I'm not a client at journey's - I'm a volunteer. It's a very rewarding experience. If you have time…read moreon weekends or are retired and have extra time, it's a worthwhile experience. They accept food and clothing donations, too. You can volunteer in many different ways (clothing panty, front desk, food service).

I'm still "mad "over the fact that at the old "hope center "a case worker who used to work there…read morebefore the pandemic named I think Cindy but I'm not sure asked me "in code language "unnecessarily to repeat myself!She played favorites with who she wanted to listen to. I had the same problem with PADS "volunteers ".

We had such a wonderful experience adopting our dog Copper from here. The staff was so kind,…read morehelpful, and truly cared about making sure each pet goes to the right home. They took the time to answer all of our questions and made the whole process feel comfortable and stress free. We are so grateful to have found our new best friend. Thank you for everything you do!

Very dedicated and loving volunteers…read more pets have all medical issues. Neutering and shots

I've been a volunteer and donor for years with Shelter, Inc. They are an amazing organization…read morehelping children and families every year. I've really enjoyed volunteering with them making an impact on the local community and helping children in need.

It's scary to review Shelter Inc. When you have to be nice to them in hopes they will do the right…read morething but after 4 months I'm realizing they are going to do whatever they want to do regardless of anything I say or do. Don't get involved with their Foster Care Program, they are destroying families and the kids are the ones that suffer the trauma and long term effects. They claim to keep families together, what a joke. Do some research, other people are saying the same things I'm saying.

Great organization. They do good work in Arlington Heights. Great fundraisers!! This is a good…read morecause and helps lots of people.

From the owner: We raise funds to supplement the Village of Arlington Heights, IL Emergency Assistance Fund (EAF)…read more The EAF helps Arlington Heights residents in crisis with stop gap measures to assist in getting their lives back on track. The money could go toward anything from rent assistance to car repairs. Arlington Cares offers fun events to raise money for this purpose.

This was my first visit here, I only dropped off donations for this visit. I was a little confused…read morewhere the donations were supposed to be because it was right next to the store entrance. Once I found it, the store associate was by my car before I even stepped out of the car, which was nice. I look forward to coming again another day to shop.

Standard good will store with a wide variety of items available at very good prices. There is…read moreplenty of parking available and the traffic flow isn't too confusing through the lot, though it can be a bit difficult to turn back onto the main streets around busy rush hour times. The goods are arranged logically here, and there's a lot of items to sort through with the average quality of selection. Checkout is fast and efficient.

Close this store!!! You won't see anything here except corruption, high prices and rude sellers!…read moreThroughout the year, the same product is marked as if on a conveyor belt. If something good appears, management leaves it for its own enrichment! don't give anything here!!!

Well today was a very disappointing day at the Salvation Army. The organization as a whole is a…read morewonderful, caring company. I can't say that about some of their employees at the Arlington Heights location. Never think that the paying customer is in mind when it comes to service. If anything has no tag, no one comes to help the dilemma of actual price. They would rather throw a donated item, rudely snatchung it from your hands and not letting you purchase something the manager could have assisted with. I have donated literally hundreds of dollars of merchandise at this location only to be treated rudely and walked out without what i wanted to purchase. I guess all future donations to good will. This is a zero star place. Go to Good will. They always take time to reprice items. It is better to make a sale from people's generosity that to alienate those that support others.

We love that WINGS supports women and children. So, when we have things to donate, this is usually…read moreour first choice. I don't think I've ever been in their retail store before, but have dropped off goods many times over the years. We're purging our house of 20 years of accumulated stuff. When you arrive, they have a door for dropping off donations. We've given them clothes, nick-nacks, paintings, glassware, and more. They take everything with a smile. We'll continue to drop off merchandise as we have it. And, perhaps next time we go I'll stop into their store. The reviews are certainly good.

WINGS Resale is my favorite donation center in the area. They take all types of donations from…read moreclothes, shoes, handbags, accessories, home decor, furniture, and more. It's easy to drop off donations at their back door which is separate from the store entrance. All items are organized, priced, and resold in the store. Walking around, resale items are very fairly priced and in good condition. Their profits from the store go toward supporting families fleeing domestic violence. What a great way to give back and help those in need! Donation Hours Daily: 10am - 5pm* Tip: They have locations in Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, and Niles. Pro Tip: Check out their daily discount specials before heading over to browse their great selections.

Feed My Starving Children is a wonderful place to volunteer because it is open to anyone ages 5…read moreyears and up, is open regularly, and does not have any time commitments so you can go when it fits your schedule! I have been volunteering with "FMSC" for over 13.5 years. I go with my gym mates, my relatives, friends, co-workers, etc. You have to wear a hairnet, and take off all jewelry, and keep your hands clean, but that is minimal compared to what the kids you are helping face. You scoop vitamins, veggies, soy, and rice into bags, seal them, box them up, and have a wonderful time doing so! The music can be great and fun, one time I was volunteering and they did music trivia while packing. At $0.29 a meal, both your time and [voluntary] donations are being maximized! The organization is based in Christian values, but the prayer at the end is an invitation, not an obligation, so I appreciate the inclusivity. There is also a MarketPlace where you can purchase items that provide for the artisans that make them. My most used item is a clay mug from Haiti. The kids used to eat the clay, but now the artisans use it to make items. If you're on the fence, I suggest you give it a try! It's a couple of hours in your day and the most fun I can picture having in a latex free hairnet!

Without a doubt one of the best volunteer based opportunities around. So much you can accomplish…read morewith the time frame given. Always great to see people of all ages participating. Our small group has made it a yearly thing to go and do this. The workers they hire are always super warm and welcoming. Its an enjoyable process all around. I do want to mention that it was a bit unfortunate the last time we went to see the teenagers that came just to fulfill their community service hours be so disrespectful. They were chatting and messing on their phones at the end when the staff leader was telling how much we packed. He literally had to pause to tell them to be quiet. Regardless, a joy of an experience and super fun to do. Thank you FMSC for blessing the world with these opportunities.

I had Clearbrook work with my son twice in the past few years-2018 and 2021. The assigned coaches…read morewould meet with us each time. We would do applications during the hour meeting. I even helped suggesting places that I knew were hiring, which they said was fine if I applied but just let them know the information. Each time when my son had a job interview, the job coach came along with him, since he has lower functioning autism and hard to understand him speaking sometimes. When he got the jobs each time, the coach would come and assist in his training. Then the visits would be be a little less until he can do the job without assistance. The same procedure was followed with my daughter, with autism spectrum disorder, but when she was hired, the coach didn't have to be at training with her because she caught on faster. I returned to because I was satisfied from each time. But I am not happy with the job coach he is assigned to, She isn't doing her job. She insists that I need to clarify myself as to where do I want her to play a role in this. I told her about all my experiences with Clearbrook and how the coaches handled things. She approached me with that same question more than one time. I get the impression that she doesn't know what she is supposed to do. The online meetings only lasted not more than 15 minutes. She gave me 1 job list email with jobs far away to travel when I specifically gave her location areas of where we'd like to find work at. I had an interview which she set up with a Culvers in Rosemont, 30 minutes away. She never showed up. I had another one at a nearby Culver's in Harwood Heights, only 10 minutes away, but the time and day didn't work out with the coach. She told me her availability and days she has meetings on. I went online to change the time to a time that would fit her schedule. But she can't come once again because she has a meeting. She now says her meetings change every week as opposed to just Wednesdays and Fridays. She made up a script for him to practice interviewing.which is fine. But she wants me to go with him and interview alone and bring the script. She said that we discussed in his staffing, it is in Nick's interest to attend all available interviews to help him practice his interview skills and have the opportunity to network. It is ok if Nick interviews alone, as he has a script that I was able to put together with the information I had that can help him on the interview. If you would like me to add more to the script, please reply to the email where I am requesting the information needed. Nick's goal is to work independently, so he can interview independently at times. We had a staffing with DRS and the coach said she would go to his interviews and trainings. Now she is going against what she said at the DRS staffing. She doesn't understand how to work with people who have an intellectual disability. The things she's doing are appropriate at a regular employment agency. Maybe she'll have to show him how to use LinkedIn as the next step? She's working for the wrong type of job agency. I know it's difficult with job searching right now the way the economy is going, but she needs to know that these clients need extra help. I don't think she knows what she's doing. I am very disappointed. Now I'm stuck taking Nick for this interview. How do I explain that the job coach isn't available today and if I tell him that a coach will be there to help train him if he is going to consider hiring him. Then there's no coach. Another incident that doesn't make sense. Nick had an interview with Burlington Thursday 7/17/25. I got a reminder text in the afternoon of the 16th and at 9 pm received a very disturbing email from them, closing with a rejection: "Hi Nicholas. Due to unforeseen circumstances, your upcoming interview was cancelled and we are therefore no longer able to move you forward in the recruiting process. Please reach out to your recruiter for additional details." I emailed the department with a screenshot copy of this text and still waiting for a response. If you're working with DRS there's other reliable agencies available to help.

I've been working with Clearbrook for two years now, and love it. From what I've heard there is a…read morehuge turnover rate in the positions higher than mines, but I'm guessing that stems from personal life experiences outside of the job itself. I will never know, but me, myself loves working with Clearbrook, because it's very flexible as a full-time student + it is very rewarding working with adults with disabilities. Rewarding as in learning more about them, and what makes them unique! My client in particular has autism, and I work with him inside of his own home as an SLA (Supported Living Assistant). Working as an SLA, you get a chance to become part of their normal lives, and fully understand about that client in particular, as far as learning fully about them good and bad. Working in this field you have to have patience, and understanding. If you do not then I would advise you to work elsewhere. I enjoy it, and I'm very open to working as a full-time employee with this company once I graduate; even though my degree is something totally different from what opportunities this company offers.

I have contributed to and had some non-proift business contact with Bridge Communities since it was…read moreformed some twenty years ago. I have the highest opinion of Bridge and their staff. They are effective, business like with a heart and warmth and they have a top reputation for their field of activity. Bridge has helped many adults and children to a better life. I support them wholeheartedly.

http://www.bridgecommunities.org/ They provide transitional housing for people in the process of…read morebecoming self-sufficient. One of the goals is to keep the children in their same school, because bouncing from place to place is detrimental to kids' academic progress. They are taking part in the Sleep Out for the Homeless this November. Great great GREAT people. Give them your time and $$ - it's worth it.