Making a Difference Resources

The following agencies and organizations offer relief, aid and volunteer opportunities to various groups. Turning to these you can find answers to many of your questions.

IMMIGRATION SERVICES

Alliance for Immigrant Neighbors

382 S Mount Prospect Road

Des Plaines, IL 6001

(224) 443-0113

Provides general consultations and help with legal permanent residency, citizenship, family petitions, and Deferred Action and Early Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

101 W Congress Parkway

Chicago, IL 60605

(800) 375-5283

Forms needed to apply for citizenship are readily available to print as well as information on how to apply. For Green Card seekers, there is also information on eligibility, the process and procedure, renewal process, and the forms needed to apply. For more information on USCIS services in Chicago, click here.

Instituto

2520 S Western Avenue

Chicago, IL 60608

(773) 890-0055

Offers citizenship programs and services that help residents navigate the application process to become a U.S. citizen. This includes assessment of eligibility, general orientation of the process and expectations, citizenship and civics courses in English and Spanish, interview preparation, and completion of necessary forms and documentations including N-400 and N-600 applications. Click here for more info.

Note: Services available in Spanish

World Relief Chicago Office

3507 W Lawrence Avenue, Suite 208

Chicago, IL 60625

(773) 583-9191

Provides immigration legal and citizenship services that include consultations that determine eligibility for immigration, benefits and naturalization, applications for citizenship, family-based petitions, and applications for permanent residence for refugees, asylums, and immigrants in general, work permit and travel document applications, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Click here for more information on their immigration legal services and here for their citizenship services.

The Resurrection Project

1805 S Ashland Avenue

Chicago, IL 60608

(312) 666-3062

The Resurrection Project (TRP) offers walk-in consultations on Tuesday mornings as well as DACA and citizenship services. Click here for more information.

Note: Services available in Spanish

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council

1751 W 47th Street, 2nd Floor

Chicago, IL 60609

(773) 523-4416 ext. 100

Volunteer opportunities are offered year-round and include helping high school students with their college and financial aid applications, neighborhood clean-up days, wrapping presents for their Toy Drives, moderate a conversational English group, and senior citizen service projects. Click here for more information.

Gads Hill Center

1919 W Cullerton Street

Chicago, IL 60608

(312) 226-0963

Gads Hill Center offers the opportunity to volunteer in their after school programs where the volunteer can lead a month-long module in their area of interest for their teens in Building Leaders and school-age children in Junior Building Leaders. You can also volunteer with their PlayStreets initiative which takes place over the summer between the months of June and August. Here you assist with the set-up-, clean-up and leading activities for their events that promote safe places and active place for children and their parents. There is also opportunities to tutor high school and college-bound students in their Building Leaders program one day per week, 2-3 hours between 3:30-6:30pm. Click here for more information.

Gilda’s Club Chicago

537 N. Wells Street (Chicago)

4440 W. 95th Street (Oak Lawn)

312-464-9900, ext 114

Gilda’s Club Chicago offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for both individuals and corporate groups. We need help with camps, special events (parties), Clubhouse activities (lectures, cooking demos), as well as front desk coverage and various administrative tasks (stuffing envelopes, distributing calendars, etc.). Click here for more information.

Greater Food Depository

4100 W Ann Lurie Place

Chicago, IL 60632

(773) 247-3663

The Greater Food Depository offers individual, group, and family volunteer opportunities. Tasks include repackaging food for families, preparing boxes with assortments of food, checking expirations dates, sorting fresh produce, and labeling and gathering donations. You can also volunteer to aid in shipment of food, deliver fresh product to member agencies, and pick up food drive donations locally. Click here for more information.

Child Link

955 W Cermak Road, 2nd Floor

Chicago, IL 60608

(312) 377-4735

Child Link’s volunteer opportunities include volunteering for events and drives such as Women’s Initiative Luncheon in July, Back to School Supply Drive from July to August, Whiskey Tasting in February, Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Tasting Celebration in November and Children’s Holiday Toy Drive and party in December. Click here for more information.

Ronald McDonald House Charities

1301 W 22nd Street, Suite 905

Oak Brook, IL 60523

(630) 623-5300

Ronald McDonald House Charities provides volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups. Group opportunities include volunteering in their Family Activities Program where you will be aiding in providing daily activities where you can share your time and talent with families, Meals from the Heart where you plan a menu and provide the ingredients for those in need, and Cookies from the Heart where you work in the kitchen to make cooking from scratch for families. For individuals, volunteer opportunities include family ambassadors, house refreshers, kitchen helpers, transplant liaisons, home improvement team, and meal helper. Click here for more information.

Domestic Violence Legal Group

555 W Harrison Street, Suite 1900

Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 325-9155

Domestic Violence Legal Group offers volunteer opportunities in their Emergency Services Division. Volunteers work directly with survivors of domestic violence on various legal issues and is open to students, attorneys, and legal professionals. Click here for more information.

DISABILITY SUPPORT

Anixter Center

2001 N Clybourn Avenue, 3rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60614

Anixter Center provides literacy, education, and professional services for children, teens and adults with disabilities. They do this through community support, educational services, job training, employment/business services, health and behavioral health services, and residential and housing support.

Autism Speaks

3500 W Peterson Avenue, Suite 204

Chicago, IL 60659

(224) 567-8573

Autism Speaks offers solutions to the needs of people with autism and their families. Services include increasing global understanding and acceptance, advancing breakthroughs in autism research, expanding early childhood screening and intervention, improving the transition to adulthood, and ensuring access to reliable information across the life span.

Easterseals Metropolitan Chicago

1939 W 13th Street, Suite 300

Chicago, IL 60608

(312) 491-4110

Easterseals offers services for children and adults with disabilities and their families. They services include accessibility resources, autism services, camping and recreation, daycare, employment and training, in-home care, mental health services, therapy, veteran reintegration, senior career employment, and respite services.

Little City

650 E Algonquin Road

Schaumburg, IL 60173

(847) 358-3219

Little City assists children and adults, along with their families, with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing education, training, skills and encouragement. Their services include residential services, therapeutic day school, home-based supports, foster care and adoption aid, and more.

Access Living

115 W Chicago Avenue

Chicago, IL 60654

(312) 640-2100

Access Living works to provide independence and inclusion to people with disabilities in Chicago. Their services include mentoring and education to fundamental tools that will help them overcome societal barriers. They are also constantly advocating for long-term solutions to the improvement of the lives of people with disabilities, they pursue individual and class action legal work to protect the rights of people with disabilities in the areas of community integration an fair housing, they provide resources for employment, health care, housing, and other, they include a permanent collection of art by people with disabilities, as well as do public awareness and outreach.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network

1 E Wacker Drive, Suite 1630

Chicago, IL 60601

(312) 527-0730

Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network is a membership organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of those impacted by domestic violence through education, public policy, and advocacy, and the connection pf community members to direct service providers.

Domestic Violence Legal Clinic

555 W Harrison Street, Suite 1900

Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 325-9155

The Domestic Violence Legal Clinic provides free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals in Cook County. Their services include order of protection, divorce and parentage disputes, immigration services, advice, information, referrals, and other brief services.

Connections for Abused Women and their Children

1116 W Kedzie Ave

Chicago, IL 60651

(773) 489-9081

Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC) is committed to ending domestic violence through a self-help, empowerment approach for women and children. Their services include emergency shelter, individual and group counseling, life skills training in goal setting, budgeting, and safety planning, housing, income, employment and educational information, lefal advocacy including court orders and immigration, and specialized services for children who have witnessed domestic violence to help break the cycle of violence in families.

Mujeres Latinas en Acción

2124 W 21st Place

Chicago, IL 60608

(773) 890-7676

Mujeres Latinas en Acción is a bilingual and bicultural agency that empowers Latinas. Their Domestic Violence Programs works to eliminate domestic violence and assists survivors to break the cycle of abuse in their families and in their lives through comprehensive services such as information and referrals to crisis intervention, legal advocacy, individual and group counseling.

Note: Services available in Spanish

Family Rescue

9204 S Commercial Avenue, Suite 401

Chicago, IL 60617

(773) 375-1918

Family Rescue is dedicated to eliminating domestic violence in the Chicago community by providing comprehensive support services and shelter to victims of domestic violence; particularly to abused women and their children; engaging in advocacy to promote future system change and encouraging prevention through community education.

MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES

Chicago Urban League

4510 S Michigan Avenue

Chicago, IL 60653

(773) 285-5800

Chicago Urban League has a Human Capital Development program that is designed to cultivate the kind of transformational growth and commitment from individuals that will lead to economic self0sufficiency and improved quality of life. They do this by offering outreach, mentoring, intake and assessment, individual and group counseling, job readiness training, and referrals for wrap-around services. Click here for more information.

The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division

5040 N Pulaski Road

Chicago, IL 60630

The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division seeks to help mentor youth through character-building and mentoring programs. Their weekly scout-style and mentoring programs are designed to support youth and teens as they navigate their world and grow into adulthood. The topics that get addressed can include bullying, peer pressure, making a positive impact on the community, family life, and more. Click here for more information.

Chinese American Service League

2141 S Tan Court

Chicago, IL 60616

(312) 791-0418

The Chinese American Service League offers youth mentoring from early childhood to their teen years. Their services include a Child Development Center which is a full-day multilingual preschool for children ages 2 to 5 years old. They school have a School Age Center which offers full-day and after-school programming for children ages 5 to 12 years old. In addition, their Youth Development Program offers a safe, supervised, and welcoming environment that supports the holistic development of youth in grades 6th through 12th where academic tutoring, preparation for college entry exams, leadership training, life skills workshops, and many more services are provided. Click here for more information.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago

560 W Lake Street, 5th Floor

Chicago, IL 60661

(312) 207-5600

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago is a mentoring organization that provides children between the ages of 7 to 14 years old high quality 1:1 mentoring services to Metro Chicago’s most at-risk children and their families across four counties: Cook, DuPage, and Lake Counties in Illinois and Indiana.

Chicago Tutoring Connection

641 W Lake Street, Suite 200

Chicago, IL 60661

(312) 690-4235

Chicago Tutoring Connection, formerly Cabrini Connections, offers economically disadvantaged students in grades 7th-12th succeed in high school and move on to college or a career. The students meet one-on-one with their adult volunteer tutor/mentors once a week during the school year.

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