Support Highland Park Shooting Survivor

Support Highland Park Survivor Jessica Antes

 

My name is Hope England. Jessica Antes is one of my dearest friends, and we work together in the Chicago community using comedy and improv to help trauma survivors heal; now, Jessica needs our help.

 

Jess's closest girlfriends and I are raising money for our dear friend after her experience at the Highland Park shooting. This money will help Jess take the time to heal and give her the flexibility and freedom to seek out mental health counseling and support in whatever ways she needs.

 

Maybe you know Jessica Antes (lucky you!) or maybe you don’t, so a few of her closest friends want to tell you a bit about her. She is the kindest, funniest, most generous person you could ever be lucky enough to meet. In addition to being a devoted dog mom, girlfriend, and friend, she’s a gifted comedian and improv teacher who works multiple jobs and somehow keeps all the plates spinning. She works with underserved groups—including trauma survivors, seniors, and people with special needs—and with kids around the country, and boy can she sell a pair of jeans like nobody else. For the past few years, Jess has been a host/emcee of the Highland Park 4th of July Parade and Celebration. If you’re not from the Chicagoland area, chances are you never heard of this parade before a few days ago, but that you’ve heard of it now.

 

We debated whether to rehash the events of that horrible day, but ultimately decided that if people have to know the awful actions of one man, they should also know about the better parts of humanity on display that day, and who Jess proved to be when it mattered most. When a gunman it’s not worth naming here opened fire on a crowd of people trying to enjoy their community this July 4th, Jessica was sitting on an elevated stage alongside her co-host and an elderly war veteran the parade was honoring this year. Once they realized that the loud noises weren’t fireworks, Jess and her fellow host dove under their flimsy table. As the coward on the roof reloaded and people started to move, Jess realized the veteran was still sitting onstage, unable to move on his own. Despite his mobility struggles, she supported his weight and they bravely moved together off the stage to get him to the safety of a pillar. When she made it to her own car, a father and several family members—including small children—were hiding behind it. Jess piled them into her car, stopped at another location along the parade route where the man’s wife was hiding with another of their young children, and drove the family to safety.

 

Jessica doesn’t see herself as a hero (we do!), because she’s, naturally, reeling from the trauma of the events she witnessed and endured—and thinking about those who didn’t make it out and their families. It’s hard to understand that we deserve things at the best of times, and particularly when we know others have it worse, but there’s no competition in trauma. It strikes indiscriminately, and counts its victories when we don’t allow ourselves the compassion we extend to others.

 

We want to provide Jess with a cushion so she can take the next steps in her healing process. Whether it be extra funds if she needs to miss work, so she doesn’t have to worry about her next meal, or so she can get any help she may need along the way, we want Jess to have a soft place to land. The aftermath of trauma can be unpredictable and difficult to get through, and if she needs help paying her insurance or seeking counseling, we don’t want her to have to think twice about doing what she needs to do to heal.

 

Jessica’s work hours and income are already unpredictable at times, and she shouldn’t have to worry about paying her rent or bills if she needs a gentler schedule. Jess always goes the extra mile, whether volunteering her time with child trauma victims, taking care of her family and friends, or volunteering to host the Highland Park parade for free every year. In the wake of everything she has been through, we want to offer her the same generosity she’s known for.

 

Many of those who know Jess (and even some who don’t) who have heard about her experience have asked how they can help. Thanks to the age of digital crowdfunding, you can give any amount you’d like to someone who’d never ask for it, but certainly deserves it.

 

Our thoughts are with those who never left the parade, their families, and the survivors who will carry that day with them. We hope they find healing, and we believe that even the smallest steps or increments can help.


*Please note that my friends and I have set this GoFundMe up with Jessica's permission and will be transferring whatever funds are raised directly to Jess herself.