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

Volunteering here was one of the best experiences of my life. I got together with a group of…read morepeople and we cooked dinner for a packed house! We cooked breakfast for dinner and when we were done we got a standing ovation from our guests which brought tears to my eyes. When I was serving the food one person stopped me and thanked me for looking him in the eyes and smiling at him. He said they dont get that very often on the streets and it made him feel human. If your ever debating taking the time, even just once a month to do this, I strongly suggest it. Giving back can be a life changing experience.

Staff treat us with disrespect. They hoard the toilet paper. They keep threatening to throw people…read moreout, which they do over the weekend. They don't serve a basic breakfast. And I got a infection on my foot from the shower is missing most of the tile in the shower and there's a dip that water stays.

I was able to get a lot of things done , including purchasing the building to turn it into a single…read morefamily residence.

I am blessed that this amazing facility is available for folks like me who lost their way. Staff is…read morevery kind and I think about them often. Right now the world is changing so fast. It's down right confusing just watching the news. I know God takes special care to anyone who gets the opportunity to visit. Chicago takes care of their own. Always! Period!

toxic- top to bottom. The mission is good, but there is a need for need soidier to carry it out…read more Always talking about what they are gonna do, but never get done.

Lived here from October 2022-September 2023…read more The only positive thing that this place offers is a roof over your head and a meal a day. Otherwise, the management team here is worthless as they only care about their little power trip, and that causes the staff to act the same way because management treats staff like shit, and then staff takes it out of the residence. Otherwise the place is backwards as can be, will implement a policy that makes no sense just to give them the impression of control, when residents and staff call out policy, the residents get threaten with being put out on the streets, and staff get hours cut and or wrote up.

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.

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.

ZERO STARS BOOOOOOOOO TOMATOES The staff make fun of you for being homeless and go as far as to put…read moretheir hands on you while pregnant they have a million roaches and mice it stinks like sugar honey iced tea in there they are verbally abusive THEY MAKE PREGNANT WOMAN CLEAN INFESTED AREAS WOTH STRONG CHEMICALS THEY SHOULDN'T BE AROUND and if you defend yourself they twist the story kids be dirty and nasty they dirty and nasty rude just there for a check don't really want to help homeless woman and children especially latesha or whatever her name is with the glasses she's homeless as well making fun of and cussing out the homeless woman who are already going through a lot just disgusting also wanted me to fake paperwork

I am in need of a meal and something to eat and where to go to have it taken care of and in my…read moregoogle search it mentions this and it was open. When I called a rude lady answers the phone. I'll tell you why...I explained my needs and she asks me if I'm a client I said no. She said they only serve clients. I then told her to pass it along that the information on their listing is wrong. It should include that they only serve the homeless and to have someone to correct this so that people won't be wasting their time calling like I did today. She wanted to argue with me and tell me the listing information is correct. I hung up. People are so ignorant these days. I deal with this a lot everyday it seems

Great agency that helps youth find stable housing and create long term goals. The staff are…read morepassionate and well educated. True full service agency!

From the owner: The Harbour is only state-licensed emergency shelter providing services to young women experiencing…read morehomelessness in the North/Northwest suburbs. We offer immediate shelter and crisis support, any time of the day, any day of the week 24/7.

They were so fraudulent in their handling of our family. They promised us housing. They did exactly…read moreto us what I read in the previous review. Collected all of our private data, said we were approved for emergency shelter and housing assistance (90day free motel based program where you can live rent free and save money until they actually get you an apartment and pay deposit and first three months.) My family was really in need and actually sleeping on the sidewalk some nights. After months of waiting for the walk to match the talk they closed our case and sent us a letter stating they could no longer help us. The ubered us all over the place to both of their locations asking us to fill out so many applications etc.

This office is set up to assist people in need. Yet they request more documentation than applying…read morefor a mortgage. When you give them the documentation its not process in a timely manner. My case worker Andres dragged his feet with my case and then email me that funding was no longer available he would have to close my file. No additional help in referring me out, just reapply again in July (and start the entire process again) . I don't think they understand the urgency. I then asked to speak to the supervisor Janne Boblick, to let them know how frustrating it was to get them all the required paperwork for them to just close out my case. She hung up on my mid sentence. I called back and she hung up on me a second time. Way to dehumanize someone in the middle of a life emergency.

I've volunteered with Cradles to Crayons several times already by myself and with my kids. Their…read moremission and goals are clear and evident. They are extremely organized and can take large group of volunteers but also work with smaller ones. I highly recommend coming here as part of a group from work or even with your family especially if you have never volunteered before.

I've volunteered for countless field trips for my 3 kids over the years and Cradles to Crayons is…read moremy personal favorites. My son's class came here to help sort thru the many many bags of donations they receive. I thought the staff at Cradles to Crayons did an amazing job explaining to a group of 3rd graders how this was an opportunity to help those less fortunate and love that they also got to help with the process. We spent a few hours sorting thru piles of clothing and dividing them into different categories (winter coats, girls short sleeve shirts, skirts to name a few). The kids had a lot of fun and even got a few chuckles when they came across things like bras and thongs, which were thrown in the "recycle bin." After a few hours of work they took a tour of the amazing facility, ate lunch and the Cradles to Crayon staff wrapped it up by praising them on their hard work! My son mentioned it was a super fun day and I think he enjoyed it more than the other field trips we've taken this year (ex: Chicago History Museum). I've now been here 3 times for field trips with my kids and each time I make a note that I need to come separately of school. This time I'm determined to make the time to donate my time to this amazing organization and great excuse to clean out my closets ahead of time to make a donation!