General Resources
The Catalyst Center works with a broad range of partners to improve health care insurance coverage and address complex health care financing for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN).
The Chicago Lighthouse is a social service organization serving the blind, visually impaired, disabled and veteran communities. It provides vision rehabilitation services, education, employment opportunities and assistive technology for people of all ages throughout Chicagoland. It also provides housing opportunities for income-eligible households for individuals with disabilities. National and statewide resources include help with college, brailler repair, employment, recreation, service animals and more.
The organization’s Lader Family Scholarship Program is open to Illinois residents who are blind or visually impaired, as well as Chicago Lighthouse employees who are blind, visually impaired, have another disability or are veterans. You can learn more about the Lader Family Scholarship and other scholarship opportunities on the Chicago Lighthouse website.
The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation
The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation provides support and financial help to families in crisis due to pregnancy complications, premature birth/neonatal intensive care unit stay and loss. This financial assistance may help cover:
- Childcare
- Medical bills
- Transportation costs
- Rent/mortgage and utilities
- Post-loss/funeral/burial expenses
- Grief counseling (individual, couple and family)
Visit the Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation website for more details.
The Community Resource Desk in Carbondale
The Community Resource Desk at the Carbondale Public Library offers community residents information, referrals and help navigating and connecting with local programs and resources. Residents can get help with services such as utilities and housing assistance, employment support, transportation and obtaining essential documents.
The Community Resource Desk at the Carbondale Public Library is open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more details, please see the Community Resource Desk flyer.
The library also provides social work and community assistance resources online, including the Carbondale Area Resource Guide and FindHelp Southern Illinois.
The Good Samaritan Inn in Decatur
The Good Samaritan Inn provides meals to all those who need them, no questions asked. Meals are served seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Its programs also include Mercy Gardens and Mercy Market from June through October.
Good Samaritan Inn is located at 920 North Union St. in Decatur.
For more information, call (217) 429-1455.
The Guthrie-Koch Scholarship for Individuals with Certain Metabolic Disorders
The Guthrie-Koch Scholarship from flok is for individuals with one of several metabolic disorders. The scholarship is for students who demonstrate character, academic achievement, and engagement with their community, and who are pursuing post-secondary educational or vocational opportunities. Students from any country can apply. Scholarship applications open by mid-December each year. Applications are due in mid-March.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must have one of these metabolic disorders:
- Classical HCU
- Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD)
- An Organic Acidemia
- Phenylketonuria (PKU)
- Tyrosinemia
- Urea Cycle Disorder (UCD)
For questions, please contact flok at (973) 619-9160 or email info@flok.org.
The Neighbor Project (TNP) is a nonprofit, HUD-Certified Housing Counseling Agency dedicated to helping low to moderate-income families in Aurora reduce debt, build credit, save and ultimately buy their first homes.
The Salvation Army of Freeport and Stephenson County
The Salvation Army of Freeport and Stephenson County provides a wide range of programs and services to area families and individuals to overcome barriers to self-sufficiency. The Salvation Army can help with bills, child care, employment, housing and emergencies. It also works to connect individuals to outside resources that can benefit personal growth and support.
The Salvation Army of Freeport and Stephenson County is at 524 West Stephenson Street in Freeport. For more information, please call (815) 235-7638.
Freeport, ILThe Superhero Project matches children facing serious illnesses, disabilities and complex medical needs with artists to create their superhero alter egos.
The nonprofit interviews kids and teens about their superhero alter egos. Artists then design the characters the children have described, creating a visual representation of their strength, courage and resilience. Families then receive an inspiring poster of their superheroes.
The Superhero Project is free and open to families around the world. For questions, please contact The Superhero Project using the online form or email hello@SHPkids.org
Thumbuddy Special is a non-profit organization founded by a group of special education teachers and therapists to raise funds to provide adaptive equipment for children with special needs.
Thumbuddy Special supplies equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, bath chairs, adapted bikes, ramps and computers. In addition, the nonprofit offers scholarships to children to attend local special recreation camps in the summer.
For questions, please call Thumbuddy Special at (630) 212-3419.