we sometimes believe,” Stevenson said. “But the real purpose of She CAN has always been bigger than a race.”
The campaign now is turning that same energy toward helping others.
“It is about using what we have, our time, our voices, our resources and our communities, to help others,” Stevenson said. “After reaching our own finish lines, we are turning our focus outward and asking, ‘What can we do for someone else?’”
Fresh Laundromat’s Lighten the Load program is another way the business works to help people facing difficult circumstances.
The program provides free laundry service to individuals and families dealing with illness, injury or hardship. Fresh picks up a recipient’s laundry, washes it and returns it at no cost for up to three months.
Community members can nominate someone for the program, with households selected as openings become available.
“It’s not just for people affected by domestic violence,” Schultz said. “This is a year-round program, available through a nomination and selection process, to anyone who needs it.”
The Oct. 12 event will bring those efforts together, giving residents a chance to learn about domestic violence, meet organizations that provide support and help assemble care packages for people in need.
“This event is one day,” Schultz said. “Lighten the Load is every day.”
The event is free and open to the community. Families, individuals and organizations are invited to attend, learn about available resources and take part in the care-package project.
Stevenson hopes people leave knowing there are resources available and that they can play a role in helping someone else find them.
