Community Resources
for You and Your Family

Help, Support, and Services—All in One Place

Help, Support, and Services—All in One Place

Everyone needs support from time to time. This page brings together a range of trusted resources available across the Chicagoland area to help individuals and families meet everyday needs and navigate challenges.

Whether you’re looking for health and nutrition services, housing or employment assistance, clothing and household goods, safety and shelter options, or counseling and mental health support, these resources are here for you.

Participation in this research study does not require using any of the services listed below. They are shared simply as information, so you can choose what may be helpful for you or your family—now or in the future. Resources are available for parents, caregivers, and teens, and many offer low-cost or free services.

Explore these options and reach out directly to the organizations that best fit your needs.

General Resources & Referral Centers

Cook County Community Service Centers

Cook County Community Service Centers
Community Service Centers help individuals and families in need access a wide range of resources from shelter, food and clothing to domestic violence assistance, job training/placement and services for the formerly incarcerated. Clients can also get information about rental, utility and other financial assistance programs. The facilities serve as Warming and Cooling Centers during periods of extreme weather.

Salvation Army Metropolitan Division
The Salvation Army provides a range of services from emergency assistance, grocery assistance, educational and recreation programs, NICOR heating assistance, rehabilitation services, emergency lodging, spiritual services, disaster services, human trafficking and exploitation outreach/referrals, and senior services.

YMCA of Metro Chicago
The YMCA offers youth safety and violence prevention, youth and teen leadership programs,youth in government, and housing support.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago
The Boys & Girls Club is known for supporting youth and helping them develop their character & leadership skills, Additionally they offer a variety of programming that helps empower them in their pursuit of their education or career, develop health and life skills, as well as exposure to the arts, fitness & sports.

Health & Nutritional Needs

Greater Food Depository

Greater Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository is one of Chicagoland’s largest food banks providing SNAP assistance, nutrition for children, food assistance for older adults, veteran food assistance, Chicago’s Community Kitchens provide food service job training to unemployed and underemployed adults.

Meals on Wheels Chicago
Meals on Wheels offers delivered meals and home modifications for the elderly and disabled.

A Just Harvest
All are welcome at this community kitchen! There is no need for referrals or to present identification.

Community Health
More than a clinic, Community Health believes in quality health care for all. As one of the largest volunteer-based health centers in the nation, they provide primary and specialty care, medications, lab testing, mental health services, and health education at no charge to low-income, uninsured and underinsured adults in Chicago.

Community Health Centers
All across the city of Chicago, the Department of Public Health offers Community Health Centers intended for underserved populations that provide comprehensive primary and preventive care regardless of a person’s ability to pay.

Housing & Employment Assistance

Illinois workNet Center

Illinois workNet Center
Offering workforce training, and local work support services as well as virtual job fairs, events and resources.

Chicago House
Since 1985, the Chicago House has supported individuals and families impacted by HIV with housing, health, and employment services.

All Chicago
All Chicago’s mission is to link the community to resources to provide solutions that ensure and sustain the stability of home. They offer emergency funds that fill gaps, while working with partners across the city that help diverse populations, and ensuring all have the information and preparation needed to meet old and new challenges.

Chicago Housing Authority
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) offers affordable rental housing opportunities with open waitlists.

CEDA
We connect people with the services & opportunities they need to lift themselves out of poverty.

Clothing & Household Needs

Cradles to Crayons

Cradles to Crayons
Since 2002, with its birth in Boston, MA to today, Cradles to Crayons works with families, individuals, community groups, and companies to process clothing donations at The Giving Factory and provide local disadvantaged children with the essentials they need, free of charge— through our collaborative network of diverse service partners.

Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center
The Salvation Army stores offer significant savings over retail prices providing opportunities to individuals and families to more easily afford necessities, such as clothes, kitchenware, electronics, and more.

Goodwill Store and Donation Center
The Goodwill Washington Store & Donation center offers unique thrift shop finds for resale store shoppers in and around the West Loop of Chicago. Our second hand stores feature gently-used clothing, housewares, sporting goods, books, music, movies, toys, games and more. Donations to Goodwill help fund job training and placement programs.

Safety and Shelter

Connections for Abused Women and their Children

Connections for Abused Women and their Children
Empowering adults and children with the skills they need to live a life that is free of fear and to move forward on their healing journey. Using a self-help, empowering approach, CAWC provides education, services, and institutional advocacy.

Family Rescue
For 40 years, Family Rescue has provided high-quality, comprehensive services for people subjected to abuse to assist them as they rebuild their foundation in a violence-free home.

Homeless Shelter Directory
A comprehensive list of homeless shelters and services for the unhoused across Chicagoland.

Counseling Services

The Family Institute at Northwestern University

The Family Institute at Northwestern University
Mental health care is provided on a sliding scale regardless of one’s ability to pay. Additionally, they offer a variety of services designed to help support individuals with managing family communication, resolving conflict, addressing intimacy issues, as well as support for a range of emotional or behavioral problems including anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago
Offering trauma-informed, strength-based individual and family counseling sessions, as well as art therapy, dance movement therapy, and play therapy. The team is committed to helping individuals identify needs, connect with community resources, apply for appropriate assistance, and advocate for other services.

Howard Brown Health
Howard Brown Health provides affirming healthcare and mobilizes for social justice. The agency serves more than 40,000 adults and youth in its diverse health and social service delivery system focused around seven major programmatic divisions including behavioral health, community initiatives, primary medical care, youth services, and more.

Find a broader list of services across Cook County.