Community Resources

Grant a Wish

• Baby clothing, blankets, food, diapers, strollers, high-chairs, and more.
• Provides a food assistance program, holiday gift program, and school program.
• 773-454-8352

St. Mary's Baby Closet

• Baby items for newborns through 5 years old.
• Podcast for new parents and families.
• 847-870-8181

Lily's Hope

• Emergency support for families with pre-mature babies.
  • Request a hospital package, transition home package, sibling package, and more
• info@lilyshopefoundation.org

National Diaper Bank Network

• Providing diapers to those in need.
• Call 2-1-1 and ask for local diaper availability:
  • Local Diaper Bank location (nearest to Lakeview Peds): SHARE OUR SPACE - 3800 N Milwuakee Ave

Project Sweet Peas

• Support for all familes with a baby in the NICU or experiencing the loss of an infant.
• Food and fuel assistance for time spent at hospital, care packages and gifts, emotional support.

Illinois Childcare and Employment Programs

• Illinois Department of Human Services: Access to affordable, quality childcare programs 
• Illinois workNet: Training opportunities, workshops, and career coaching resources. 

IDES

• Research, sign up for, and manage unemployment benefits
• Illinois JobLink
• Veteran services
• Chicago office- Lincoln Square | 2444 W Lawrence 
• 217-558-0401 for In-Person appointment

TANF

• Cash, SNAP, and medical assistance
• 217-785-3300, Toll Free # 800-843-6154
• To qualify you must be pregnant or have a child under 18

LIHEAP - Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

• Assistance in payment of home energy services like heating

IL Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

• Utility Bill Assistance 
• helpillinoisfamilies.com - Cash assistance programs for families, disabled people, and more

Illinois Department of Human Services
IDHS Helpline: (800) 843-6154

Chicago Chesed Fund

• Interest free loans, job assistance, eviction prevention, education assistance, car repairs, budgeting assistance
• Other programs:
  • Fertility assistance, mental health assistance, material goods such as clothing, appliances, and toiletries
• 847-679-7799

Cradles to Crayons

• Provides material goods such as clothes, books, and shoes to children living in poverty.
  • Link to get services

Care for Real

• Care for Real provides food for neighbors to prepare more than 1.62 million meals each year and, in addition, offers a free clothes closet,  a pet food pantry and support services.
• Locations:
  • 5339 N Sheridan - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9am-12pm & Saturday 9am-1pm
  • 1525 W Morse - Tuesday 12-2pm
  • 6921 W Morse - Tuesday 12-2pm
  • 6921 N Ashland - Thursday 4-6pm
• Also offer pop-up pantries and other events, check their website for more information.

Salvation Army

• Job training, food pantry, adult rehabilitation and addiction programs, Head Start and Early Start programs, and after school programs
• 312-492-6803

Lakeview & Lincoln Park Mutual Aid - Support for food, prescription pick-ups, caregiving, medical supplies, and other material goods. Apply for aid on website. Contact: lakeviewmutualaid@gmail.com

Wicker Park - Bucktown Mutual Aid - supports the community in fulfilling  immediate essential needs: wpbmutualaid@gmail.com

Avondale Mutual Aid - provides food, medicine and support to the residents of Avondale. Website available in Spanish and English.

Lincoln Square - Ravenswood Solidarity Network - provides services for employment & public benefits, food, mental health, domestic violence, and access to additional mutual aid networks.

Logan Square Mutual Aid - provides services for employment & public benefits, food, housing, healthcare, immigration, childcare, mental health, domestic violence, and legal advice.

DollarFor.Org Platform

• Organization that will help you apply for and manage charity care with a non-profit hopsital and manage your bills, or will help you manage bills and medical debt at any hospital 

• Any hospital with a non-profit designation is required to provide certain amounts of "charity care" each year to low income families
  • If you are just starting admisssion: ask to speak to a billing representative or case manager to apply for charity care right away
  • If you have already been to the hospital: You can still apply to be considered for charity care, call the hospital to inquire about applying or see next link on Dollarfor.org for assistance 
• Chicago Non- Profit Hospitals:
  • Advocate Illinois Masonic and Advocate Trinity Hospitals
  • AMITA Health Ressurection Medical Center
  • Community First Medical Center
  • Holy Cross Hospital
  • Loretto Hospital
  • Mercy Hospital and Medical Center
  • Methodist Hospital of Chicago
  • Mt Sinai Hospital Medical Center
  • Northwegian-American Hospital
  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital
  • Jackson Park Hospital
  • Presence Saint Joseph, and Presence Saint Mary and Elizabeth Hospitals
  • Roseland Community Hospital
  • RUSH University Medical Center
  • South Shore Hospital
  • Swedish Hospital
  • Saint Anthony Hospital
  • St Bernard Hospital
  • Thorek Memorial Hospital
  • University of Chicago Medical Center

IL Application for Benefits Eligibility (SNAP, WIC, and Application Assistance)
 

Nourishing Hope Provides the Following Services:

• Two food pantry locations in Chicago (Sheridan and La Casa Norte)
• Online market and home delivery services
• Social support staff to assist with public benefits, mental health services, and more
• Health and Hope Program providing nutritious meals to low-income patients being treated at Illinois Masonic and Swedish Hospitals

Eat. Move. Save. - Find Food Illinois

• Has an interactive map with food banks and grocery stores that accept WIC and SNAP
• Tips for healthy recipes that save you money
• Join the Healthy Texts program to get a message with healthy tips and fun exercises each week!

Chicago Chesed Fund

• All-diet food pantry and HaPlate Kosher food pantry
• 847-679-7799

Lakeview / Lincoln Park Mutual Aid

• Support for food, prescription pick-ups, caregiving, medical supplies, and other material goods. Apply for aid on website. 
• Contact: lakeviewmutualaid@gmail.com

Care For Real

• Care for Real provides food for neighbors to prepare more than 1.62 million meals each year and, in addition, offers a free clothes closet,  a pet food pantry and support services.
• Have regular hours, also hold pop-up pantries and other events :
  • 5339 N Sheridan
    • Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9am-12pm
    • Saturday 9am-1pm
  • 1545 W Morse
    • Tuesday 12-2 pm
  • 6921 W Morse 
    • Tuesday 12-2 pm
  • 6921 N Ashland 
    • Thursday 4-6 pm

Affordable health insurance coverage at Illinois’ official health marketplace.

Understanding Insurance

Understanding Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

• For families with income too high to qualify for Medicaid

Understanding Cost Sharing: Deductibles, Co-Payments, and Co-Insurance
 

Illinois Housing Development Authority

• Rental and mortgage assistance as well as resources for utility bill assistance, legal aid, and affordable housing
• Listing of Illinois Housing Stability Providers

Rentervention

• Online virtual assistance to help connect you with resources to find emergency housing
• Help with eviction cases, negotiate with landlords, and manage other housing issues

Rental Payment Assistance

• Rental Payment Program Call Center: (866) 454-3571

Chicago Temple Salvation Army

• Homeless prevention & emergency assistance programs, Mobile feeding & homeless outreach, Shield of Hope program helping families in crisis, and Senior living programs
• 312-492-6803

Holsten Human Capital Development

• Housing services for seniors and those experiencing homelessness
• Community building, workforce development, and family works programs
• 312-274-9144

European American Association

• Energy and utility assistance directly to vendor
• Rent must cost 30% of house, must apply with proof of current bills
• 773-342-5533

The Night Ministry

• Housing, healthcare, and human connection to those experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty
• Youth engagement and Early Intervention for youth up to 21 and support servcies for all ages
• 773-784-9000, 1735 N Ashland Suite 2000

The Well of Mercy

• Focus on housing, shelter services 
• Support for single parents caught in cycles of abuse or poverty

Lurie Children's Gender Development Program

• Gender identity services accepting new patients up to age 22, seeing patients through age 25. 
  • Gender expansive or gender non-conforming children and adolescents 
  • Gender-questioning youth
  • Transgender and gender-fluid youth
• Call 1-800-KIDS-DOC to request initial appointment (1-800-543-7362)

Howard Brown Health Center

• Multiple locations offering services specifically targeted for youth.
  • Broadway Youth Center providing health and social services for ages 12-24
• Expert care to the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, looking to eliminate gaps in care for these individuals.
• 4025 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago IL, 60613- Main Location
• 773-388-1600

CALOR - provides holistic planning and coordination of health services to Latinos at risk of or living with HIV/AIDS and/or other disabilities, to empower them to live and work in the community.

• Programs
  • Housing for Persons with AIDS program (HOPWA)
  • Prevention program with testing and PrEP services
  • Pharmacy
  • Disability Services Program
• Mon-Fri, 9-5: 3201 W North Ave, Chicago, IL, 60651

Center on Halsted Youth Program - creates a safe and confidential environment for young people ages 13–24 who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, who are questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity, or who are straight allies (LGBTQIA).

• Programs:
  • Social, recreational, cultural, and educational programs
  • Opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth & families to connect, build community, network, share resources, and affirm their LGBTQ+ identities
  • A new mentoring program
  • A revamped Youth Advisory Board
  • A summer leadership academy
  • Robust arts programming
  • Anti-violence/anti-bullying programs
  • Youth & family behavioral health services
• Become a member by calling at 773-472-6469, ext 437 or by emailing at youthrsvp@centeronhalsted.org

​826 CHI Available Programs

• Summer Programs (FREE) 
  • Register on Website
    • WordLab Camp
    • Theater and Playwriting Camp
    • Eat Your Words Camp
    • Creative Writing Lab
• After School Writing Workshop
  • 4 days a week in Wicker Park location
  • Apply on website
• Field Trips
  • Writing, acting, history, and other enrichment focused trips
  • For grades 1-12
  • Apply on website

St. Joseph's Services Youth Programs

• Sites in Humboldt Park and Austin
• Programs
  • After School Program
  • Beyond Basketball
  • Open Gym
  • Proffesional Advanced Internship Development
  • All-day Summer Camp
• 773-278-0484

Casa Central Youth Programs

• Bilingual Programs in Spanish and English
  • School Age Program (Ages 5-12)
  • Early Learning Academy (ages 2-5)
  • Individual and Family Services as well
• info@casacentral.org, 773-645-2300

Chicago Youth Centers (CYC) helps youth ages 15 months to 18 years find joy in learning, growing socially and emotionally, and build skills for the jobs of tomorrow through early learning, aftershcool, and summer programs. CYC envisions a Chicago where every child has the resources, experiences, and metors they need to imagine and build bright futures.

Chicago Department of Public Safety Assistance

• To submit a request for:
  • Animal control
  • Graffiti removal
  • Consumer and employee protection
  • Filing a discrimination or hate-crime related report
  • Noise or pollution complaints
  • Filing a building code violation 
  • Request water lead testing
  • Report water shutoffs
  • Reporting abandoned vehicles, potholes, or streetlights that need to be replaced
• For complaints about police officers
• For non-emergency issues related to: (For emergency issues, please dial 911)
  • Gang or narcotics activity
  • Criminal or prostitution activity
  • Trouble buildings in your neighborhood

National Domestic Violence Hotline

• Call 1-877-863-6338  or TTY 1-877-863-6339 
• Online chat available as well
• The hotline is toll free, confidential, multilingual, and open 24-hour

DHS Offices and Service Providers 
 

Connections for Abused Women and Children

• Shelter services for women and children, counseling, advocacy, and help to build a long term plan
• 24/7 hotline: 773-278-4566
• Haymarket and Greenhouse shelters, and a hospital crisis intervention center

National Runaway Safeline

• Information for youths and teens, as well as concerned adults
• 24/7 crisis connection through call, online chat, or text
• Chicago Location:
  • 3141 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, 60657

Call4Calm

• Anonymous and free 24/7 for help for those struggling with stress during COVID-19 
• Text TALK for English or HABLAR for Spanish to 552020
• If you prefer to speak on the phone you can call on the Illinois Warm Line at 866-359-7953

CDPH Mental Health Centers

• Free teletherapy services during COVID-19
• Connection to social support and peer networks through Zoom, WhatsApp, and HouseParty
• Bilngual support services 

NAMI Chicago

• NAMI Chicago promotes community wellness, strives to break down barriers to mental health care, and provides support and expertise for families, professionals and individuals in Chicago and beyond. 
• Free and confidential helpline to call for yourself or someone you are concerned about
  • 833-NAMI-CHI (833-626-4244)
  • Monday- Friday: 9am-8pm and Sat and Sun: 9am-5pm
• Services
  • Help you find and understand mental health treatment options
  • Connect you to housing, food, legal resources, and more
• 1801 W Warner Ave Suite 202, Chicago, IL, 60613, info@namichicago.org

StepUp Website

• StepUp for Mental Health's mission is “To educate, fight causes and change minds about mental health and its impact on families.”
• Helpline, educational outreach, peer chats, provide small grants to families for basic needs, and hosting of small events and programs
• 773-273-9422

Thresholds

• Thresholds fights to transform the lives of people living with mental illnesses and substance use disorders. 
• Services
  • Intensive Outreach for Mental Health
  • Workforce Development Program
  • Deaf Program
  • Veterans Program
  • Transitioning from Institutional Care
  • Integrated primary and behavioral healthcare
  • And many others

Hopeful Beginning's of St Mary's

• Prenatal and postpartum counseling, adjusting to motherhood counseling, adoption planning
• Provides Mom Talk virtual support group

Caris Pregnancy Counseling and Resources 

• Programs Include:
  • C25 - Care to mothers and children 5 years and younger
  • Pregnancy counseling services
  • Mental health services

2-1-1 Metro Chicago Helpline
211 Metro Chicago is a free resource provided by United Way of Metro Chicago and it's partners, connecting all Cook County residents with essential health and social services to help them meet their basic needs. Trained, local specialists are available 24/7 to connect individuals with the support they need, such as food, housing, utility assistance, access to health care, and other vital resources.  Assistance is currently available in English and Spanish, with more languages coming soon.
Learn more at 211MetroChicago.org.
 

Important reminders: 

• Call 9-1-1 for emergencies
• Call 9-8-8 for the suicide and crisis lifeline

The Pilsen Center

• Has 15 programming sites located in communities with predominately Latin-origin residents in the Chicago area
• A community-based, human services organization with a 70% bilingual and bicultural staff

​
Services:

• Mental Health Progamming
• Treatment for substance use disorders
• Youth and HIV Prevention Services
• Alternative Secondary Education

CTA Reduced Fare Program

• Children ages 7-11, student reduced fare aged 7-20 (through high school), RTA reduced fare permits for seniors and individuals with disabilities 
• Free ride program for qualifying riders:
  • Military Service Pass
  • Seniors ride free, 65+ (Must be a part of Aging Benefit's Access Program to qualify)
  • People with diabilities ride free (Must be a part of Aging Benefit's Access Program to qualify)
• Info on how to apply for the Aging Benefit's Access Program

RTA Accessible Transit
Information about how the transit system is accessible, how to apply for certification for ADA Paratransit services, and how to learn to use the system and achieve travel independence.
 

Special Needs Chicago, Inc.
Provides wheelchair accessible transportation services throughout Chicagoland.
For more information or to make a reservation, call 630.668.9999 or email info@specialneedschicago.org
Please note: Special Needs Chicago will be changing it's name to Tootl Transport in the near future.
 

BriteLift, Inc.
Provides special needs transportation services to wheelchair users.  For additonal information or to make a reservation, call 847.792.1212 or email reservations@britelift.com.
 

Lyft WAV Rides
Request a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle via Lyft by requesting an "Access" ride.
 

Pace ADA Paratransit
A shared ride program offering free transportation to eligible riders.  For more information on eligibility visit their website at www.pacebus.com/ada.
 

Additional information on accessible transportation options in the city of Chicago can be found on the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities page on chicago.gov.

Also check with your insurance provider to see if they offer transportation benefits and their criteria for eligibility.

 

Teaching Sexual Education

• To help teachers, educators, and parents teach sexual health 
• Provides sexual development questions, tips, strategies, factsheets, parent packages, and other resources

Check out Scarleteen for more sexual health resources! 
 

Candor Health Education- Puberty & Development Education​

• Provides parents with resources to guide conversations with their children about puberty, sex education, and other related topics

The Period Collective

• a Chicago non-profit organization dedicated to promoting menstrual equity by ensuring individuals have access to menstrual products

 

Chicago Department of Public Health Vaccine Clinics. CDPH offers immunizations at no cost for children ages 0-18. 

CDC's Bridge Access Program is offered to adults so they can receive free COVID shots no matter health insurance status. 
 

The Chicago Dental Society Foundation Clinic provides low-cost and no-cost dental care to qualified residents of DuPage, Cook and Lake counties.
 

401 N. Michigan Ave.
Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60611

312-836-7300

Polished Dental Studio offers a low-cost, in-house dental savings plan for a nominal membership fee that includes preventative dental care and a discount on restorative work such as crowns and fillings.

Check out GoodRx for free drug coupons for discounts on medications!