General Resources
Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.
Metropolitan Family Services provides a variety of services throughout Chicago, DuPage County, Evanston, Skokie and the southwest suburbs to help families learn, earn, heal and thrive. Metropolitan Family Services programs include:
- Early learning
- Afterschool
- Job readiness
- Counseling and mental health
- Legal assistance
Migrant Ministry of the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park provides a variety of support services to help migrants and asylum seekers work toward achieving financial independence. Located at the former St. Edmund School (now St. Edmund Center) at 200 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park, Migrant Ministry offers:
- Resources
- Advocacy
- Help finding food, housing and other supports
- Family mentors
Miracle Flights provides free commercial airline tickets to pediatric patients ages 17 and under in need of life-changing medical care far from home. Families must meet certain requirements and apply online using the online application for requesting each flight.
The organization also provides flights for service dog retrieval and/or training. Miracle Flights’ service dog program is open to all individuals who need help retrieving/training their service dog.
Miracle League of Central Illinois
The Miracle League of Central Illinois is a league for children and adults with disabilities that enables them to play baseball on a specially designed adaptive field. The Miracle League of Central Illinois and the town of Normal, Ill., partner to provide this program to a wide range of participants. Scholarships are available to help youth of all abilities participate.
Visit the Miracle League of Central Illinois website to learn more.
Miracle League of Joliet
The Miracle League of Joliet is a non-profit baseball league for children and young adults (ages 4 to 19) with disabilities. The rules emphasize participation, with every player getting a turn to bat in each inning. A volunteer “Buddy” assists each player at bat and on the field.
League games take place on a custom-designed field featuring a rubberized turf, free from obstacles to ensure players can round the bases and play baseball safely. Visit the Miracle League of Joliet website for more details.
Muscular Dystrophy Association
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) provides comprehensive information and resources to help with understanding, managing and living day-to-day with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular diseases.
MDA programs and resources include:
- The MDA Resource Center providing one-on-one support by phone or email for individuals and families looking for resources, activities and more
- Nationwide summer camps
- Resources for caregivers
- Community education and services
Northern Illinois Food Bank has launched My Pantry Express, an online source for groceries. The program allows families in need of food assistance to choose specific grocery items and pick them up at a preferred participating location.
Pickup locations are available in the following counties: DeKalb, DuPage, Lake, Will, Winnebago.
National Alliance for Caregiving
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) is a non-profit coalition of national organizations providing research, advocacy and innovation to make life better for family caregivers. The Alliance’s research, programs and resources include:
- Guidebooks including its Circle of Care Guidebook for Caregivers of Children with Rare and/or Serious Illnesses
- Stories from caregivers nationwide
- Research, data and reports focusing on different aspects of caregivers
- Advocacy and policy initiatives
National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG)
The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them. NACG resources include:
- Free GriefTalk Live events
- Webinars and continuing education
- Peer networking