If you follow us on our social media platforms, you may have noticed that we like to post about more than just our moving services. Of course, our main objective is to support every resident in Chicago throughout their moving process, but we also love shining light on the many great aspects of Chicago. We highlight other small businesses, must-see events, places to visit near the city, and the charitable organizations and people doing good throughout our community. We strive to be the best movers in Chicagoland, but we also want to support the city in every way we can! Today we wanted to look at 4 charitable organizations based in Chitown that are making a difference.
RefugeeOne
“RefugeeOne creates opportunities for refugees fleeing war, terror, and persecution to build new lives of safety, dignity, and self-reliance.“
As the largest resettlement agency in Illinois, RefugeeOne has helped over 18,000 refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program since 1982. They continue to work tirelessly to help those displaced from their homes rebuild a happy and healthy life. People fleeing persecution, war, and violence, are forced to leave their homes and often their families and loved ones. They arrive in a new country, terrified, confused, and overwhelmed. That’s where RefugeeOne steps in. Their trained caseworkers are there waiting for each individual and family when they arrive at O-Hare International Airport, ready to help transition them into the life of safety and security they deserve.
RefugeeOne provides housing, enrollment in English classes, cultural orientation, education training, job placement, health, and mental health services. They strive for a goal of self-sufficiency within 6-9 months through kindness, support, and understanding. If the recent news of Afghans desperately fleeing the Taliban regime has touched your heart, consider supporting RefugeeOne in any way that you can. There are volunteer, sponsorship, and donation opportunities that could change the course of an evacuee’s life forever. Please visit their website here to learn more about their efforts to assist refugees from Afghanistan and worldwide.
Brave Space Alliance
“The first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago, dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, for-us by-us resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ+ individuals on the South and West sides of the city.”
The Brave Space Alliance is a supportive, encouraging place for all people of color within the queer and trans community to find a place of solidarity and fellowship. They fulfill their mission with strategic partnerships and focus on health, wellness, visibility, and solidarity. Programs such as The Make-up Room and The Den offer an inclusive space for those transitioning to find free gender-affirming items with acceptance and understanding. Their many resources include but are not limited to support groups, mental health services, business networks, job boards, and employment justice programs.
Additionally, the Brave Space Alliance gives back to the greater Chicago community through the Midwest’s only LGBTQIA+ run a food pantry in the country, Crisis Pantry Delivery Program. This program provides food to Chicago residents prioritizing the elderly, disabled, and immunocompromised individuals. They accept food and monetary donations and offer volunteer opportunities for anyone interested in giving back. Please consider donating whatever you can, time, money, or items to the Brave Space Alliance to aid them in their fight against discrimination and hate.
The Resurrection Project
“The Resurrection Project has been committed to its mission of creating community ownership, building community wealth, and serving as stewards of community assets in Chicago’s southwest neighborhoods.”
The Resurrection Project is a community-built organization that strives to enrich and empower the lives of the residents within Chicago’s southwest neighborhoods and the western suburbs. They work within these traditionally underserved communities to assist and teach the residents how to thrive and support the neighborhoods they love.
Through financial wellness training, they help families build financial stability to reduce debt, build credit and savings, and get on the right path to homeownership. Professional level education and advisement throughout the home buying process are some of the best ways to ensure the longevity of homeownership. They also provide homeowner support and foreclosure prevention assistance.
A major part of the TRP mission is to ensure affordable housing for families to build their financial future safely and comfortably. “We ensure community stability by directly developing and managing properties that provide families access to affordable housing. We advocate for affordable housing while offering our residents a wide array of support services.” By managing these properties, The Ressurection Project assures that their residents are taken care of and supported.
The immigrant population in Chicago is an amazing source of pride and richness for our city. TRP fights alongside the immigration population to ensure fair treatment, immigration reform, and access to jobs and assistance. As an advocate for immigration rights, they offer legal services and leadership and development training for immigrants in Chicago.
There are many ways to get involved with The Resurrection Project, from a monetary donation, volunteering time, or becoming a community leader!
The Love Fridge
“The Love Fridge is a Chicago mutual aid group grounded in food, working to place community refrigerators across the city.”
Our last organization is near and dear to our hearts as it boosts the ethos that access to food is not a privilege but a human right. Rather than a charity, The Love Fridge considers itself a mutual aid group harnessing the power of community and collective compassion. They are striving to put communal refrigerators throughout the city so that anyone who hungers may find food. These refrigerators are open for anyone to donate to and anyone who needs to gather food items. The pandemic has shown us nothing is for certain, and any of us could find ourselves in hard times where the money for food could be scarce. These types of communal support initiatives help to ensure that we have a safety net in our fellow neighbors.
Another aspect of the Love Fridge’s purpose is to reduce food waste. Many of us often have more than we need or could eat ourselves. Rather than let good food be wasted, these fridges provide us the opportunity to feed someone else. A simple, easy way to give back to Chicago is to take stock of your pantry or fridge and make a donation to a Love Fridge near you. Even better, add a few more items to your next grocery list to add to a local fridge. If you’d like to get involved further, the Love Fridge welcomes volunteers to help with operations, maintenance, or even stocking food items donated from their partnerships.