ROOTED IN COMMUNITY
Our History
Since our founding in 1987, our work has been grounded in providing the support and services survivors need in their communities.
Our Founding
John Tate was a Police Social Worker in Kankakee, Illinois during the 1980s. He recognized that there was an increasing number of sexual assault victims coming forward and that they had to travel 30 miles to the nearest rape crisis center for services. To meet the needs of survivors in their community, John and his wife Ruth Tate worked with an established rape crisis center in Olympia Fields, Illinois to develop a program in Kankakee. Representatives from several social service groups held an organizational meeting to form an agency that would provide services to victims of sexual assault throughout Kankakee County. It was known as YW-CASA (Young Women’s Center Against Sexual Assault) and provided office space and a crisis hotline starting in September 1987.
In November 1987, the Center became an independent, non-profit organization. It was incorporated under the name Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault (KC-CASA), changing the name to better align with the population served. Services were expanded to include counseling, advocacy, community education, and professional training. In 1988, Tate applied for a grant through the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA), a unified network of rape crisis centers, envisioning a world free of sexual violence. KC-CASA becomes a voting member of ICASA among 33 other centers in Illinois.
Over the following decades, KC-CASA continued to improve services in Kankakee County and beyond. Offices were eventually opened in Iroquois County in 1999 and Ford County in 2021. Their establishment was motivated by the same goals as the organization’s original founding—making services accessible to survivors in their communities. The growth compelled a rebranding to reflect the organization’s reach and the people served. In 2020, KC-CASA became Clove Alliance and continues to provide hope and healing to survivors as a member of ICASA and through the support of committed donors.
Milestones
1987
YW-CASA (Young Women’s Center Against Sexual Assault) was formed with the leadership of John and Ruth Tate and soon became Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault (KC-CASA), an independent, non-profit organization.
1988 John Tate applied for a grant through the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) and became a voting member among 33 other centers in Illinois.
1991 KC-CASA initiated a Children’s Services Program to address the significant increase in sexual abuse cases involving children.
1993 KC-CASA developed an organized program to provide public education to churches, schools, and community groups to increase public awareness and knowledge about sexual violence issues.
1994 the community education program expanded to a full-time program, to include prevention education for children from preschool through college. KC-CASA helped create the Kankakee County Sexual Abuse Advisory Board and our first counseling support groups began.
1995 the advocacy program was expanded, specifically focusing on victim sensitivity in the medical system.
1996
The counseling program expanded to provide therapy to victims of sexual violence who are incarcerated in the Dwight and Kankakee Correctional Centers, as covered in this Daily Journal article.
1997 KC-CASA expanded the education program and developed a collaborative partnership with police, State’s Attorneys, advocates, and medical personnel in Kankakee County to become the model site for the State of Illinois, for utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to sex crimes investigations.
1998 counseling services were expanded through an outreach office in Hopkins Park and an additional prison, Westside Correctional Center.
1999 efforts focused on initiating sexual assault services in Iroquois County (ISAS) and helping to establish the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (S.A.N.E.) program in the State of Illinois.
2000 counseling for victims of sexual violence who are incarcerated was discontinued and a more in-depth focus was aimed at the services within Kankakee and Iroquois counties. In 2001, outreach counseling programs were initiated at a nursing home and a residential substance abuse center.
2002 KC-CASA celebrated its 15th anniversary. To improve identity recognition and awareness of the services available, a return to using a portion of the center’s full name, instead of the acronym (KC-CASA) was initiated. We re-established our identity as The Center Against Sexual Assault and began using “The Center” as the shortened version. New initiatives were implemented and new partnerships were established to expand awareness and provide services to more people.
2004
KC-CASA celebrated a move from 657 East Court to 1440 West Court St, Kankakee, IL with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The location continues to serve as our main office today.
2006 The Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) was formed, bringing together medical, law enforcement, social work, and advocacy professionals to improve case outcomes and services for survivors.
2012 The Kankakee Iroquois Human Trafficking Task Force (KIHTTF) was created as a collaborative effort to assist trafficking survivors by connecting them with resources in the area.
2017
ISAS moves from the courthouse to its current location at Jefferson Plaza, Watseka, IL.
2017 The Kankakee office at 1440 West Court St. completes significant improvements to create a more welcoming and safe environment.
2001
KC-CASA becomes Clove Alliance. The change better reflects our identity and the power of hope and healing. We also expand services into Ford County, opening an office in Paxton, IL.