In May, Illinois Partners was honored to join the Reclaiming Our Love Conference, hosted by The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, to share our Living Wages, Thriving Communities Campaign and engage in a powerful conversation about collective care, justice, and the value of frontline workers.
From left: Zakia Roshan (Apna Ghar), Jasmine Steele (Life Span), & Tara Driver (The Network).
We were joined by Tara Driver of Women Employed, Jasmine Steele of LifeSpan, and Zakia Roshan of Apna Ghar.
Together, we explored how the pay inequities embedded in Illinois’ human services funding system undermine not only workers’ economic security, but also our shared ability to care for one another and build thriving communities. Through the courageous stories of frontline workers, attendees heard directly how inadequate wages shape daily life, family stability, and long-term wellbeing—and why collective advocacy is essential to lasting change.
Jasmine Steele, MSW, LCSW and Senior Domestic Violence Counselor, shared:
“As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Senior Domestic Violence Counselor with a decade of experience in human services, this work is deeply personal to me… But dedication doesn’t pay the bills. Like so many of my peers, I am exhausted from begging for our value to be recognized… When professionals with advanced degrees, licensing credentials, and thousands of clinical hours must take second and third jobs just to make ends meet, the system is broken. This reality robs us of our wellness, our families, and our dignity.”
Zakia Roshan, Program Coordinator: Legal Advocacy, shared:
“A living wage is not just about income. It is about dignity… whether hardworking people, especially women, immigrants, advocates, and survivors, are able not only to survive, but to live with stability, safety, and hope for the future… We cannot build safe and healthy communities if the people doing this important work are constantly struggling to survive themselves.”
At the heart of this conversation was a shared belief: ensuring living wages for human service workers is an act of collective care and an investment in the strength, health, and well-being of our communities.
We are grateful to our frontline speakers for sharing their stories with such courage and heart and to Women Employed for joining us in this important conversation.
From left: Adela Carlin (ILPHS), Zakia Roshan (Apna Ghar), Jasmine Steele (Life Span), & Tara Driver (The Network).
We invite you to learn more and join our Living Wages, Thriving Communities Campaign
###
Never miss a news item – get our Fast4ward newsletter Sign up now
