We're very excited to announce that comedian Patti Vasquez, called "the funniest woman in comedy since Carol Burnett" will perform for us at an upcoming event. Because of the nature of our organization, we cannot give details of time or location until after the event. We are so appreciative that she has agreed to support us with her hilarious and original brand of humor.

Please check out her website to learn more about her.

http://lipstick.pattivasquez.com/

ANO Salutes Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Our hats are off to Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his announcement today that a $1.8 M settlement the city received from a recently resolved legal battle with a strip club would be earmarked for a new domestic violence shelter to be built on Chicago's Southwest side.

 "It has been over a decade since the city of Chicago has opened a new shelter. I was shocked when I looked at how few beds we have compared to other cities," Emanuel said. "Budgets are more than numbers. They are a reflection of our values. Never is that truer than today."

Mayor Emanuel deserves kudos for seeing to it that these funds go where they are desperately  needed-the first women's shelter to be built in Chicago in more than a decade.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-emanuel-domestic-violence-shelter-0530-20130530,0,5206983.story

This Simple Truth Says it All

Living is the art of loving. Loving is the art of caring. Caring is the art of sharing. Sharing is the art of living.
If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.
    ~Booker T. Washington

Those of us who have already given our time to A Night Out know this already. We've had two events this month and each time, we came away at the end of the evening with a sense of exhilaration. The feeling of making a difference in someone else's life is uplifting and the feeling lasts beyond the event. We have two comedy shows and a Spa Night coming up in June.

Please consider giving your time to A Night Out.   
If you are interested in helping us, sign up here, on our website or you can email me @ cissy@anightout.org with your contact information and we will follow up with details.

Lawmakers push new bill to crack down on military sexual assault

The sponsor of a new bill to combat sexual assault in the military pledged Thursday that her legislation would ensure that “never again will a victim have to salute an assaulter."

The effort, led by Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, would require a dismissal or a dishonorable discharge for a member of the military found guilty of rape or sexual assault.

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/23/18447119-lawmakers-push-new-bill-to-crack-down-on-military-sexual-assault?lite

Volunteers Needed

On June 1st, we will have another sensitivity training session for our volunteers. 

A Night Out has now had two events, a comedy show and a stupendous Janelle Monae and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert. When we take our ladies to our events, we will need kind, caring helpers to ride the buses and participate in the events.  These evenings will take place on either Mondays or Tuesdays. We will be having a sensitivity training session on Saturday, June 1st at 11:30 AM.  If you are interested in helping us, sign up here, on our website or you can email me @ cissy@anightout.org with your contact information and we will follow up with details.

Please consider giving your time to help us give these women A Night Out.

An Evening with Janelle Monae

On Monday night, we took fourteen women for a particularly special night out. We were fortunate to see Janelle Monae perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Below are some of the comments from these women on the bus ride back to the shelter they call home.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life.”

“Janelle Monae is so positive. She makes me believe that there is hope.”

“I can’t believe you did this for us.”

“I’ll remember this night forever.”

It was a memorable night for the volunteers as well. It is so heartwarming to feel their appreciation and to feel that we gave them something to feel good about.


http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/janelle-monae-and-the-chicago-symphony-orchestra-rock-the-windy-city-20130521

Our Opening Event

Last night was A Night Out, Inc.'s inaugural event and it was a resounding success. We took a group of women from a local residential facility for battered women to a city restaurant where we had a delicious dinner followed by comedian, Jay Harris. The ladies enjoyed dinner and laughed throughout.
While they were enjoying their evening, our team of clinicians and volunteers were looking after their children and a fun time was had by all on that end too. 
It was so heartening to see these women enjoy themselves. That is the reason A Night Out came to exist. The benefits of laughter, social interaction and a respite from one's burdens last beyond the actual event. We will be checking back with our guests and all the groups that follow to track their feelings about their evening out.
We are on our way. Please help us grow. And please check out Jay Harris' website. He was hilarious and very supportive of our cause. We look forward to working with him again and again.

http://jayharriscomedy.com/

Thought for the Day

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”~Mother Teresa

Volunteers Needed!

We are so excited! Our inaugural event is fast approaching! On May 13th, we will kick off with A Night of Comedy, featuring comedian Jay Harris for our first group of ladies. On May 20th, we will take another group of ladies to see a special appearance by superstar Aretha Franklin. We have been overwhelmed by the response from Chicago area shelters who want to use our services-at no cost to them. We need more volunteers to help on the night of our events.  We will be having another volunteer training session on June 1st.  The training lasts approximately 90 minutes to two hours and is required before a volunteer is eligible to participate. Please contact us by signing up through our website or on our Facebook page.