The McHenry County Workforce Network Young Adult Internship Program provides opportunities for young adults up to age 24, including paid internships, training, certification and more.

Paid internships at local companies throughout McHenry County including positions in retail, offices, public works departments, not-for-profit organizations and many more.

Classroom training including resume development, interview preparation, career exploration, job search training, etc.

Apraxia Kids is a nonprofit that strengthens the support systems in the lives of children with apraxia of speech. Its website provides resource guides and information about conferences, webinars, support groups and more.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is committed to ensuring that all people with speech, language and hearing disorders receive services to help them communicate effectively.

The ASHA website provides resources to help you understand communication and communication disorders.

The Illinois Resource Center has put together a library of videos for bilingual parents with videos in French, Tagalog, Urdu, Arabic, Polish, Spanish and English.

Each video showcases subjects and information relevant to parents, caretakers and community members, such as the role of Bilingual Parent Advisory Committees, financial aid for college, tenant rights, multilingual student rights and more.

Some people with disabilities may be more likely to get very sick from the flu, COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Underlying medical conditions can add to their risk

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a list of respiratory virus resources and tips for people with disabilities on its website.

The Menard County Housing Authority provides the Housing Choice Voucher Program, Project-Based Vouchers, Tenant Protection Vouchers, and Emergency Housing Vouchers in Alexander, Bond, Casey, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Douglas, Fayette, Jackson, Jasper, Livingston, Macoupin, Massac, Menard, Monroe, Moultrie, Perry, Pulaski, Randolph, Scott and Wabash counties.

The website also includes resources for Menard County residents for help with food, utilities, employment, education, and other programs and services.

For more information and to apply, visit www.menardcha.org. You can also call (217) 632-7723.

The National Organization for Rare Disorders’ (NORD) Respite Program is for caregivers (parents, spouses, family members, or significant others) of a child or adult diagnosed with a rare disorder. The program provides financial assistance to allow caregivers a break to attend a conference, an event, or have an afternoon or evening away from caregiving.

The Respite Program awards are granted to eligible individuals on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no fee to apply.

For more information about this program, contact NORD at (203) 616-4328 or email CaregiverRespite@rarediseases.org.

Equip for Equality provides this guide to help understand the purpose of an individualized education program (IEP), how to read one, rules to know, special education rights, Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements and more.

Entry Point’s purpose is to ensure all people experiencing homelessness or who are at-risk of homelessness have fair and equal access to housing in suburban Cook County.

Individuals and families experiencing homelessness or who are at-risk of homelessness can access Entry Point throughout the region. Trained Entry Point staff at access locations work with households to understand their strengths and needs using a standardized assessment. Entry Point uses HUD homeless assistance eligibility guidelines and uniform prioritization policies to refer people to the right programs based on their preferences and levels of need.

Entry Point also helps suburban Cook County make the best matches between homeless assistance resources and the people who need them most.

If you need financial assistance with mortgage, rent payments, rent deposits, utility payments or other housing issues, please call the Homeless Prevention Call Center at 1-877-4-Cook-15 (1-877-426-6515).

Listen carefully to the prompts to choose which kind of help you need.