Families are dealing with stress from multiple sources, including COVID-19, and may not be able to celebrate the holidays as usual. Given these changes, adults and children may experience waves of sadness, disappointment, loneliness, grief and anger.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has put together these strategies and ideas to help create moments of joy, hope and connection with your family.

The American Transplant Foundation’s Patient Assistance Program (PAP) is a privately funded financial assistance program that helps living donors cover lost wages during their recovery from surgery and helps transplant recipients maintain health insurance coverage and access to immunosuppressant medications. This program is available nationwide and is focused on the most financially vulnerable patients and their families.

The Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation provides opportunities and resources to critically and chronically ill children and their families.

The program includes The Tiana Fund, which provides assistance to economically at-risk persons or families in need that will strengthen their ability to care for themselves, enhance their stability and security, and improve their quality of life or their ability to contribute to the community. Applications are only available at Chicago-area hospitals or pre-approved community organizations.

Center for Prevention of Abuse‘s mission is to help all people – women, men, and children – to live free from violence and abuse.

The center provides services for domestic violence, sexual abuse/assault, human trafficking, adult protective services and prevention education. Its crisis hotline is available 24/7 at (800) 559-SAFE (7233).

The Peoria County Family Justice Center is a multi-disciplinary response team designed to provide services and support to victims of domestic violence, while simultaneously holding offender’s accountable.

Variety’s St. Louis location serves children and teens with special needs under the age of 21 and their families living in 30 counties in Missouri and Illinois surrounding St. Louis.

The charity aims to help children with disabilities fulfill their potential by providing access to vital medical equipment, therapy and innovative programs. The Illinois counties in Variety’s service area are: Bond, Calhoun, Clay, Clinton, Fayette, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Randolph, St. Clair, Washington.

Opportunities include:

• Variety family social groups
• Venturing Crew inclusive program for youth ages 14-20
• Adventure Camp
• Performing arts

Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC) is committed to ending domestic violence. Using a self-help, empowerment approach, we provide a shelter for adults and children, counseling, advocacy, and a 24-hour hotline for people affected by domestic violence.

Safe Families for Children hosts vulnerable children and creates extended family-like supports for desperate families through a community of devoted volunteers who are motivated by compassion to keep children safe and families intact.

There are several locations in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Public Health put together this list of violence prevention and support resources.

Topics covered include mental health and crisis support, violence prevention and intervention support, and report of child abuse or abuse of an older adult or adult with a disability.

If you or one of your family members has mental health and/or substance use challenges and would like to receive support by phone, call the Illinois Warm Line at (866) 359-7953.

Wellness support specialists are professionals who have experienced mental health and/or substance use recovery in their own lives. They are trained in recovery support, mentoring and advocacy.

The Illinois Warm Line is not a crisis hotline, but is a source of support as you recover or help a family member to recover. Illinois Warm Line hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays.

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) also provides a list of state and national helplines offering someone to talk to or help during a crisis.