I have been coming into CCJ as a volunteer for a good number of years now and it is the high point…read moreof my week every week. As the weeks have added together into years it has walked away with my most prized experience year after year. Coming here has taught me that I cannot receive but by giving. My years of trying to gain for myself by taking always availed less and less until I was left with little more than too much stuff and too many things. Nothing more. I bring an AA meeting directly to offenders who sit in each other's rot all day with no hope and no inspiration to break their cycles of relapse and failure. I bring hope to them and I can see it come back to me in their smiles and expressions of gratitude. There is nothing like it in the world! I read a lot about the intolerance and ignorance of the guards but my extended experience has been the polar opposite. I get out of my relationships with them what I put into them. Nothing more and nothing less. They are exposed to extreme toxic behavior that comes down from the top and up from the bottom every single day. I might end up acting out my own hostilities if I had to experience the poisonous environment that they vocationally live in. I challenge any normal human to tell me they wouldn't! But when I leave my AA experience and am able to walk out the front door a free man, I experience the sensation of flight for a brief moment. A total free fall escape from the dungeons and back into my life which, for these few moments, seems so blessed and blissful by comparison to what I have just experienced.

Evil people who do evil things run this hellhole. My charge was completely absurd and was dropped…read morealmost immediately after I was released. In the 28 hours I was held here: barely any water. unable to eat --the one "meal" they offered I couldn't consume because of a medical condition that causes severe illness when I consume wheat. Harassed and mocked for my gender identity (after an arresting officer unzipped my coat and grabbed my chest to determine my sex). Fellow inmate denied medical attention for symptoms of a concussion after being dropped on her head by arresting officers. Ignored and later mocked for screaming and crying for help for her. Denied necessary medications and then released feeling very ill and barely able to see straight. These guards could not care less who you are or why you are in there. They would literally not care if you drop dead. They are sick people who get off on others' suffering. Shame on them all.

Everything went smoothly for our Global Entry appointments…read more There is some parking on Canal st just past building on same side of street if you are lucky. Through ParkChicago.com The staff and border patrol agents were extremely helpful and courteous Thank you

My package has been delayed for over a week. I recently read a review from another customer who…read morereported a similar issue, stating that their package had been stuck for weeks five months ago. This is an unprecedented situation for me, as I have never encountered such a long delay. It is concerning that my package has been sitting idle for an extended period. I hope that my package has not been stolen, as this is the reason for the "delay" mentioned in the review.

Came to the Chinatown DMV twice for real IDs and its def the most convenient for those of us in the…read morebridgeport and surrounding areas This location is appointment only and was relatively easy to book - had to reschedule once and was able to get a slot a couple days later. There are two parking lots as part of the canal plaza, which can easily fill up depending on the time of day (earlier times seems to have worked out better for me). People also park directly outside on Archer for quick appointments but try at your own risk (not allowed at a certain point) The place is small but set up in a way to move efficiently and in an organized fashion. You'll line up outside to get your appointment details verified and will be let in shortly Once you're in, the staff is generally pretty tame and helpful compared to other locations. There was less asian representation than I expected but overall pretty diverse, mainly with English and Spanish speaking individuals with limited mandarin but no dedicated Cantonese staff on site (at least when I went) Besides all that, the pacing will be limited to 6 computers/stations attending to patrons at a time. No public restrooms and 2 dedicated seats for seniors. While you wait, you can vibe to some mainstream pop music as thats what theyre often playing inside lol (PS: there is a place next door where you can print documents for $3 if you need to if itll save you a trip back and forth) I think things will move relatively quickly - i had a more complicated use case so spent over an hour there but that should certainly not be the norm. Paul and one of the managers Luz worked patiently with me to verify my documents and answer the questions I had while walking me through and explaining why some procedures were being done (green card, marriage name vs maiden name type situation). Overall, had a smooth experience and would opt to come here for future services

I swear! By the time I found Illinois Secretary of State Driver Services Facility - Chinatown my…read morepanties were all in a bunch, seriously! I found it by typing in my browser "What dmv locations in Chicago do not require appointments", a day prior to my birthday which was the expiration date of my driver's license. I must say that being inside of the Illinois Secretary of State Driver Services Facility was the last thing I envisioned for myself on the day of my birthday, but this visit was a must. I was grateful to find a parking garage attached to this location off of Archer Ave that does not require any payments. I arrived twenty minutes into its opening for the day. If you have other plans going on for the day, I do recommend showing up early, but if you cannot it really does not matter when you show up because the line moves at a very acceptable pace. While waiting in the line outside, I really loved the visual of Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower which sat from a distance. I visited during the winter and stood in a line outside that took no more than twenty minutes for me to make it inside in the warmth. For each person that exited, another person entered, and it moved at a very nice pace as I mentioned already. If you are visiting during the winter as I did, I recommend arriving layered up to keep warm because once the cold chill hits you it is over honey! If you have everything that is required to update your information, the process moves by smoothly! I tend to go overboard, bringing excessive things that I likely will not need, but it is better to be safe than sorry, right? I never want to arrive without everything I need and have to leave without updating something like a driver's license. Something that I wanted to update on my driver's license was my veteran status. With that, I brought with me my DD Form 214, my old military identification card, and my veteran affairs healthcare enrollee identification card which ended up being accepted. So, with that, if you have served in the military, they will accept your veteran affairs healthcare enrollee identification card which appears just like a military identification card. If you do not have that, then I recommend using your DD Form 214 to show proof of your service in the military. The whole entire process of me updating my driver's license took no more than an hour. I highly recommend the Illinois Secretary of State Driver Services Facility - Chinatown if you are wanting to update as soon as possible. And indeed, walk-ins are accepted. ~Keep it simple. ~ Thomas G

I live in Omaha, NE and received a letter (see attachment/picture) from this particular Chicago…read moreoffice in December, 2024 stating that I owe $2200 in overpayments due to me being incarcerated. Problem is I've never been incarcerated in my life. Immediately contacted Social Security and through an appointment met with a represenitive through my local Omaha field office. Provided them with all requested documents to prove that I was not incarcerated but as of 06/13/25 this matter has yet to be resolved. Not only has this matter not been resolved, but now the Chicago field office has authorized monthly deductions from my monthly social security payments "until the amount I owe is paid back" (see attachment/picture). Omaha field office has reached out several times to the Harold Washington Social Security Center for clarity on the delay and the deductions but according to the Omaha SS field office representative, none of the Omaha field offices inquiries to the Harold Washington Social Security Center have been responded to. Pretty sad that I have to resort to google review with this. This is a good example of how inconsiderate this particular Chicago field office is when it comes to these matters.

This new location is nice looking and well maintained, but that's about it…read more It opens at 9am, and I went at about 9:15am. Of course, it was already crowded, and for at least ten minutes, not even ONE number was called. Nope, not one. I'd had my wallet stolen, and the DMV had issued me a temporary paper replacement. They couldn't say for sure if the Social Security office would accept it, but I figured they would. You can guess how this ends. After waiting for an hour (yay!), I went to the counter, where a surly younger woman pointedly asked me for my documents. I gave her the DMV-provided temporary license (NOT a photocopy!), and she said she can't accept it. I had no way of knowing this. It is not on their website. It was issued by the DMV itself that same day! I can see no reason why it shouldn't be accepted, but if not, then they need to be a lot clearer. It becomes very obvious that they don't value citizens' free time one bit, not really an attitude citizens deserve from their governments.

So Dave has been very helpful on the phone with my case. I would have never expected that kind of…read moresupport from IDES and have never received the help that he provided to correct the problem I was having. Thank you to him and so far he is the only person there in the phone side who explained everything and heard my side. I am grateful for his help and I hope others get a chance to work with him on their cases.

The online application process is flawed - during the last step of me filing a claim it errored…read moreout. I tried calling and the call center experience was extremely upsetting! I initially tried the "call back" option as the wait time was long. I eventually got a call back but the line was quiet. I kept saying "hello" for two or so mins, but they just stayed quiet on the other side. So I eventually hung up. When I tried calling back over the next couple of days the system kept telling me I am in line for the call back option. I had to use a different phone to call again. The first time I waited for an hour they picked up and hung up right away. The second time a lady started talking and I said "hello" over her and she instantaneously hung up on me again. Finally, the third time was the charm - I ended up talking to someone who was extremely helpful and assisted with my case. Thanks to her, I am not going to be escalate my complaint further. I hope there are truly quality control people who are reviewing these Yelp complaints. We all have been paying unemployment insurance for years and when we are faced with the difficult moment when we need it, we shouldn't be treated so disrespectfully.

In light of the fact that I've requested to be removed from the MTO listserv several times (not…read morethat I ever requested to receive these emails in the first place) only to find a new message from them in my inbox every once in a while, I'll provide a review of the services (or like thereof) they can't seem to stop reminding about. A couple of years ago, I was at my wits end with a building manager of a building I'd lived in for several years. I'd been as patient and understanding as possible in regards to a myriad of issues with the property. During a lease re-signing negotiation period with the building manager, new issues arose with my specific unit. The most concerning issue was that there was a gas leak. I thought I'd been smelling gas, notified the building manager, and eventually found out that I should notify Peoples Gas Co. which I did. Peoples Gas made a visit, immediately confirmed that there was a leak, and turned off the gas to my unit. ...in March...in Chicago. So, needless to say, the temperature was still low. Like, 30s-40s low. Other things affected by a gas turnoff: water temperature (cold showers, anyone?) and cooking capabilities. At any rate, I promptly notified the building manager of the issue. It was her LEGAL responsibility to return the unit to a liveable condition within 72hrs. Long story long, it took the building manager a week to even set up a repair. When she insisted that I be the liason to the repair person during my workday, I had to put my foot down which I did with as much respect as possible. She lashed out. I ignored the awful reaction long enough to get the repair completed (which ended up being an inebriated man who showed up with no identification at NINE o'clock at night to the apartment of a single woman to do noisy work which ended at nearly 1am AND who propped the door to the building open for no reason (I was there the whole time and could have let him in) without notifying anyone, potentially putting everyone's safety at risk). Several tenants, including myself, complained to the building manager the next day. She responded with a lie-filled email. I guess she had it out for me at that point. I was bullied by this building manager through a lack of response to the other issues with my unit. When I felt I'd collected enough evidence of the bullying, I contacted the MTO. The individuals with whom I was in contact at MTO, Katrina Herring and Lolita Davis, actually made my situation worse. Not only did Katrina speak to me like I was her idiot child, but she neglected to send important documents to me in a timely manner which would have aided in forcing the building manager to do what she was legally obligated to do. Katrina eventually stopped responding to my contact, but remained in contact with the building manager, feeding her vital information to keep me in a helpless state. When I ran it up the pole to Lolita Davis, she seemed helpful at first, but she very quickly sided with the building manager. It would be one thing if the complaints that I had were minimal, but these individuals essentially encouraged this slum lord behavior. By the time I moved out a month later, the unit had experienced a collapsed ceiling in the bathroom (where the construction to the unit above had been), a flooded lining in the shower basin (making it almost impossible to stand), a gas leak, a broken window unit, and so much more. MTO was completely unhelpful. I understand that the individuals who answer the phones and do various things for this organization are not lawyers and are not able to give legal advice, but they should, at the very least, advocate for tenants and set them up for success. MTO failed to help me and I'm sure mine isn't a unique story. Shame on you, Katrina. Shame on you, Lolita. For anyone reading this who has had a similar issue with MTO, first of all, seek free counsel like I ended up doing. Secondly, educate yourself on how MTO is funded. You may start with causeiq.com. Then, petition your alderman. Tell them that we don't want to contribute to organizations with shady practices that are actually stumbling blocks to tenants. Lastly, keep this in mind when it comes time to vote on local issues. We are in a housing crisis and major organizations are currently crushing home owners and renters. Vote in your own interest. Keep organizations that operate like MTO out of Chicago.

Hate to even give one star. This organization was great years ago. Don't even waste your time…read more They never return any calls/messages or respond to emails.

Well, where to start? I think I'll use the "compliment sandwich" à la Stewie Griffin…read more Something nice... The gas that gets delivered to my house burns nicely. Now the negative.... As others have stated, paying bills is the most painful experience I can imagine. Before I switched to auto-pay, to pay a bill online one had to go through a third-party web site that charged extra fees, re-enter your account information, and wait 3 days for the payment to post. To add to the negative, Nicor's method of "estimating" your meter reading involves some convoluted algorithm where their "estimate" is typically over 150% off. Why wouldn't they just take the therms used divided by heating degree days from the previous (actual) month and multiply that by the heating degree days used the month they are estimating for? I'm sorry if it sounds complex but it's really not. It's basically figuring how how many therms per heating degree day you actually used and applying it to their estimate with a known variable (heating degree days). The only way I found to get ANY help from them on billing matters is to contact the Illinois Commerce Commission as they are the only ones that have any authority over Nicor. According to conversations with Nicor, even they don't have authority over their own practices. Pretty screwed up, right? Now we need to end with a compliment... They have a nice looking logo.

These people are absolutely clueless. We talked to a representative on the phone who said that they…read morewould come out and assist us within 30 minutes to an hour. An hour passed and we called them back to them realize that we are not in their area and so they couldn't help us at all, yet they are still sending someone out here even though he can't help at all. God forbid this was a scarier emergency this is the most unprofessional company I have ever tried to work with. If you have any emergencies don't even think about Nicor they don't care at all about anyone's safety or wellbeing. We now had to call another company and wait for much longer at 2:15 AM. Absolutely terrible company.

I want to sincerely thank the police officers who responded to my emergency. They arrived at…read moreexactly the right time and acted quickly, professionally, and without hesitation. Because of their courage and fast response, they were able to arrest the man who broke into my home and attempted to rob me. The officers showed incredible bravery, stayed calm under pressure, and made me feel safe during one of the most frightening moments of my life. I truly believe their actions prevented something much worse from happening. I am deeply grateful for their dedication, professionalism, and the risks they take every day to protect our community. Thank you for your outstanding service--you are true heroes.

Just lazy ! I came in today after someone broke into my vehicle and tried to file a police report …read more It was THREE officers I was told they were busy !! I was told he would help in a min .. instead of helping me he explained to HIS partner "She can just do it online " as I'm looking as listening to him explain it he says "she just looking at me" very unprofessional and lack of consider . 0/10

Went here on vacation, firefighters were super welcoming and so were the chiefs! If you're a fan of…read morethe show definitely stop by and get out you won't regret it!

This is where to go to see where the show NBC Chicago Fire show takes place. It's the home Engine…read more18, Station 51. Great place to take photos, and even see part of the city skyline. There is lots of parking around here, and easy to walk around and take photos. If you're a fan of the show, definitely a great place to stop by and see!! I will definitely have to come back during the day.

There are irregularities in this district . When called they take long to assist the caller.read more

Very professional and friendly. The officers care about people in the district and respond quickly.read more