Care That Reaches Beyond the Clinic: Advantage Family Chiropractic Supports the Violence Prevention Center

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a reminder that someone in our community may be facing fear, control, or harm that we cannot see. Raising awareness means making support easier to find and helping people know they can seek help without judgment. Through her work at Advantage Family Chiropractic, Dr. Gail Meese is turning that awareness into action, supporting the Violence Prevention Center and bringing its mission into everyday conversations.

A conversation during a patient visit helped Dr. Gail Meese see a need beyond the walls of Advantage Family Chiropractic.

In 2017, the practice was looking for a charity to support through its July Patient Appreciation Day. A patient who worked at the Violence Prevention Center shared that children arriving at the shelter received a toy and a new outfit.

For Dr. Gail, that detail made the opportunity to help feel immediate and practical.

“I thought... ‘what a great cause to support!’” she recalls.

The idea became a Christmas in July collection, with patients bringing toys in exchange for the office fee. Nearly a decade later, that connection has grown into an ongoing partnership. This fall, Advantage Family Chiropractic is donating all new-patient exam fees to VPC from October through the end of the year.

A Partnership That Began With Listening

Dr. Gail says she grew up with positive examples of healthy relationships and did not experience domestic violence within her family. Conversations with patients who worked with VPC helped her better understand its prevalence and the barriers people can face when seeking support.

Those conversations gave her a closer view of why access to resources matters.

What began as a way to help children entering a shelter became a commitment to supporting the organization behind that care.

“The relationship has just grown over the years,” she says.

The practice eventually moved from collecting toys in exchange for its fee to donating new-patient exam fees. Dr. Gail says Advantage raises thousands of dollars each year for local charities, focusing on one organization each quarter to concentrate its efforts.

How the Fundraiser Works

With October marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month, VPC was a natural choice for the practice’s fourth-quarter fundraiser.

According to Dr. Gail, all new-patient exam fees at Advantage Family Chiropractic will be donated to the Violence Prevention Center from October through December 31, 2026.

The new-patient exam costs $20. If X-rays are needed, they cost an additional $20 per region.

The donation commitment applies to the new-patient exam fees. Readers interested in an appointment can contact the practice for scheduling and details about any additional services or costs.

For Dr. Gail, keeping the initial exam affordable creates an opportunity to introduce people to the practice while supporting an organization serving the community.

Turning Awareness Into Conversation

When asked what she hopes this effort helps people understand, Dr. Gail’s answer is direct: awareness.

Work, family responsibilities, and busy routines can keep people focused on their own immediate needs. She hopes the fundraiser encourages patients to pause, learn about VPC, and recognize the importance of its work.

She also believes shame can keep people from seeking help. Making resources more visible can help open conversations that otherwise might never happen.

Each time the team explains where a new patient’s exam fee is going, there is an opportunity to introduce VPC to someone who may not know about it.

“It can stimulate a conversation, stimulate interest or cause someone to get involved,” she says.

We may not know what someone is experiencing behind closed doors, but we can help build a community where support is visible and asking for help is met with care. This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Dr. Gail’s partnership with the Violence Prevention Center offers practical ways to participate: learn, share resources, donate, and listen without judgment.

To learn more about the fundraiser or schedule a new-patient appointment, contact:

Advantage Family Care
18 Emerald Terrace
Swansea, IL 62226
afchiro.com

You Don’t Need an Appointment to Help

Supporting the effort does not require becoming a patient.

Dr. Gail encourages community members to share information, pass along resources, learn how to recognize domestic violence through training, and donate.

VPC offers emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and educational opportunities. Its website provides information about getting help and supporting its work. Domestic Violence

For Advantage Family Chiropractic, this quarter’s fundraiser continues a relationship that began with listening to one patient. It offers a practical way for a local business and its community to support the people VPC serves.

Learn more, find resources, or support the Violence Prevention Center:
www.vpcswi.org