Rizal Center is a multicultural, multigenerational community and cultural center located in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. It provides a safe, welcoming space where Filipino immigrants and Filipino Americans can feel at home. The center offers food assistance, housing resources, healthcare access, counseling, language access and community advocacy. It also serves as a hub for arts, culture and theater. Its programs and services are open to the Greater Chicago community.

The nonprofit Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago (FACGC) operates Rizal Center. Its programs and classes also include:

• Arts, culture and theater
• Dancing
• Martial arts
• Pamana Children’s Library

For more details about the center, please contact the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago at (773) 360-8597 or info@rizalcenter.org.

The Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project (ATTA) creates and provides resources and professional development tools to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their transition from secondary to postsecondary education or employment. ATTA provides training and support to students, young adults, families, employers and community members to ensure an equitable experience for individuals on the spectrum. ATTA offers:

• A variety of resources for supporting students
• Webinars
• Interviewing tips for students and young adults

For questions, please contact Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support (ICSPS) Director Aimee LaFollette Julian, PhD, at (309) 438-5122.

ICSPS maintains the Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project website on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education.

Mano a Mano Family Resource Center provides culturally and linguistically competent support services to immigrant communities in Lake and McHenry Counties. Mano a Mano focuses on helping the hardest-to-reach and most vulnerable families and individuals in the community. Its resources and services include health resources, educational classes and workshops, and immigration legal services. Mano a Mano programs also include:

• Mano a Mano Informa on Facebook Live on the first and third Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The live discussion offers immigration updates, community resources and guidance to help families
• Informados & Conectados on Facebook and YouTube every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. It covers important community topics and available resources
• The TANDA Emergency Community Fund, which provides assistance in the form of gift cards for local grocery stores and/or Visa gift cards to buy other critical, non-grocery items such as prescription medications and transportation.
• A community garden

Mano a mano is based in Round Lake and also has a satellite office in North Chicago.

For questions or more information, please call (847) 201-1521 or email mamappointments@mamfrc.org.

Centro de Información is a non-profit agency that provides bilingual advocacy at its locations in Elgin, Carpentersville and Hanover Park. Centro serves mostly low-income, Hispanic immigrants residing in the greater Fox Valley area, but welcomes clients of any nationality from surrounding counties and states. The center’s services include:

• Counseling for children, youth, and their families
• Information, recommendations, referrals and advocacy about public benefits
• Help with employment, housing, and more
• Preparation of immigration and naturalization applications
• Educational workshops for parents and the community.

Centro de Información es una agencia hispana de servicio social. Anualmente, el Centro atiende a miles de personas de nuestra comunidad, la mayoría de ellas inmigrantes hispanos de bajos recursos. El Centro les provee de servicios tales como consejería para niños, jóvenes y sus familias; información, recomendaciones, referencias y abogacía en las áreas de beneficios públicos, el trabajo, la vivienda, etc.; preparación de solicitudes de inmigración y de naturalización; y talleres informativos para los padres de familia y la comunidad en general.

For questions, please visit the Centro de Información website contact page for contact information and location addresses.

SWAN Domestic Violence Group Counseling provides a weekly support group for women who may or may not still be in a domestically violent relationship. Meeting in a safe space or virtually, women learn together, compare experiences and discover that they are not alone. Sessions cover topics such as types of abuse, understanding relationship abuse, warning signs, the effects abuse has on children in the home, safety and having a safety plan in place.

The groups are available to both domestic abuse emergency shelter residents and community clients:

• In-person support groups for female victims of domestic violence are available at SWAN’s offices in Effingham and Olney.
• Virtual support groups are available for victims throughout Swan’s service area.

If you would like more information about the counseling and support, please call the office nearest you:

• Effingham SWAN Office – Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., (217) 342-4526
• Olney SWAN Office – 24 hours a day/ seven days a week, (618) 392-3556
• Carmi SWAN Office – (618) 380-2800
• Mt. Vernon SWAN Office – (618) 899-9110
• Salem SWAN Office – (618) 740-0898
• Vandalia SWAN Office – (618) 283-9179

The Illinois Immigration Information Hub is a partnership between leading immigrant rights organizations, legal aid providers and state and local government partners in Illinois. It provides accurate and comprehensive information in a centralized place for individuals, families and employers. Information includes resources, legal guidance, and answers to common questions about immigration issues in Illinois. The hub also provides:

• Know Your Rights information cards, video series, toolkit, training and more.
• Essential planning strategies for emergencies and documents to create a family plan in English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Haitian Creole and Simplified Chinese
• Information on free and low-cost legal services
• Forms, applications and answers to frequently asked questions and more

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) Family Support Network (FSN) Hotline at (855) 435-7693 (1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY). Help is available in  English, Spanish, Korean and Polish.

The City of Marion Housing Authority provides public housing to low-income families and individuals to promote affordable housing, self-sufficiency, economic opportunity and a suitable living environment free from discrimination. Its public housing program offers 328 housing units. Interested individuals must complete the pre-application form and submit it to the Marion Housing Authority office to determine eligibility.

For questions, please:

• Visit the City of Marion Housing at 501 N. Market St., in Marion
• Call (618) 997-1258
• Email hacm@marionhousing.org

AFIRE (Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment) Chicago is a grassroots community organization that connects Chicagoland-area Filipinx/a/o community members, immigrants, domestic workers, seniors and youth to a variety of services and programs. In addition to its online Community Resources Directory, AFIRE offers health resources, legal aid, language learning, community education, and citizenship and professional development workshops.

For questions, please contact AFIRE at (773) 580-1025 or contact@afirechicago.org.

 

SWAN protects and advocates for adult victims of abuse, neglect and homelessness. SWAN offers programs and trained staff to help victims in Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Jefferson, Hamilton, Lawrence, Marion, Richland, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, and White counties. SWAN programs include:

• Information and assistance for seniors and people with disabilities
• ​Housing programs for victims of domestic violence and homelessness
• SWAN partner abuse intervention program
• Adult Protective Services (APS) for ages 18 to 59 with disabilities
• Legal advocacy
• Parenting groups, support groups and domestic violence abuser intervention counseling

For immediate help, call the 24-hour Domestic Violence and Temporary Shelter Hotline at (888) 715-6260.

You can also contact SWAN:

• Through its Contact Us page on the website
• By calling an office location (see the list of offices and services for each county)

Greater Family Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Community Health Centers are independent, non-profit, non-governmental health care organizations that provide access to quality, cost-effective health care services to everyone, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Greater Family Health has 12 locations and offers patient-centered dental, health, and mental health services in the Elgin community and 54 municipalities in Illinois.

Greater Family Health services include:

• Women’s health and Better Birth Outcomes Comprehensive program
• Dental services
• Adult and senior health
• Behavioral health and counseling
• Sexual health

For questions or more information, please call Greater Family Health at (844) 599-3700.