Evanston Vineyard Care Center is open every Wednesday night, located at the Evanston Vineyard Church, 2495 Howard Street (behind Jewel), from 6-8pm and will have these services: --High quality, affordable clothing – every item is $1. Proceeds will go into creating training jobs within the new Care Center Clothes Closet. -- A team ready to listen and sit down with people to help find local resources such as housing, jobs, child care, etc. --Free groceries up to 2x a month through Harvest Food Pantry. Must bring valid ID each time. --Free diapers on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. You must bring your child andidentifying documentation for them the first time to register. After that, just your ID each time. --A computer lab with internet access to look for jobs, create resumes, etc --Monthly workshops on topics like financial budgeting and job readiness --A team to help people with creating resumes, interview skills and job searching --An area for the kids to play in while mom and dad get the support they need with one of these services --Prayer if requested On weekdays, we have adult ESL tutoring. The fall courses are currently filled, but the next session will start again early 2018. We also partner with Safe Families, which provides temporary housingto children in homes of screened/trained volunteers while mom/dad get help (If you have more questions I'll connect you to the woman that leads this).
Clothing 1. Salvation Army distributes donated used clothing in limited amounts on Monday 10:00-12:00AM and 1:00-2:30PM, at Hemenway United Methodist Church Tuesday 5:00-6:00PM, at Vineyard Church on Wednesdays and at First Presbyterian Church on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month 10:00-12:00AM.
2. Evanston School Children's Clothing Association (ESCCA) provides school clothing for all Evanston/Skokie District 65 K-8th grade school children in need. Each year ESCA provides a full wardrobe of clothing and shoes to 500-600 children. [email protected] General Goods One of the best places to get great deals on furniture, appliances, decor, books, housewares, toys, clothing and more, are the various church rummage sales in Evanston. And, most have "bag sales" after 1pm. A bag sale allows the buyer to purchase a bag (usually for one or two dollars) and fill it with whatever they can carry! http://northshorerummage.blogspot.com/p/links-to-rummage-sales.html
3. Join the Evanston Freecycle Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreecycleEvanston/. Once you are a member of the group, you will get daily postings of items people are hoping to get rid of FOR FREE. You can find everything from couches to moving boxes!
Free Counseling Services Porchlight Counseling Services exists to help college sexual assault survivors achieve healing and wholeness and to create a world in which a person's life is not defined by the devastating experience of sexual assault. http://www.porchlightcounseling.org/news.php
Cash Assistance Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program helps pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children with temporary cash and other benefits. TANF can help pay for food, shelter, utilities, and expenses other than medical.
Earnfare helps adults who do not have custody of their children and who receive Food Stamps. They must first work off the value of their food stamps (at minimum wage) and then they can work more hours and earn up to $294 per month.
General Assistance (GA) program provides people with money and limited medical care when they do not qualify for other cash programs administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS).
Evanston Township The general assistance program in Evanston provides up to $500 monthly to people not eligible through other state assistance programs and do not have income. They also have a job club, work site training program, 50/50 work program, GED classes, Counseling, Access to Care for healthcare services, a discount prescription drug program, medical assistance and a notary on site.
Transitional Assistance (TA) - for those who do not qualify for AABD or Refugee and Repatriate Assistance (RRA). Specific rules apply and qualifications apply.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) puts cash back in a person’s pocket and will locate help to file Income Taxes. Family Mentoring through Family Promiseshttp://www.familypromise.org/program/family-mentoring Family promises mentoring program is designed to help families avoid homelessness. In the Family Mentoring program, economically vulnerable families are matched with trained volunteer mentors who work with them, one-on-one, over an extended period to connect with community resources, improve their housing and employment situations and to nurture and support their children
Food Pantries A group called TSA has a food pantry in Evanston at 1403 Sherman Ave Evanston, IL, 60201. They distribute food on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. Clients can visit once a month, no more than 5 times per year. Their website is http://direct2food.org/node/8051
The Hillside church distributes food to families on Wednesdays. To learn more, visit their website http://www.hillsidepantry.org/patrons.html or call 847-328-7182.
Vineyard Church also has a food pantry twice a month on Wednesdays from 6-8pm at 2495 Howard Street, Evanston, IL 60202 (Howard & Kedzie, behind Jewel). To learn more, visit [email protected]
Ongoing Childcare Assistance Child Care Assistance Program provides low-income, working families with access to quality, affordable child care that allows them to continue working and contributes to the healthy, emotional and social development of the child. Healthcare Assistance All Kids: Covers children who need health insurance, regardless of family income, immigration status or health condition. Some families who pay for private health insurance for their children may qualify for help to pay their premiums.
FamilyCare: Covers parents living with their children age 18 or younger. FamilyCare also covers grandparents or other relatives who are raising children in place of their parents. Some families who pay for private health insurance may qualify for help to pay their premiums.
Moms & Babies: Covers pregnant women and their babies.
Call toll-free to 1-866-ALL-KIDS (1-866-255-5437) for more information on All Kids, FamilyCare, and Moms & Babies or visitwww.allkids.com to apply online. For TTY, call 1 (877) 204-1012.
Medicare: You might qualify for Medicare, even if you are under the age of 65, if you have a disability that is expected to last at least a year or is expected to cause your death. In order to get Medicare because you are disabled, you have to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and you must receive SSDI for 24 months before you can enroll in Medicare. Call the Social Security Administration’s toll-free number, 1 (800) 772-1213. To learn more about Medicare, call 1 (800) MEDICARE (633-4227).
Medicaid: If you are blind or have a disability and your income is low or you spend most of your income on health care, you may qualify for Medicaid. People who have a disability usually qualify for Medicaid because they get Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but you may be able to get Medicaid while you are waiting to find out if you are eligible for SSI. Even if you do not qualify for SSI, you may still be able to get health insurance through Medicaid. 1 (800) 226-0768 or (312) 793-2354 for TTY.
Illinois’ High-Risk Pool for People with Health Problems: High-risk pools are state-run programs that sell health insurance to a small number of people who are turned away by insurance companies or are offered very limited or expensive policies because they or a family member have an existing health problem. 1(866) 851-2751.
Help with Hospital Bills: If you are uninsured and have to go to the hospital to get care, you may be able to receive some help paying your hospital bills. Ask to speak with a financial counselor or a patient advocate at the hospital. You may be able to negotiate a lower bill or a better bill payment plan.
Free or Discounted Prescription Drug Programs: You may be eligible for a free or discounted prescription drug program through the company that makes the drugs you need. You can get more information about these programs at www.rxassist.org and www.needymeds.com. Discount prescriptions can also be found at Target and Walmart store pharmacies.
Illinois Cares Rx provides a safety net for seniors and persons with disabilities so they won’t have to pay more out of pocket under the new Medicare plan. 1 (800) 226-0768.
Illinois Rx Buying Club is available to uninsured Illinoisans who meet certain income limits. Members save an average of 24% on hundreds of the most popular prescription drugs. You can reach the Illinois Rx Buying Club at 1 (866) 215-3462.
Pfizer Helpful Answers is a family of programs to help people without prescription drug coverage save on many Pfizer medicines, no matter their age or income. 1 (866) 706-2400.
Veterans may be entitled to care and prescription drug coverage through a VA medical facility if you served on active duty and have an honorable or general discharge. Veterans who cannot currently access Veterans Health Administration's benefits and who meet specific income requirements may also be eligible for the state’s Veterans Care program. Illinois Veterans Program 1 (877) 4VETSRX. VA Health Benefits Service Center 1 (877) 222-VETS.
The Illinois Immunization Program makes sure kids get the immunizations they need to protect them from dangerous childhood diseases. Check with your doctor or healthcare provider for more information. 1 (800) 323-GROW.
Illinois Healthy Womenhelps women with health care coverage for family planning and birth control services. The program is voluntary and services are confidential. Most services are free. Copays may apply to some services, such as brand name prescription drugs. 1-800-226-0768.
The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program offers free mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams and Pap tests to eligible women. Even if a woman has already been diagnosed with cancer, she may receive free treatment if she qualifies. 1 (888) 522-1282.
Low-Cost Primary Health Care: A local community health clinic may be able to help you get low-cost primary health care on a sliding-scale basis, based on your income. Visit http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov to find a community health clinic near you or call the Helpline at the Campaign for Better Health Care at 1 (888) 544-8271.
Access to Care (for residents of suburban Cook County and portions of Chicago) makes primary health care and the ancillary pharmacy, laboratory and radiology services available to those individuals caught in the gap between eligibility for public health insurance programs and having private insurance. The program provides affordable diagnosis and treatment to individuals and families for a small co-payment per visit, procedure or prescription medication. (708) 531-0680.
Access DuPage (for residents of DuPage County) helps those without health insurance and who meet the eligibility criteria in obtaining a medical home where to receive primary care services at a small cost until you become insured. (630) 510-8720.
Additionally, there are a number of free clinics throughout Illinois that may also be a resource for persons without insurance. A list of them can be found athttp://www.fcglr.org/directory/Illinois/il-home.htm.
COBRA Subsidy for Recently Unemployed Workers: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the “economic stimulus plan” that was signed into effect by President Obama, allows for recently unemployed workers to continue employer sponsored health insurance through COBRA. Many individuals who lost group health coverage as a result of involuntary termination between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 are eligible for a 65% federal subsidy of COBRA or state continuation coverage programs for up to 9 months. Visit the Illinois Division of Insurance’s website at http://www.idfpr.com/DOI/default2.asp.
For more information on other state health care programs, including prescription drug assistance programs, programs for seniors and veterans, and other helpful programs, visit the Illinois Health and Wellness website at www.health.illinois.gov.
Soup Kitchens Interfaith Action of Evanston Soup Kitchens staff several soup kitchens in Evanston. These Soup Kitchens are all run by teams who plan, purchase, prepare, serve and clean up a hot meal for 115 people at the site. If you are hungry, they serve great meals and usually have bag lunches to take with for later.
Sunday, 3:00 p.m.: St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1004 Greenwood Street.
Monday, 12:00 noon: Second Baptist Church, 1717 Benson.
Thursday, 6:00 p.m.: First United Methodist Church, 516 Church Street.
Friday sack lunch, noon: First Congregational Church Hall, 1417 Hinman Ave.
If you'd like to volunteer, please contact Interfaith Action at (847) 475-1150.
Housing Family Promise Services 3-4 families at a time and often has a long waiting list. 847-475-4500Community partners for affordable housing (cpah) Develops permanently affordable for-sale and rental housing of high quality for low- and moderate-income households. Has no availability on 5/30/14. May have housing for rentals in the next few months but has a long waitlist.
CEDA Northwest This program helps individuals and families stabilize their current housing situation. The program provides housing counseling for a variety of situations and, as available for eligible participants, one-time financial assistance.
Live EvanstonLiveEvanston is a City of Evanston initiative that makes attractive, high-quality homes affordable to qualified moderate-income families. Participation in the LiveEvanston program is not limited to first-time homebuyers. However, potential homebuyers cannot own a property that is their primary residence when making an offer on a LiveEvanston home. Direct2Housing helps connect families find and apply for supportive housing services.
Drop-in referral services for those who are homeless in Evanston are available Monday and Thursday 8:00-12:00AM and Wednesday 9:00-12:00AM through the EntryPoint Program of Connections for the Homeless. EntryPoint offers case management, 847-475-7070. http://www.cfthinc.org/
Open five mornings per week, 52 weeks per year, the "Hospitality Center" provides a warm, nurturing environment for daytime use by the guests from Hilda's Place and Entry Point, the programs run by Connections for the Homeless. The center operates from rooms graciously provided by St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1509 Ridge Avenue, and is open from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. Guests may use the services of a job coordinator or case manager, or they may make use of the facilities for grooming or making phone calls regarding jobs or apartments.
Warming Center
During November through March, Interfaith Action sponsors warming centers that provide a warm, safe place for guests to enjoy conversation, light snacks, or a restful nap. The faith communities that open their doors to this ministry are listed below.
Monday, 1:00-3:30 p.m. St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1004 Greenwood Street.
Monday, 3:30-7:00 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, 1427 Chicago Avenue.
Tuesday, 1:00-5:00 p.m. Bethany Baptist Church of Christ, 1225 Elmwood Avenue.
Wednesday, 1:00-4:00 p.m. St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Lake Street and Oak Avenue.
Thursday, 1:00-5:00 p.m. First Congregational Church, 1417 Hinman.
Friday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sojourner Covenant, 1101 Church Street.
Legal Assistance The Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago helps people apply for and maintain public benefits, including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Medicare Part D prescription drug benefits, and Food Stamps, through a telephone advocacy system. Call the Public Benefits Hotline at 1 (888) 893-5327 to speak to an intake worker.