CHICAGO — Many nonprofits, mutual aid groups and organizations in Chicago help people in need year-round.
As holiday season nears, Block Club rounded up more than 80 of those initiatives across the city you can support — from literacy nonprofits, food pantries and cultural groups to healthcare networks, housing support and social justice advocacy groups.
In this season of giving, consider spending some of your holiday budget on one (or more) of these groups to aid your Chicago community. Or donate your time — some of the below groups offer volunteer options as well.
This list is not exhaustive as there are so many resources and networks working to support neighbors’ needs. If you know of other mutual aid groups and initiatives or you would like to share updates on efforts we have written about, email us at [email protected].
Check out 81 options for receiving or providing help across Chicago:
Animal Shelters
Animal Care and Control, 2741 S. Western Ave., provides medical care, adoption and lost-and-found services for animals. You can volunteer at the shelter. You can also adopt a pet and reclaim your lost pet. Website.
Chicago Roo Crew is a grassroots group that rescues and finds permanent homes for homeless roosters and hens in and around Chicago. You can make a monetary donation to the group, which helps pay for chickens’ veterinary bills. Website.
One Tail at a Time, 2144 N. Wood St., is an animal shelter that helps dogs, cats and rabbits find permanent homes and provides medical care to homeless animals. It also runs a pet mutual aid network so owners in need can get supplies for furry family members. You can volunteer or offer a temporary home to an animal by fostering. You can also make a monetary donation. Website.
PAWS Chicago, 1997 N. Clybourn Ave., is a nonprofit animal shelter that focuses on solutions to end the euthanasia of homeless cats and dogs. You can volunteer. You can also donate and adopt a pet. Website.
Red Door Shelter, 2410 W. Lunt Ave., is a no-kill shelter that helps foster and adopt out cats, dogs, rabbits and the occasional stray duck or chicken. You can volunteer. You can also provide a temporary home to an animal by fostering and donate supplies or money. Website.
Book Drives & Banks
Bernie’s Book Bank, 917 N. Shore Drive (Lake Bluff, Illinois), which provides free books to underserved children in and around Chicago, has given away more than 20 million books since its founding in 2009. Every child who participates gets a free bag of books every year. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. You can also donate new and gently used books at more than 120 locations. Website.
Open Books (various locations) is a nonprofit that sells new and used donated books at its Pilsen, West Loop and North Lawndale stores. It also organizes literacy programs like read-aloud story times, one-on-one reading support for elementary students and book grants for educators. You can volunteer and donate books. Website.
Pilsen Community Books, 1102 W. 18th St., partners with Liberation Library, a nonprofit that sends books to incarcerated youth in Illinois. Pilsen Community Books patrons can donate to the library by purchasing gift certificates online. Learn more here. The bookstore has also hosted book drives alongside Uptown’s Nabala Cafe to stock its free community bookshelf. Website.
Cultural Groups
The American Indian Center, 3401 W. Ainslie St., works to preserve Native American culture and help Indigenous people in Chicago and beyond. It has a year-round educational program for youth, hosts cultural classes and provides services like free food to neighbors in need. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
Invisible 2 Invincible (i2i) aims to celebrate and affirm LGBTQ+ Asians and Pacific Islanders living in the Chicago area. The organization supports immigrant and refugee rights, reproductive justice, racial justice solidarity work and family acceptance of LGBTQ+ Asians and Pacific Islanders. It hosts clothing swaps, book clubs, craft and movie nights and more. Facebook.
Salon Kawakib is a cultural salon in Chicago that uplifts Southwest Asian and North African Chicagoans through art events like concerts and poetry nights, forums, political actions and more. You can keep up with the group on social media. Instagram.
Disability Services/Advocates
Gateway to Learning, 4925 N. Lincoln Ave., helps adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities learn life skills and promotes active inclusion at home, at work and in the community. Programming includes an employment services division, art and wellness services, family support and a community day program. You can make a monetary donation and discover other ways to support. Website.
Environmental Groups
Urban Rivers, 1440 N. Kingsbury St., Suite 005, helps make the Chicago River a better place for the community by removing trash from the water, maintaining surrounding gardens, contributing to ecological research and increasing access to nature. You can become a volunteer or a River Ranger. You can also donate. Website.
Food Pantries & Grocery Resources
Care For Real, a long-established food pantry in Edgewater with locations at 5339 N. Sheridan Road and 1545 W. Morse Ave., also operates a clothing distribution and a pet food pantry. During the pandemic, the organization opened a Rogers Park food pantry and a drive-thru food distribution. You can volunteer. You can also make a monetary donation and donate items. Website.
The Friendship Center, 2711 W. Lawrence Ave., works to provide food access and other resources — including hot meals, groceries and pet supplies — to neighbors in need on the Northwest Side. You can volunteer. You can make a monetary donation and donate supplies. Website.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, 4100 W. Ann Lurie Place, has provided food to people in need for more than 40 years. It supplied pop-up food pantries on the South and West sides throughout the pandemic, from South Shore to Bronzeville to Little Village. You can volunteer, make a monetary donation and find other ways to get involved online. Website.
The Irving Park Community Food Pantry, 4256 N. Ridgeway Ave., collects and distributes food, toys, winter gear and other resources for families in need. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
Love Fridge is a mutual aid group that helps neighbors create free fridges and pantries in Chicago neighborhoods. People can leave food donations at the fridges and people in need can stop by to get supplies — there are around a dozen locations. You can volunteer. You can also host a fridge. Website.
Market Box is a mutual aid program that provides neighbors with healthy food from Midwestern farmers. It distributes over 420 bags of food each month to a network of families on the South Side. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Linktree. Website.
Meals On Wheels Chicago, 314 W. Superior St., Suite 201, helps seniors, people with disabilities and low-income households who are struggling with food insecurity and isolation. Serving more than 4.7 million meals per year, they help provide people with food security and a sense of self-sufficiency. You can volunteer. You can also help raise funds or donate money. Find other ways to support online. Website.
The Northwest Side Solidarity Network works with citywide mutual aid groups to ensure Northwest Side neighbors have the resources they need. The group hosts a monthly free food pop-up with fresh produce, dairy and dried and canned goods at St. Nicolai United Church, 3000 N. Kedzie Ave., in Avondale The group is hosting a fundraiser with music, magic and comedy skits 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at Half Acre, 2050 W. Balmoral Ave. Its goal is to raise $2,000-$3,000 for its upcoming holiday markets and to buy gift cards, clothes and toys for families in need. The group is also fundraising with a t-shirt sale through the end of November. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
Nourishing Hope, 3945 N. Sheridan Road, previously known as the Lakeview Pantry, was founded by Jo Bolger decades ago to combat inequity in the neighborhood. It’s one of the longest-operating hunger relief organizations in Chicago. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
Pilsen Food Pantry, 2124 S. Ashland Ave. provides food, clothes, health resources and more to people, particularly migrants. You can donate clothing, sleeping bags and other items by emailing [email protected]. You can also volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
Pilsen Solidarity Network, 1824 S. Wood St., is a community mutual aid initiative hosting free markets where neighbors can take, exchange and donate canned goods, packaged food items, clothes and other items. You can keep up with the network and keep up with upcoming pop-up markets on social media. Facebook.
Rogers Park Food Not Bombs is a grassroots grocery distribution group that works with local grocery stores, distributors and restaurants to give away food to the community that would otherwise go to waste. It hosts distribution events every Sunday at 6900 N. Glenwood Ave. You can make donations and order a T-shirt. Linktree.
Healthcare & Wellness
Above and Beyond, 2942 W. Lake St., is an outpatient addiction treatment facility, relying on private funding to ensure no one is turned away when in need. The West Side-based facility also created a pantry for neighbors in need. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
A Home Within‘s Chicago chapter supports individuals who are in or who have gone through foster care by matching them with therapists who can provide mental health care. You can volunteer. You can make a monetary donation. Website.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago, 200 S. Monroe St., Suite 1150, advocates for people living with or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, helping people get tested for HIV and connecting those with HIV to health care. You can find volunteer opportunities and make a monetary donation online. Website.
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, 4477 S. Archer Ave., works to provide neighbors with resources, mental health services and community services, including mentorship programs, language classes, exercise and arts programs, public benefits assistance and more. You can make a monetary donation. Website.
The Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., is a community center that provides a wide array of health and wellness care to LGBTQ+ people, including rapid HIV testing, job training and therapy. You can volunteer and make a donation. Website.
The Chicago Abortion Fund provides financial, logistical and emotional support, including funds for care and travel, to people in need of abortion and reproductive health care. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website. The fund’s office address is confidential for staff safety; its mailing address is 333 W. North Ave.
CommunityHealth, 2611 W. Chicago Ave., one of the largest volunteer-based health centers in the nation, provides services to low-income, uninsured Chicagoans, with translators for people in need. You can find volunteer opportunities and make a monetary donation. Website.
Cook County Health Foundation, 200 W. Madison St., Suite 300, works to support Cook County Health through education, fundraising and advocacy so all people — including those without insurance — can receive health care. Here are ways to help. You can also make a monetary donation. Website.
Cradles to Crayons, 2500 W. Bradley Place, is a national nonprofit focused on ending children’s clothing insecurity. Its Chicago chapter collects children’s items for local disadvantaged youth through grassroots drives and corporate donations. Find ways to get involved and donate here. Facebook. Website.
Gyrls in the H.O.O.D. Foundation, 605 E. 71st St., provides girls in and around Chicago with a variety of services, including reproductive and sexual health education so they can make informed decisions. Read about how it created a shelter for young women here. You can find ways to support and make a monetary donation online. Website.
Healthy Hood, 2242 S. Damen Ave., is a Pilsen-based nonprofit that works to end the life expectancy gap between underserved and affluent communities, providing residents with resources and programs that will cultivate their minds, bodies and consciences. You can make a monetary donation. Website.
Howard Brown Health (multiple locations) provides affirming health and wellness care to LGBTQ+ people, serving more than 40,000 people per year. Its programs cover everything from primary medical and dental care to services for youth and older people. You can find volunteer opportunities and make a donation online. Website.
The Inner-City Muslim Action Network, or IMAN, 2744 W. 63rd St., is a nonprofit community and health center that focuses on healing, wellness and social change. Started in 1997 to support communities of color on the South Side, IMAN’s work includes art programs, criminal justice reform, food distribution, leadership training and more. Its Green ReEntry program provides transitional housing, life skills education and more for formerly incarcerated citizens and high-risk youth. You can apply to volunteer and make a monetary donation online. Website.
The Midwest Access Coalition believes everyone should have access to safe, free and legal abortions. The nonprofit assists people seeking abortions with travel, lodging, food and more. You can make monetary and stock donations and find ways to get involved online. Website.
Share Our Spare, 3800 N. Milwaukee Ave., is a nonprofit and “essentials spare bank” dedicated to providing essentials like high chairs, strollers, diapers, wipes and cold-weather necessities to children 5 and younger. You can volunteer, donate and host a drive. Website.
TPAN, 5537 N. Broadway, is an Edgewater-based organization providing programs and support services for people living with and vulnerable to HIV since 1987, including testing, counseling and education. TPAN publishes a nationally distributed HIV treatment and health magazine, Positively Aware, and runs the annual Ride for Life Chicago, or Victory Lap Chicago. You can find volunteer opportunities and ways to donate online. Website.
Housing & Furniture Resources
La Casa Norte, 3533 W. North Ave., helps young people and families who are experiencing homelessness, providing them with stable housing and connecting them with resources like food pantries and health clinics. The organization served 22,811 homeless and low-income youth and families in 2023. You can make a monetary donation. Here are other ways to give. Website.
The Chicago Furniture Bank, 4801 S. Whipple St., supports Chicagoans facing poverty by providing them with free furniture. Clients are able to handpick an entire home’s worth at no charge. You can arrange furniture donations and donate money online. Website.
Chicago HOPES for Kids, 318 W. Adams St., Suite 600C, provides support to families experiencing homelessness, including academic support, mentorship and basic needs and services. You can volunteer and donate. Website.
Chicago House, 2229 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 304, works to empower people living with or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, supporting 2,400 individuals and families annually with housing, health and employment resources. It also provides reliable housing to those in need, believing housing is essential to get to zero new HIV/AIDS infections by 2030. You can find ways to get involved and to donate online. Website.
Community Utility allows neighbors to help pay utility bills for people struggling to get by, believing a community is better when everyone had access to shelter, food and basic utilities. Read more about its work here. You can donate and find more ways to support online. Website.
The Crib, 735 N. Ashland Ave., Suite 2000, run by the Night Ministry, provides emergency housing and other services to young Chicagoans, with many of its residents identifying as LGBTQ+. You can find ways to volunteer and support online. You can also make a monetary donation. Website.
Humble Design Chicago, 431 W. Pershing Road, helps people, families and veterans emerging from homelessness by designing and fully furnishing their home interiors. You can donate, volunteer and give furniture. Website.
The Lyte Collective, 549 E. 76th St., provides a safe space to young people experiencing homelessness, as well as meals, laundry facilities, safe-item storage and more. Here are ways to help. You can make a monetary donation. Website.
Not Me We is a community group fighting for housing protections in South Shore and Woodlawn. It also provides mutual aid to neighbors in need, giving away supplies through its Feed the Babies events, among other distributions. DM on Instagram to ask about donation opportunities. Website.
Youth Empowerment Performance Project, 3338 N. Broadway, uplifts and supports LGBTQ+ young people experiencing homelessness through art workshops, theater programs, housing resources and more. You can volunteer and donate. Website.
Immigrant, Refugee & Migrant Support
Asian Youth Services, 3117 W. Lawrence Ave., was founded to help refugee families who fled from genocide, war and oppression in Southeast Asia. It provides hot meals, tutoring services, enrichment activities and mentoring relationships to youth in Albany Park. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
Chi Welcome is a grassroots volunteer network that supports new migrants in Chicago in temporary housing, an independent spin-off of Refugee Community Connection. Support its work by volunteering or donating to sites collecting winter welcome kits, clothes, food and other items. Website.
The Chinese Mutual Aid Association, 1016 W. Argyle St., provides services to low-income immigrants and refugees, including adult education, citizen and immigration help and youth programs. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
GirlForward is focused on creating opportunities for displaced and refugee girls. You can volunteer. You can make a monetary donation. Website.
The Middle Eastern Immigrant and Refugee Alliance, or MIRA, 6420 N. California Ave., Upper 1, supports refugees coming to the Chicago area while preserving their Middle Eastern culture. It helps refugees and immigrants access services like health care, public benefits and legal support. You can register to be a volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
The Mobile Migrant Health Team has provided health care to migrants since starting more than a year ago. You can make a monetary donation.
The Nuevos Vecinos Tienda Gratis, or New Neighbors Free Store, 4750 N. Sheridan Road, has provided thousands of new arrivals with clothes and shoes. The store also provides luggage and bags, kitchen items, toys and toiletries, among other items. You can volunteer and donate items and money. Website.
The Chicago Police Station Response Team works throughout Chicago to provide essentials, including food, to migrants. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation.
Refugee Community Connection helps ease refugees’ transition to Chicago by providing resources, information, household necessities and neighborly connection with a network of volunteers. Find ways to volunteer, donate and support its work online. The group recommends people join its Facebook group to get involved. Website.
Trikone Chicago works to create a supportive, affirming environment for LGBTQ+ South Asians in and around Chicago. It promotes community by hosting film festivals, cultural nights, awareness campaigns and other events, which you can find on the group’s online calendar. You can find volunteer opportunities online. Website.
Jail Support
Chicago Community Jail Support is a volunteer-run mutual aid project that helps people being released from Cook County Jail and their loved ones. It provides people with clothing, phone calls, snacks, safe transportation home, emergency housing and other goods and services. You can make donations of items or money. You can also volunteer in person or from home. Here are more options for giving. You can keep up with the group on Instagram. Website.
Mutual Aid Networks & Comprehensive Care
Albany Park Mutual Aid connects neighbors in need with resources, including groceries. Here are ways to help. Website.
Avondale Mutual Aid provides various services, including getting items to people in need with infants and people experiencing homelessness. You can apply to be a volunteer or make donations. The group shares updates on Instagram. Website.
Chicago Cares, 1200 W. 35th St., works to help Chicagoans find volunteer opportunities so they can connect with neighbors and become more involved in their communities. It aims to ultimately build a more equitable city while meeting immediate community needs. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation. Website.
Chicago United Solidarity Project is a mutual aid and community building group creating “radical and holistic systems of care.” Its programs and services include resource markets and pantries, a crisis response team, health clinics, pet support and educational workshops. Here are ways to donate and help. Website.
Edgewater Mutual Aid Network, or EMAN, is a grassroots group started in 2020 to provide relief to neighbors during the pandemic. Its work includes food distribution and community gardening. You can request or offer mutual aid resources online. Website.
Erie Neighborhood House provides mental health care, adult education, legal services, afterschool programs and other services to low-income and immigrant families. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation online. Website. Locations.
Grace Housing Complex is an economic and community development organization providing low-income families with healthy food, support services, development opportunities and affordable housing in the Chicago area. You can volunteer and make a monetary donation online. Website.
The Honeycomb Project, 1030 W. North Ave., Suite 303, partners with more than 50 nonprofits and mobilizes families to volunteer around the city. You can volunteer and donate. Website.
The Humboldt Park Solidarity Network has a free store and hosts community programs, from donation drives to family fests to clothing swaps. The group shares updates on Instagram. Linktree.
The Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, 4242 S. Cottage Grove Ave., supports low-income and working families. It also works to develop leaders to build up communities and improve quality of life for residents. You can make a monetary donation. Website.
Lakeview/Lincoln Park Mutual Aid is an all-volunteer grassroots group that helps provide residents with food, pick up prescriptions, caregiving, medical supplies and more. You can apply to help through donations, volunteering and more. Website.
McKinley Park Mutual Aid is a group of neighbors supporting one another through clothing and resource swaps, harvest festivals and more. You can keep up with the group on social media. Facebook.
The Pilsen Social Health Initiative, 2124 S. Ashland Ave., run by the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation, provides a variety of resources — a food pantry, a free library, mutual aid and more — to fight poverty and inequalities and help neighbors. You can read about its work here and donate here. Website.
The Resident Association of Greater Englewood, known as R.A.G.E., 6620 S. Union Ave., provides a multitude of services around Englewood, promoting relationships among neighbors and addressing community problems. Its works includes promoting businesses, creating neighborhood murals and exploring new ways of empowering residents. You can become a member of R.A.G.E. or make a monetary donation. Website.
The Southwest Collective, 4444 S. Pulaski Road, 2nd floor, is a women-founded coalition of groups based on the Southwest Side attempting to build community while tackling issues related to development, crime and placemaking. It serves as an open forum for Southwest Side residents to voice concerns, learn about existing public resources, launch educational and recreational initiatives and more. You can volunteer and donate items or money. Website.
Social Justice & Advocacy Groups
Affinity 95, 2850 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 108, is a Black- and queer-led group that works to advance social justice within and for Black LGBTQ+ communities. Based on the South Side, it hosts support groups, provides financial assistance to increase access to mental health services and more. You can volunteer. You can also make a monetary donation. Website.
Brave Space Alliance, 1515 E. 52nd Place, 3rd floor, is a Black- and trans-led LGBTQ center that works with people throughout Chicago. Based in Hyde Park, it runs a community pantry for people in need, offers monetary assistance to trans people of color and has a makeup room where eligible people can pick up makeup for free, among other services. You can volunteer and donate items or money. Website.
Lambda Legal Illinois, 65 E. Wacker Place, Suite 2000, is the local branch of a national legal organization that advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, providing free legal representation to clients. It also works to change public policy to better protect LGBTQ+ people. You can find volunteer opportunities and make a donation online. Website.
Molasses is a collective of Black transgender artists supporting fellow Black trans people. It provides services like self-defense classes and protest safety and strength training, to which members and donors contribute. You can make a monetary donation. Website.
The Network is dedicated to improving the lives of people impacted by domestic violence through education, housing, public policy and advocacy. The organization created a Crisis Response Fund that directly gives cash assistance to survivors of gender-based violence. Here’s how you can donate and support its work. Website.
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, which has a Chicago chapter, works to support LGBTQ+ people and their families. You can make a monetary donation and find other ways to support its work online. Website.
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