May 9 is Freedom House’s Founder’s Day, marking the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of Nedda Simon, who passed away last year.
On the agency’s 42nd anniversary, they reflect on the vision and tireless dedication of a woman whose compassion sparked a movement for safety, dignity, and justice in the region.
Before 1983, the closest shelters for battered women were found in Peoria, Streator, and the Quad Cities—far from reach for many rural residents.
Finding this unacceptable, Princeton resident and family counselor Nedda Simon took bold action. With the support of her husband, Don, and many community allies, she led the effort to establish Freedom House. First located in Wyanet and later moving to 314 N. Euclid Ave. in Princeton, the shelter eventually settled at its current location at 440 Elm Place.
Over the decades, Nedda remained the heart of Freedom House. She spearheaded community outreach across five counties, rallied financial and in-kind support, guided the agency’s expansion into Henry County with offices in Kewanee and the Cambridge Courthouse, started a Foundation, and much more. In 2018, she was named an Emeritus Director by the Board of Directors, a title she humbly lived up to each day.
Nedda never stopped serving. She greeted every new class of DV/SV training graduates, wrote heartfelt thank-you letters to major donors, mentored staff, championed agency events, advocated for victim rights legislation, and with her family, renovated three shelter rooms for survivors.
Today, Freedom House employs 42 full-time staff members and serves about 1,000 victims of domestic and sexual violence annually.
Every success, every life touched, every moment of peace and healing that takes place, traces back to Nedda’s dream—and her resolve to make it real.
As they celebrate 42 years of service, they remember and honor the remarkable woman who made it all possible. Founder’s Day is not only a time to reflect on our past, but a call to action—to carry Nedda Simon’s legacy forward and continue the fight for a world free of violence.
Freedom House, a non-profit 501c3 corporation, is the domestic and sexual violence agency primarily serving Bureau, Henry, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark counties. Freedom House has no residency requirement to receive services. The agency has its main administrative offices and shelter in Princeton with additional offices in Geneseo, Cambridge – Henry County Courthouse, Kewanee, and Lacon.
For more information about their services or to donate, please call 815-872-0087 or visit their website here.
