The Cara Program
703 West Monroe
Chicago, IL 60661
www.thecaraprogram.org
The mission of The Cara Program is to assist the homeless and at-risk populations in their efforts to achieve real and lasting success by providing comprehensive training, permanent job placement and critical support services. Founded in 1991 by Tom Owens, The Cara Program works in coordination with other agencies, several of which are part of the KUC Outreach Program, to source, screen, train and find jobs for the most disadvantaged segment of our population. Developing skills to positively approach work and life is the foundation of The Cara Program.
The Transformation Seminar anchors the program and includes critical life skills classes, followed by job training and specialized skills training. The core of the Transformations Seminar is focused on topics such as self-esteem building, ethics, conflict management, diversity training and daily motivations. The results speak for themselves: over 2,300 individuals affected by homelessness and poverty placed into quality, permanent jobs. Currently 73 percent of students remain employed for more than one year. The current average hourly wage for employed students is $11.00, more than $4.00 above the federal minimum wage. Over 100+ Chicago area companies hire Cara students.
Casa Central
1343 N. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
www.casacentral.org
Casa Central was founded in 1954 by a multi-denominational group of churches, to assist a growing population of Hispanics adjusting to life in Chicago's inner city. The agency has grown to become the largest Hispanic social service agency in the Midwest. Its 23 programs are organized into four categories of services to reach populations in need: 1) Early Learning and Out-of-School-Time programs, 2)Child Welfare Services, 3) Family Services, and 4) Senior Programs. Casa Central's facilities are located in the Humboldt Park Neighborhood. KUC has focused its outreach funds primarily towards the LaPosado program which provides homeless families temporary housing (usually up to 9 months), childcare and job training programs, computer accessibility and training, with the goal of enabling families to transition into their own homes and jobs again. Casa Central always welcomes volunteer help and donations of household supplies, school and computer supplies, toys, books and games for children. KUC groups have volunteered at Casa Central in the past.
Chicago Child Care Society
5467 South University Ave.
Chicago, IL 60615
www.cccsociety.org
Chicago Child Care Society is a multi-service, non-profit child welfare agency that delivers high impact intervention and prevention services for children and youth who are facing significant challenges in their lives. Founded in 1849, as the Chicago Orphan Asylum, CCCS is Illiois' oldest child welfare agency. Our mission is to provide innovative, community-based education and social service programs that address the current and emerging needs of vulnerable children and their families.
Our programs address early childhood (2-5 years), teen parents, at-risk adolescents/teens, foster care and tackle societal issues of poverty, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and inadequate child care and healthcare. CCCS provides comprehensive support for children and links families to services that address individual needs and contribute to independence and long-term success. CCCS remains a well-known organization in the Hyde Park and Kenwood communities. Our address: 5467 S. University Ave.,Chicago, IL Our website: www.cccsociety.org
Chicago Christian Industrial League
2750 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Chicago, IL 60608
www.ccilworks.org
Chicago Foundation for Education
400 North Michigan Ave. #311
Chicago, IL 60611
www.cfegrants.org
Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation
820 Davis Street, Suite 520
Evanston, IL 60201
847-492-8510
www.bpkids.org
The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF) is a national nonprofit organization located in Wilmette, IL dedicated to improving the lives of families, chidlren, and teens living with bipolar disorder, depression, and related conditions. CABF was founded in 1999 by two North Shore mothers who were determined to find answers to their children's baffling behavior. CABF offers resources, conection, and hope to families and teens who are struggling with mood disorders, often in isolation. CABF combats stigma by bringing mental illness into the light of public discourse through advocacy and education. Our websites are www.bpkids.org and www.depressedteens.com.
Mood disorders are as biological as diabetes, but are viewed differently. Those who live with mental illness also are affected by stigma, shame, and ignorance, which act as barriers to treatment. A high school classroom of thirty students may have as many as four teens with mental health needs, but only one in four receives care. Adolescence offers a critical window when treatment, education, and self-management skills can make all the difference in building a successful future. We canot afford to fail vulnerable young people; their lives hold great potential. They are our friends, siblings, neighbors, classmates, our sons, and our daughters.
Christopher House
2507 N. Greenview Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
www.christopherhouse.org
For more than 100 years, Christopher House has made a real difference in the lives of thousands of low-income families on Chicago's north and west sides. Each year, Christopher House's five locations serve more than 4,000 children and their family members, providing a wide variety of quality services, including nationally accredited early childhood education, afterschool and summer youth programs, teen parent and infant development programs, adult education, counseling, parent education, emergency assistance, food pantry and more.
Low-income families come to Christopher House to receive education and other support services that help them overcome obstacles of poverty to succeed. The programs have a successful track record. A few examples of accomplishments include: 84% of five-year-olds leave the early childhood program ready for kindergarten; 86% of teens in the college and career prep services take the right steps to ensure college success; and 100% of teen mothers in the parenting program are enrolled with a medical provider. With help from Kenilworth Union Church, Christopher House provides holiday gifts and meals to over 1500 families each December.
Community Health Clinic
2611 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
www.communityhealth.org
Connections for Abused Women and Their Children
P.O. Box 477916
Chicago, IL 60647
Executive Director: Cordelia Ryan
KUC Liaison is Ronald Sipora
www.cawc.org
Deborah’s Place
2822 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60612
www.deborahsplace.org
FAN (Family Awareness Network)
Box 236, 1187 Wilmette Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091
www.fan-ntts.org
The Family Awareness Network of New Trier Township (FAN) was founded in 1982 as the Parent Alliance for Drug and Alcohol Awareness (PADA), in conjunction with the New Trier Parents' Association, to address drug and alcohol abuse in the community. In 1999, the organization was renamed with a broadened mission "to build confidence and connections" among parents. FAN has a parent-run, all-volunteer Board, and is funded primarily through all of the public, private and parochial schools in the Township. FAN works through a liaison system established with each longer history of FAN's programs is available at their website, www.fan-ntts.org.
FAN's primary work is presenting national and international speakers on topics relevant to parents, often in collaboration with other schools and organizations within the Township. FAN's positive, must-see programs are very well-attended, and audience surveys show that they are highly satisfied with the quality of the speakers, the topics, and the format. FAN's focus on engaging, intelligent programming and dedication to collaborative ventures has had a profound effect on families, schools, and the community.
Family Focus of Evanston
2010 Dewey Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
www.family.focus.org
The mission of Family Focus is to promote the well-being of children from birth by supporting and strengthening their families in and within their communities. They offer a myriad of services that strive to support and strengthen individuals and their families. All programs were established based on the Family Support principles. There are four main programs that work to fulfill the mission. The programs include: the primary prevention after-school program, the 21st century after-school program, the teen parent services program and the foster family support program. Each program offers a variety of services which include but are not limited to: academic assistance, medical/developmental support, employment support, and mental health assistance. Although the majority of the services are provided at the Family Focus Center, the staff also conduct outreach at the local schools and provide home visits to families as needed. All services are provided to individuals free of charge.
Family Matters
7731 N. Marshfield Ave.
Chicago, IL 60626
www.familymatterschicago.org
Family Matters is a family-centered organization in the North of Howard neighborhood that seeks to be a catalyst for change-building and strengthening the community through programs that support personal growth and leadership. Family Connections is an accredited, developmentally enriching after-school program for ages 5-12 that incorporates family and community involvement. Four gender-specific Teen Programs for ages 11-18 provide leadership and community-building opportunities. Community Tutoring offers a variety of programs both at Family Matters and at the neighborhood public school, Gale Academy. The Respectful Classroom is a social and emotional learning curriculum developed by Family Matters that is currently being implemented in the fourth and sixth grades at Gale Academy. It is based upon the Principles of Leadership that are practiced at every level of the organization: 1) utilizing peaceful conflict resolution, 2) embracing positive thinking and language and 3) understanding choices and consequences. The Gale Parent Resource and Development Room is the main focus of Family Matters' Community Organizing Initiative. It supports parental involvement in the educational achievement of their children.
Family Service Center of Wilmette
1167 Wilmette Avenue
Wilmette, IL 60091
(see write up below)
www.familyservicecenter.com
Family Service Center of Winnetka and Northfield
992 ½ Green Bay Road
Winnetka, IL 60093
www.familyservicewn.org
The Family Service Center, a private, not-for-profit organization, has offices in Wilmette, Glenview and Northbrook.
The mission of the Family Service Center is to assist individuals and families in achieving improved well-being and to be a leading resource for providing education, consultation and psychotherapy to those who live, work, or attend school in Glenview, Kenilworth, Northbrook, and Wilmette.
The family is the basic unit of well-being. It is our core belief that families have the resources to adequately respond to life's challenges. Our job is not to do for, but to facilitate the efforts of individuals and theif families to more effectively resolve the problems in their lives and improve their ability to respond to stressful events.
For almost 100 years, the highly trained professional staff at the FSC has been able to lend a helping hand to people who are dealing with life's transitions and challenges. The emotional reverberations of these events are not limited to the individual, but flow through the whole family network. Fees can be modified according to a family's income due to the support of the United Way, townships and private fundraising. Appointments can be made by calling (847) 251-7350. A therapist will call back within 48 hours to schedule the first appointment (often within 5 days of the initial call.)
Geneva Foundation of Presbyterian Homes
3200 Grant Street
Evanston, IL 60201
www.presbyterianhomes.org/geneva
Ghana Ministry
The Ghana Ministry seeks to engage KUC church members in the building of wells which provide clean water in Ghana, West Africa, in the Ashanti region and beyond; and to support our school in Krapa which the church has built and funded. We have built a number of very effective water wells in villages and in schools and, on returning, have witnessed the improved health and hope that clean water brings. These contributions are accepted as KUC members are inspired to participate and any amount is welcomed.
The second part of our Ghana ministry is the support of the KUC Junior School in Krapa. This Junior school is the only one of its kind in the region and is serving middle school children whose education would likely have terminated without it. We have provided three rooms and a boys and girls bathroom. We have provided a well solely for the school. We are continuing with more rooms and science equipment, library books, and computers. We would be happy to accept more funds to continue to make this school a special school with the best possible resources for the children. We dream that the school can keep adding a room and a grade each year and that the children who began in sixth grade last year will be able to continue their education through high school. The government will provide desks and teachers but all other materials including the building itself will depend on the generosity of people here. Each year we return to the area to document the progress of our Ministry and we get reports regularly which document the use of funds.
Good News Community Kitchen
7649 N. Paulina Street
Chicago, IL 60626
www.gnck.org
The Good News Community Kitchen serves nutritious, not meals to the needy in the North of Howard neighborhood of Chicago's Rogers Park. The Kitchen began serving a few meals a week in 1983 and through its unique partnership with thirty congregations and community organizations, it now provides meals 365 days a year. The Kitchen serves around 125 people every evening. In addition, the Kitchen has established a community organizing effort, northside POWER to advocate for safer streets, increased access to healthcare, job training and living wage jobs for kitchen patrons and community residents.
Kenilworth Union Church is one of the Kitchen's partner congregations. On the second Monday of each month, eight to ten volunteers from the congregation purchase food off of a pre-assigned shopping list and meet at the Kitchen to provide food service. It's a great opportunity for family and friends to experience the full impact of Kenilworth Union's outreach ministry.
HAVEN Youth and Family Services
560 Green Bay Road Suite 10
Winnetka, IL 60093
www.havenforyouth.org
Haven Youth and Family Services began in 1976 with an outreach program for youth. Subsequently, a 24-hour crisis intervention and emergency housing program for adolescents and their families was established. The agency continued to grow and developed programs focused on prevention.
Each day, Haven outreach workers are in New Trier High School and Washburne Middle School. Haven works collaboratively with school staff as well as many other community agencies to identify and prevent crises. The workers provide informal counseling and guidance for the students. Additionally, these workers provide psycho-educational workshops, youth boards and service-learning opportunities to students. Free counseling with a licensed clinical social worker is also available for teens and their families at Haven.
Holy Family Lutheran School
4256 West Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60093
www.holyfamilyministries.org
Holy Trinity High School
1443 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622
www.holytrinity-hs.org
Holy Trinity High School is a Catholic, co-educational high school sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross and located on the near-north side of Chicago. Holy Trinity serves predominantly low-income, at-risk teenagers from some of the city's most challenging communities.
The school's experience faculty and staff provide individualized attention, a challenging academic curriculum, and strong moral guidance, creating a learning environment that transforms the hearts and minds of students, allowing them to realize their goals and ambitions. Holy Trinity students develop a strong foundation based on self-respect, discipline, and social awareness. Since 2006, 100 percent of Holy Trinity graduates have achieved college acceptance.
Holy Trinity operates without public funding or funding from the Archdiocese of Chicago. Tuition payments amount to about 28 percent of the school's operating budget. Outside scholarship agencies contribute another 18 percent, with Holy Trinity raising the remaining 54 percent from individuals, corporations, and other organizations. KUC's support provides scholarships to three Holy Trinity Honor Roll students-who qualify for the scholarship by scoring above the 85th percentile on the school's entrance exam, maintaining a 3.5 cumulative grade-point average, and participating in service to the school and community.
Infant Welfare Society of Evanston, Inc.
2200 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202
www.infantwelfaresocietyof evanston.com
The Infant Welfare Society is a 96-year-old agency serving the needs of the youngest, neediest members of the Evanston and Northwest side communities. The center is located just east of McCormick Boulevard on Main Street in Northwest Evanston. The new Executive Director is Cass Wolse. The liaison and volunteer contact is Sarah Valle. They may be contacted for additional information or to volunteer at (847) 491-9650 or sarahvalle@iwse.org. The Infant Welfare Society of Evanston provides the following services:
- Full day child care for children 6 weeks to 3 years old for 70 children through Early Head Start, Subsidized Care, and Private Pay.
- Full day child care for children six weeks to three years old for 16 children who are parented by teenagers. Early Head Start child care.
- Family Support Services including prenatal groups, home visiting programs, parent training and support, developmental screening and assessment, therapeutic intervention and group sessions.
Volunteers are needed to work with the pre-school children anytime during normal school hours to read to children, play with them and work on crafts. For anyone who loves being with children this is a perfect opportunity to reach out and make a difference. For those looking for something less frequent, there are parent meetings once a month at the center from 5:30-7:00 pm and they desperately need volunteers to babysit the children while their parents attend meetings. Please contact Sarah Valle.
Interfaith Refugee & Immigration Ministries
4753 N. Broadway, Suite 410
Chicago, IL 60640
www.irim.org
The Josselyn Center
405 Central Avenue
Northfield, IL 60093
www.josselyn.org
The Josselyn Center is located at 405 Central Avenue in Northfield. The Center's phone number is(847) 441-5600. The Josselyn Center's mission statement is: "The Josselyn Center will provide the highest quality interdisciplinary mental health, substance abuse and related services for children, adolescents, adults and families without regard to their ability to pay as well as for organizations, corporations, and the community at large."
Established in 1951 by Dr. Irene Josselyn and other concerned community leaders, The Josselyn Center continues to provide comprehensive and affordable outpatient mental health service to individuals of all ages who live, work or attend school in Kenilworth and other communities in the northern suburbs. We are the only resource on the North Shore that provides psychiatric assessment, intervention, and maintenance services, case management and referral services, and family and individual counseling, all on a sliding fee scale basis. In addition, we provide a wide range of therapeutic and support groups for children, adults and families. Our community programs include: the CLR Drop-in Center for adults with mental illness; Foundations for Wellness for school children in grades 1-8; and Camp NEEKA, a therapeutic summer day camp for children ages 8-12. We also provide a broad range of educational and mental health related programs for professionals and the general community.
Juvenile Protective Association
1707 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614
www.juvenile.org
The Juvenile Protective Association (JPA) serves youth, family, and adults in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The non-for-profit organization offers child services in the form of early intervention for parents and young children. They provide a wide range of counseling modalities to meet the unique needs of each family, including counseling to work on parenting issues and to strengthen the parent-child relationship, couples counseling focusing on shared parenting challenges, individual therapy for parents to address mental health issues that inhibit optimal parenting and play therapy for children to address traumatic experiences. JPA has developed and implemented a systematic approach to measuring the effectiveness of family therapy in strengthening the adaptive family functioning.
JPA is also an advocacy group to support social policy and services that protect children and enhance their development and to ensure that best interests and constitutional rights are recognized for children and families. The program also offers professional education/technical assistance to train professionals in child welfare, early childhood and developmental psychology.
The Juvenile Protective Association is always looking for volunteers for their Board of Directors as well as their Auxiliary Board.
Lake View Academy
716 West Addison
Chicago, IL 60613
www.lakeviewpresbyterian.org
LEARN Charter School
1132 S. Homan
Chicago, IL 60624
www.learncharter.org
LEARN Charter School and its predecessor Lawndale Community School have provided high quality education for disadvantaged children living in the North Lawndale community since 1980. The school is located on the west side of Chicago and the students are chosen by a lottery system for grades K-8. Lawndale is one of the most impovershed neighborhoods in Chicago. There are over 30 gangs operating in the area and the crime rate is high. Over 60 percent of the households are headed by single African-American women and over half of the neighborhood adults do not have high school degrees.
LEARN's educational model is based on its adherence to a small student-teacher ratio, an extended school year, mandatory parental involvement, college preparatory curriculum, expectations of high academic achievement and a strong emphasis on character development. LEARN has established an impressive record of success. Test scores average at the 47th percentile for reading and the 57th percentile for math. Attendance rates average 98 percent and 97 percent of LEARN graduates complete high school as compared to 30 percent at Chicago's public schools. Many LEARN students receive scholarships to highly-rated high schools in Chicago. LEARN's vision is to change the world, one classroom at a time. To that end, it has taken the best of its history and traditions to develop a model that will provide exceptional education to the children living in the North Lawndale community.
Links-North Shore Youth Health Service
1779 Maple Street
Northfield, IL 60093
www.linksyouth.org
Merit School of Music
38 South Peoria
Chicago, IL 60607
www.meritmusic.org
Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care Center
2050 Claire Court
Glenview, IL 60025
www.carecenter.org
The mission of the Midwest Palliative and Hospice Care Center (Care Center) is to provide independence, wellness, comfort, and quality of life for the chronically and seriously ill, aging and dying in our region through the delivery of a compassionate, medically excellent continuum of palliative and hospice care, home health and supportive services. The Care Center also provides free support services for the bereaved of the community regardless of whether their loved one died in its care. These services include emergency and homeless, physical and mental health, residential, education, multi-services, and community organizations. The agency operates with a budget of about $25,000,000 and employs about 350 full and part-time professionals and support personnel. Over 300 volunteers also contribute their time and talents (including many KUC members, now and in the past). Most of its funding is from Medicare for its home and in-patient hospice program. However, donations and other funding activities raise over $1,000,000 a year. The Care Center operates in northern Cook County and all of Lake County.
National Student Partnerships
1615 Oak Street
Evanston, IL 60201
www.nspnet.org
The Night Ministry
4711 Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
www.thenightministry.org
The Night Ministry began in 1976, as a collaboration of 18 congregations of diverse faiths, who sought to address the lack of services for people who were homeless, precariously housed, or at-risk. Annually, we serve around 4,100 individuals with approximately 54,000 contacts through health outreach programs, and over 2,400 through youth shelter and services programs. Our office is located in Ravenswood: we have youth shelter locations in Lakeview and West Town; and our 38-foot Health Outreach Bus makes regular scheduled stops to: Humboldt Park, Lakeview, South Shore, Uptown, Wicker Park, and Pilsen.
The Night Ministry currently operates 4 programs: Open Door Youth Shelter West Town, Open Door Youth Shelter Lakeview, Response-Ability Pregnant and Parenting program (RAPPP), Youth Outreach, and Outreach and Health Ministry. The addition of the Night Ministry's newest programs, bot the Transitional Living Program and RAPPP, has allowed us to double the number of beds for youth from 16 to 32. Our programs serve homeless youth and adults, working poor, uninsured/underinsured individuals, those who are seeking to learn their HIV status, and others who have fallen through the cracks of our social service systems. The Night Ministry values our continued partnership with KUC.
North Shore Senior Center
161 Northfield Road
Northfield, IL 60093
www.nssc.org
The Mission of the North Shore Senior Center is to support the independence and well-baing of older adults, enhance their dignity and self respect, and promote their participation in all aspects of community life.
To Carry out its mission, the North Shore Senior Center provides:
1) Comprehensive social services to active seniors and their families in need of financial, medical, and other support.
2) A broad range of case management services to seniors who are frail, disabled, suffer from dementia or abuse. Seniors who might otherwise require nursing home placement are provided with home and community-based services. Older seniors, especially those over age 85, often need a considerable amount of functional, medical and/or emotional help.
3) Classes, exercise programs, discussion groups, art studio, and other activities to promote seniors' health and independence.
With help from the North Shore Senior Center, seniors may continue to live independently in their communities. That way, they can share their experience and wisdom with others and enhance the lives of those around them.
Northwestern University Settlement Association
1400 W. Augusta Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60622
www.nush.org
Samaritan Counseling Center
690 Oak Street
Winnetka, IL 60093
www.northshoresamaritan.org
Sarah's Circle
4750 N. Sheridan, Suite 220
Chicago, IL 60640
www.sarahs-circle.org
Sarah's Circle is an agency dedicated to serving women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, Sarah's Circle operates a daytime services center which provides food, clothing, laundry and shower facilities, and multiple communication services. Additionally, the agency provides permanent supportive housing, case management, and clinical services. Sarah's Circle has been serving women for thirty years, and is not only a well-established agency, but one of the few remaining agencies focused on comprehensive services for women who are homeless. Each year, Sarah's Circle serves over 650 women, provides 26,000 meals, and distributes over 5,000 pieces of clothing, and much, much more.
A unique aspect of Sarah's is the multiple ways to volunteer. Volunteers are very welcome at Sarah's! Please see below for different types of opportunities. Each volunteer who comes to Sarah's Circle arrives with a set of skills and experiences to offer as well as specific volunteer interests and goals of their own. Whether you are looking to bring a corporate or school group for a one-time visit, or would like to volunteer your time on a consistent basis, we welcome the help.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Sarah's Assistant:Assists with the daily needs of the agency answering phones, giving out toiletries, distributing mail, making flyers and photocopies, greeting women and overseeing the clothing closet.
- Meal Time Volunteer:Assists in meal preparation and serving. Meals are served Monday-Friday at 3:30 pm.
- Tutoring Volunteer:Works one-on-one with a client to build skills on the computer or in writing, reading, and math.
- Workshop/Group Leader: Plans and leads a one-time workshop or an ongoing group for the clients of Sarah's Circle. These workshops and groups may focus on empowerment, skill building, health issues or creative expression. Current volunteer-led groups include Yoga, Job-Readiness and Creative Writing.
- Activity Programming Volunteer:Contributes to the educational and cultural enrichment program offered to our clients. Through research and designing special activities geared towards health, wellness, empowerment and recreation, this team member works directly with staff to plan various programs for our clients.
- Volunteer Newsletter Team Volunteer:This volunteer helps in generating the Sarah's Circle volunteer newsletter. Depending on interests, this volunteer may interview volunteers and clients, write editorial or special feature articles or assist in the design and editing of the newsletter.
St. Gregory Episcopal School
2130 S. Central Park Avenue
Chicago, IL 60623
www.sges.net
St. Leonard’s Ministries
2100 West Warren Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60612
www.slministries.org
The mission of St. Leonard's Ministries is to provide a residential and supportive setting in which men and women recently released from prison can lead productive and whole lives. Residents are provided with an array of program services designed to assist them as they make the transition to successful, independent living. During their stay, residents are helped to reassess value systems, to re-order priorities and to develop socially and legally acceptable patterns of behavior. St. Leonard's Ministries, led by Bob Dougherty, originated in the mid-1950s through the support of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago and the vision of its founder, Father James Jones. The agency has gradually expanded to include separately dedicated interim housing and services for men and for women, housing and services for men who complete the St. Leonard's House program as well as education and employment training programs.
St. Leonard's works with the Adler School of Professional Psychology in the delivery of specialized program services and has a mentoring program in place. Its Michael Barlow Center addresses employment and educational concerns of program participants and a segment of the larger formerly incarcerated community. St. Leonard's has grown to a force of 62 employees, caring for approximately 400 men and women yearly as they move from the despair of post-prison trauma to meaningful lives.
St. Martin de Porres House of Hope
6423 South Woodlawn
Chicago, IL 60637
www.stmartindeporreshouseofhope.com
St. Martin de Porres House of Hope is located in Woodlawn. It was founded by two nuns. They offer a complete residential program that lasts between nine months and a year. They specialize in taking in women with drug and alcohol problems, many of whom have small children. The focus is on order and responsibility and making better decisions. Every person there works to keep the facility clean and also with meal preparation. Once accepted, the doors are closed and the work begins. In order, the program is: basic physical health, sobriety, how to better deal with their children, skills to get and keep jobs, job training and placement, and then they become part of the alumni association that helps the next group of people coming in. The later stages are in concert with the CARA program. The cost is a fraction of most residential programs. They accept no money from the government nor the Catholic church. The program is non-denominational. Their choir has performed at KUC.
Thresholds
4101 North Ravenswood
Chicago, IL 60613
www.thresholds.org
Thresholds assists and inspires people with severe mental illness to reclaim their lives by offering supports, skills, and the respectful encouragement they need to achieve hopeful and successful futures. Thresholds strives to be the provider of choice, employer of choice and a world leader in the development and evaluation of rehabilitation and recovery services. Members range in age from 16 to senior citizens; in addition, services are offered to children of mothers with mental illness. Thresholds provides outreach and programming throughout the Chicago area and the suburbs, with additional programs in McHenry County and Kankakee. In 2009, Thresholds celebrates a milestone - 50 years of providing mental health services in Chicago. For more information, please visit our website at www.thresholds.org
UMOJA Student Development Corporation
2935 West Polk Street, Room 16
Chicago, IL 60612
www.umojacorporation.org
Umoja Student Development Corporation was formed in 1997. The mission was to link the educational efforts of Manley Career Academy High School to the broader community and to serve as an advocate for young people. Umoja provides the intensive services that most schools simply cannot. There are a variety of programs which focus on College/Career Development, Student Leadership, and Community involvement. Umoja's offices are open during lunch periods, after school, school holidays, weekends, and all summer long for students to use computers, receive tutoring, and talk with peers and staff. In 1997, less than 10 percent of Manley graduates went on to college. With Umoja's support, that number has increased to more than 60 percent of seniors enrolling in postsecondary education after high school graduation.
Umoja has grown and is now also at Ace Tech High School, Gage Park High School and Paul Revere Elementary. Umoja demonstrates that young people in an under-resourced environment do improve their performance and motivation when engaged in meaningful learning and leadership opportunities coupled with long-term relationships with adults.
YWCA Evanston/North Shore
1215 Church Street
Evanston, IL 60201
www.ywca.org/evanston
The YWCA in Evanston provides the only comprehensive residential domestic violence program in the northeastern Chicago metropolitan area. The YWCA programs focus on girls' leadership and domestic violence services. Working towards young womens' leadership, the YWCA sponsors "StandUp Girls" a leadership development program for girls entering high school. The Domestic Violence Program is composed of crisis intervention, emergency shelter, transitional housing, community-based services (walk-in counseling), legal advocacy, violence prevention, and community advocacy and education. Crisis intervention runs a 24-hour crisis line for domestic abuse victims. Emergency shelter is provided at Mary Lou's place which is a 32-bed residential facility that provides emergency shelter for women and children for up to 90 days. After spending 30 days in emergency shelter women are able to apply to the Transitional Housing Program which operates a limited number of apartment units.
Women come to the YWCA in times of crisis, as survivors of domestic violence. They come for career counseling, for leadership development, and for financial literacy.
Youth Organization Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
1027 Sherman Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
www.youevanston.org
Youth Organization Umbrella, Inc. (Y.O.U.) is a youth service agency. They reach out to young people ages 10-18 and their families in response to their ever-changing needs for support, guidance, and advocacy. It is their goal that all young people acquire the skills, self-confidence and opportunity to participate fully, freely and responsibly in the life of the community.
It also provides social services which include individual tutoring, after school programs, individual, group, and family counseling, educational support, social development, crisis intervention, street outreach, and delinquency prevention.
Y.O.U. serves Evanston for the majority of its programs and New Trier, Northfield, Niles and Main Township for mediation. The Mediation program provides an alternative to juvenile offenders who have committed non-violent crimes.
Youth Warming House
1187 Wilmette Avenue PMB 152
Wilmette, IL 60091
www.warminghouse.org