I'm writing this review on behalf of a Black woman I've been supporting through her housing crisis…read more What she experienced at Sarah's Circle is absolutely unacceptable, and as a white woman and advocate, I am disgusted and furious. This woman--my mentee who I've been working with--shared her experience with me, and I am alarmed and heartbroken. She walked over an hour in freezing temperatures seeking help during one of the most vulnerable moments of her life. Instead of receiving trauma-informed care, she was met with hostility, aggression, and what can only be described as racist behavior from your staff. She was yelled at, accused of being "argumentative" for simply asking questions, told she was "making the space unsafe" for self-advocating, and ultimately turned away after walking two hours round trip in the cold. Your staff refused to provide their names, made accusations about her recording them when she wasn't, and criminalized her for having legitimate safety and privacy concerns about intake procedures. As a white woman working in advocacy, I am telling you: DO BETTER. Women of color--particularly Black women--are already disproportionately affected by housing insecurity, systemic racism, and barriers to services. The LAST thing they need is to be treated with suspicion, aggression, and disrespect when seeking help. Your staff's behavior was inexcusable, and their complete lack of trauma-informed practice is dangerous. I will NEVER refer another client to Sarah's Circle. I will be actively discouraging other advocates, social workers, and community partners from doing so as well. Your organization claims to "help" vulnerable women, but you turned away someone who desperately needed support and made her feel criminalized for existing while Black. Your staff need immediate and extensive training on anti-racism, trauma-informed care, and basic human decency. This is disgraceful. Absolutely disgraceful.

Great place they really try and help you great place to be if you have nobody in your cornerread more

It's time for a recent review for Covenant Home of Chicago. Here goes:…read more When my father decided it was time to sell his apartment building and move to a supportive living situation, Covenant Home came to the fore, as it is part of Chicago Methodist Senior Services. And as Steve Z. commented, searching for an assisted living facility is indeed an education in itself and totally new territory for me. The staff at Covenant helped us navigate the ins and outs of the application process, which as you can imagine, complicated. Financial records, doctors' assessments, TB test, all in the mix. To the building: It was built in 1997, so is relatively new, well-maintained, with a caring (yes, I said that, though I realize that is often just a buzzword in reviews of these types of enterprises.) staff. The meals are tasty and well-balanced. Residents sit 4 to a table with fresh flowers, nice silverware, and always water (so no dehydration, per the reviewer from 5 years ago). (They also have a water cooler w/lemons in the foyer). On Sundays they put white linen tableclothes on the dining tables, which, together with the flowers, makes for a very nice setting. In all, there are about 54 residents, with either studio apartments or 1 bedroom. The floors are all wood and nicely maintained, fresh paint upon move-in, the better to navigate with walkers, etc. The building has Comcast cable available. Residences are equipped with small refrigerator/freezer, a microwave, sink in a little "kitchen" area. Two closets, and ample cabinets in the bathroom. The five floors are built in a square around an atrium, which gives the place a nice airy feeling. All the rooms' windows are outward facing. The bathroom has a level floored shower for safety and there are pull chains all over the place for residents to pull if in distress. There are daily activities for residents, trips to Jewel and Walgreens if you are not mobile enough to go on your own. Filling the day: Evening movies, afternoon coffee in a very cute cafe, balance class, art class, current events, Bible study, word games, bingo, ballroom dancing, tai chi, Sunday worship (Methodist), a Tuesday Mass, manicures, watercolors, culture chats (not sure what that is). An RN is on site most of the time and he or she keeps good track of dispensing medications for all residents. And, if there is a health crisis, Swedish Covenant Hospital is right across the street! This is not a memory care type of place. For that, they have Wesley Place, further east on Foster. Residents have varying ranges of mobility. My father goes to his own medical appointments (right at the corner), takes taxis or walks to close by destinations such as Lincoln Square and the Tre Kroner Restaurant. So, all in all, he was fortunate to secure a studio here. And since I live in Oakland, CA, it's important to feel that he is safe and in good hands. Covenant Home provides that security and care.

My search for an assisted living facility was an education in itself- long story short I decided on…read morethe Covenant Home based on it being close to my own home, and on my gut feeling about the people I spoke with, the director and the assistant director of the facility. It's been a year and four months, and I am happy to say the result has been better than I expected. My mom moved into the Covenant Home in September of 2012. She was 90 at that time, and had been living at the North Shore Retirement Hotel in Evanston. During her 6 years at the North Shore she progressed from being fairly self-sufficient to needing help with some of her daily care, and she had more and more difficulty dealing with things in general, as her memory was getting worse. During her last year at North Shore she was hospitalized twice, she had poor appetite, was losing weight and she was depressed. She also had a couple physical conditions that required some daily attention. We had hired a helper for her and also contracted with the on site home nursing company at the North Shore, but their services were not enough. After she moved into the Covenant Home her appetite began to improve, and it's no longer an issue at all. The chronic problems she was having previously are under control, she is consistently in good spirits, and she has made friends there. Although she was not happy to make this move, she is now quite happy there, and says so. This is a much better outcome than I anticipated and I believe it is due the competency of the staff, the fact the quality of her care is consistent, and an intangible aspect: that the culture there is one of attentive kindness. The care she gets at the Covenant Home is a mix of residential and medical- they take care of making sure she gets her meds, cleaning of her studio apartment, dressing, dining, getting ready for bed, all that. Additionally, they they keep up with any ongoing medical care she needs, they make doctor appointments, and if necessary provide transportation. The are proactive in her care in terms of the medical, hygienic and social aspects. If you feel like hearing more about this I would be happy to correspond. You can send a private message to me through the Yelp system.

Case Workers are ok, Operater is ok, just staff that are really really bad at their jobs. Just to…read morepreface, they threatened to put me out for drinking water and there's a rule that states you can't knock on black doors, so someone in need gets pushed aside and threatened. They threaten pretty much breathing so, if you want food and shelter and hate breathing, this is the shelter for you. Edit: they are pretty much run by incompletent staff, and they are about as useless as space matter on planet earth. Making threats and acting like no one else is allowed to make any decision. No bathroom, no water, no food after a certain time, it's run like prison.

I volunteer on Saturday at The Night Ministry stuffing stockings for the homeless. This Non-Profit…read moreOrganization is amazing. I look forward to coming out to volunteer again at this awesome organization. The team was very organize and prepared to make sure everything was running smoothly. The volunteers watched a mini video on what the organization is about and how they go out on the streets to make sure the homeless is well loved. I was impress on how much they express their dedication and compassion to the homeless. This is the type of organization I would come out and dedicate my time and support.

My job gave us a day off to come and volunteer @ The GCFD. This was a great opportunity to support…read moreand help out those in needs. Everyone was friendly, helpful and productive. We all worked hard as a team to accomplish our goal of feeding over 2,700 families. This place is outstanding. Very clean and organized. I enjoyed lending my time for such an amazing and precious organization. I look forward to volunteering here again.

I was invited to volunteer for a team outing at this facility and I was surprised how beautiful…read morethis facility is exterior and internally. Plenty of parking and there is only one stall for EV charging. Inside you are greeted and checking-in is easy. They have you gather inside a locker area where you will have to put in small lockers your personal items before you get dressed appropriately. I was dressed in a plastic apron and gloves for onion packaging. This was a very fun event to help out. I would come back to volunteer again.

I like their intentions to help people in need and I like the interactions I've had with them…read more They are my number one choice for charities. I have donated many coats and bags of clothing and I do employee match of monetary donations. I feel the provide a quality service that adds value to people's lives and the community, in general.

You can get homeowners and a bed to lay in "bunks". Theres oatmeal for breakfast and other foods…read more You gotta wake up early and be out the door looking for a job. UPS or FedEx is close by and you can get a job there and sleep at the shelter. You can bring luggage but it will have to be checked in. Not everyone there is showered so it can stink at times. It one of the only resources for free at your disposal if your homeless.

A place where they find people furniture when they need it most. In 2025 they had their first bed…read morerace and they created beds on wheels and encourage people in the community to dress them up and it was a lot of fun to see the races with people dressed up. What a nice way to raise money and get donations for a great cause. We came to donate and get the cute TS for $25 each and they had a raffle. They pick up unwanted furniture and donate to those who need it.

**Horrible Virtual Appointment Experience with Chicago Furniture Bank**…read more I had a virtual appointment today with Chicago Furniture Bank to select furniture. My agency paid $450 for the service. Although I appreciate any help being offered to families in need, my experience today was very disappointing. After the appointment, I told them to cancel the delivery. Now I feel really bad that my agency may still have to pay a $100 cancellation fee. In my opinion, that feels very unfair. I was told I was approved for a furniture package, meaning a living room set, dining room set, beds, dressers, rugs, lamps, and household items. But what I saw during the virtual appointment and what I was actually allowed to choose from did not feel like a real furniture package at all. The lady doing the virtual appointment came late, was going extremely fast, and had a very nasty attitude. I felt rushed the entire time. There were a few items I saw that I wanted to ask about, but I was afraid to ask because of her attitude. Even my social worker looked highly disappointed, although she did not say anything. Most of what I saw on the video was the worker's feet, the floor, and her walking fast through the building. She was moving so quickly that it was hard to really see the furniture or ask questions. The way she acted during the appointment was horrible, especially knowing agencies are also present during these virtual and in-person appointments with their clients. Why would workers behave that way in front of the very agencies who are paying you to help their clients? That makes no sense and is just plain unprofessional. Most of the furniture had stains, scratches, and looked worn out. The furniture I saw was mismatched, scratched, worn out, and some items looked very beat up. I understand the furniture and merchandise are donated, but people who need help should still be treated with respect. Just because the items are donated does not mean families should be treated rudely, rushed through the process, or given items that are too damaged to use comfortably. It also did not make sense to me that there were things I could see during the virtual appointment, but I was not allowed to choose them simply because I was doing the appointment virtually. I was told during the virtual appointment that I could only get household items if I came in person. I saw pots, pans, and other household products, but she walked right past them on the video. If families are doing virtual appointments, they should still be allowed to choose basic household items, especially when they have a large household. I have a large household with mostly teenagers who are taller and bigger than me, but I was only allowed to choose one full-size or queen-size bed. I was told I could only get one queen or full-size mattress and box spring, and the rest had to be twin beds. That does not make sense for older teenagers because kids nowadays are often taller and weigh more than their parents. Families should be allowed to explain what size beds they actually need. I also saw nice chairs and just a few better-looking items, but I was not allowed to choose the nicer ones. Some of the merchandise looked so damaged and worn that I turned some items down. Since I turned some items down, I feel I should have been allowed to choose something else to replace them. Instead, I ended up picking old dressers, a scratched table, no TV stand, and not the right mattress. Honestly, my agency paid $450 for this, and I feel like I could have done better on my own by searching Craigslist, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, and local freebie groups. I have actually found like-new and even new living room sets, bedroom sets, and mattresses from sites like that before. A person could rent a truck for under $100 and pick up free furniture that is in way better condition. A lot of times, you can get new or like-new furniture for free or very cheap. The only problem is needing someone to pick it up and help move it. I would tell people to think carefully before using this service, especially if they are doing a virtual appointment. Compare your options first. There are free items online that may be in much better condition, and you may have more control over what you choose. The YouTube videos are misleading compared to what I experienced. Now I see why DCFS never wanted to refer me and my family here. They would rather pay thousands of dollars getting families new items than send them to a place where people are rushed, disrespected, and offered furniture that looks this worn out. All I can say is, if Chicago Furniture Bank does not change how they treat people and improve what they offer during virtual appointments, anyone who receives products from them may be very disappointed. I would discourage any agency from paying these high fees for their clients to receive terrible-looking furniture while being disrespected, mistreated, and rushed during a video appointment.

I had a lovely time in the build site in West Pullman. Our crew leader, Pauline, was so helpful and…read morefull of energy. We were taught several tasks, and were allowed the opportunity to pursue them at whichever speed we wanted. It's because of crew leaders like her, myself and other volunteers come back to the build site!

I spent a day with Habitat for Humanity helping to build a ramp for a wheelchair bound elderly…read morewoman who otherwise had to be carried in and out of the house. While there were aspects of the experience I wasn't overly thrilled with, on the whole, it was a really good experience. The HfH lead really knew what he was doing and made it easy for us to get a lot accomplished. Most of us had never held a hammer before, let alone used a power saw or poured concrete. Paul helped get us going and had the stronger performers help out those of us who nailed our gloves to a board (yes, yes I did). By the end of the day we had somehow accomplished more than Paul had expected us to get done. The ramp was half done, the home owner was only one day away from being free to leave her house whenever she wanted to. It felt good to know we made a positive difference in someone's life. The not so great parts? While we were building a ramp in the backyard for grandma the grand-kids were selling drugs on the front porch. While I don't necessarily have an issue with the drugs they were selling, it would've been nice for the able bodied young men to help us build the ramp instead. Just two days less drug sales would've meant grandma can leave the house sooner. Also, while pouring the concrete apparently the family asked if they could also get a BBQ pit area. So we built that for them. Really? Is that the kind of thing we're spending our time and money on? That half a day could've been used somewhere else for something necessary to a quality of life issue. Anywho, grandma most likely has her ramp built by now. The only major injures were the splinters I endured while wielding the power saw. And I'd do it all again. Just maybe when it's a little warmer out.

I have seen first hand this foundation doing great work in the Chicagoland communities. The founder…read moreMelissa Finley is a driven woman with a purpose. They feed and clothed those who are less fortunate throughout the year, not just during the holiday season. Keep up the good work Ms. Finley!!

Helping Hands Homeless Foundation is an amazing thing to have happened to those less fortunate. The…read morefounder and volunteers work hard to ensure no individual is left behind. They always ensure the less fortunate have a nice meal and essentials especially around the holidays. This foundation cares about what they do. I have worked with them a few times and the amount of effort and love they put into each event gives each individual HOPE. They matter and they are worth it. This foundation has taught me that and I am so honored to be a helping part of a foundation that wants to make a difference.