IMPACT Chicago

10/20/2026

Our office is partnering with Care for Real to help keep our neighbors warm this winter. We are collecting new and lightly used winter items, such as coats, gloves, mittens, scarves, and hats. From October 19th till November 20th you can drop off winter clothing at our office located at 1507 W Morse, or at one of our local business partners Rogers Park Social, R Public House, or Women & Children First Bookstore.

You can also donate via our Amazon Wishlist: https://bit.ly/WinterDrive26

*When considering donating, Care For Real always has a need for adult coats in larger sizes, XL and up. Please have any donated items laundered before donating.

10/20/2026

Women are told to walk in groups, carry their keys between their fingers, and call someone on the way home. They deserve the freedom to simply walk.

If you see a woman walking alone, respect her space. Don’t follow her. Don’t harass her. She doesn’t owe you a conversation, a smile, or an explanation.

Sexual assault prevention requires holding people responsible for their choices. The responsibility belongs to the person who causes harm. Always.

10/19/2026

10/19/2026

SALUTE to our fearless October "IMPACT for Young Teens" Instructor Team of Amy, Rachel, and AC! Thanks for helping send another bunch of young empowered folks out into the world. Ripples in the pond!

10/18/2026

Has someone ever asked, "What is this IMPACT thing you keep talking about all the time?" It's tough to explain, isn't it?

Luckily, we've made it easy: Bring your friends to our next "What is IMPACT?", Sunday, Oct 25, 1:30pm at Movement on Montrose, 2951 W. Montrose Ave, Chicago IL. We'll break down the fundamentals of Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) and then you can watch the next class of badasses do their thing on the mat. See you there!

https://www.impactchicago.org/what-is-impact-program.html

10/14/2026

Join us for this special The Bonobo Sisterhood event, in person at Thousand Waves Martial Arts & Self-Defense Center, NFP or on Zoom! FRIDAY, NOV. 6, 6PM-8PM CST.

BONOBO SISTERHOOD COMMUNITY CONVERSATION — LIVE FROM CHICAGO FRIDAY Nov 6✨
For the first time, our Bonobo Sisterhood Alliance Community Conversation will be live - as well as on Zoom!

- In person at Thousand Waves in Chicago
- Broadcast live on Zoom
- Friday, November 6
- Doors open at 6:00 PM CT with food
- Community Conversation: 6:30–7:30 PM CT
- Followed by connection and a Bonobo Dance Party!

Join us for an evening about women supporting women with Bonobo Sisterhood founder Diane Rosenfeld and Rachel DesRochers, founder of Power to Pursue, whose work centers on connection, possibility and creating spaces where women can lift one another up.

We’ll talk about what sisterhood looks like right now, including the issues and current events affecting women, and how we can turn conversation into community and action.

Coming in person? Start with food from Pita Inn and stay after the conversation for a Bonobo Dance Party at the Thousand Waves dojo.

Not in Chicago? Join us live on Zoom.

📍 Thousand Waves Martial Arts & Self-Defense Center, Chicago
📅 Friday, November 6 | 6–8 PM CT

Registration links for Zoom and In-Person at https://linktr.ee/thebonobosisterhood or link in bio
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10/12/2026

Owning your power can change the way you move through the world. There are still a few spots available for our final 2026 IMPACT Core program for adults, held Fri-Sun Oct 23-25 at Movement on Montrose (new space!) 2951 W Montrose Ave, Chicago.

Registration link below:

https://www.impactchicago.org/store/c3/Core_Program.html

10/12/2026

Margaret Atwood, the Canadian novelist and poet, is pictured here attempting to burn an "unburnable" copy of her novel "The Handmaid's Tale" with a flamethrower -- the fourth most banned book in American public schools this past year. The one-of-a-kind copy, printed on fireproof pages bound with nickel wire, was created to raise awareness of rising censorship. It refused to burn, even as the octogenarian author engulfed it in flames.

Atwood's 1985 dystopian novel, which follows one woman's quest for freedom in a totalitarian theocracy where women's rights are completely suppressed, has faced book-banning challenges for forty years -- including this past year, which set a new record for book banning nationwide. PEN America reported nearly 12,000 book bans in American public schools in 2025-2026, the most in a single year since it began tracking, with the overwhelming majority in Texas and Florida.

The unburnable copy was auctioned off after her flamethrowing attempt, raising $130,000 for the advocacy organization that defends free expression and the freedom to read. As Atwood wrote in her poem "Spelling": "A word after a word after a word is power."

--> Read -- or re-read -- the book they're trying to pull from shelves. "The Handmaid's Tale" endures as a literary landmark that has only grown more resonant with time at https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780385490818 (Bookshop) and https://amzn.to/47RYPLe (Amazon)

For two powerful books about Mighty Girls who find hope by reading forbidden books - both for ages 12 and up - we recommend "Voices" (https://www.amightygirl.com/voices) and "The Book Thief" (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-book-thief)

For two inspiring books about girls fighting against censorship in schools - both for ages 9 to 12 - we highly recommend "Ban This Book" (https://www.amightygirl.com/ban-this-book) and "Property of the Rebel Librarian" (https://www.amightygirl.com/property-of-the-rebel-librarian)

For a thought-provoking young adult novel exploring censorship, we recommend "Suggested Reading" for ages 14 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/suggested-reading

For books for tweens and teens about girls living in real-life oppressive societies with little respect for freedom of expression, visit our blog post "The Fragility of Freedom: Mighty Girl Books About Life Under Authoritarianism" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=32426

To learn how to take action against book bans, visit PEN America's website at https://pen.org/book-bans/book-ban-resources

10/12/2026

10/08/2026

Our final 2026 IMPACT Core program for adults will be held Fri-Sun Oct 23-25 at Movement on Montrose (new space!) 2951 W Montrose Ave, Chicago. We still have a few spots available, so if you or someone you know (or perhaps both of you!) are looking to add a few more empowerment tools to your toolboxes....

Registration link below:
https://www.impactchicago.org/store/c3/Core_Program.html

Love to see you there!