Did you ever wonder what you can do to make a difference? I know I have. One of my passions since I…read morewas a child was Foster Care. I did a lot of research on that topic in college and wrote my undergraduate thesis on Foster Care. I always wanted to do something more... This year a wonderful movie came out, Instant Family. At the end of the movie, a link went up on the screen telling the audience that if they want to help a foster child to check out the link. That's how I found CASA and I am so lucky that I did. I remember walking into the building for the very first time for my interview with one of the trainers. I was nervous and excited, not knowing what to expect. On my drive back home, my friend called and asked me how the interview went. The first word that came into mind was inspiring. That's a strange word to describe an interview, but that was the one word that kept coming to mind every time I talked about it. We had 40 hours of intense training, split into twice a week sessions starting mid April. Living in Chicago, it was quite a long drive to get to Vernon Hills. However, after every session I felt blissfully happy and inspired. Mondays and Wednesday became my favorite days. The training sessions included videos, presentations, speakers and super interesting activities. We were put on an emotional rollercoaster and given tools to become the best advocates we could be. At the end of our 40 hour session, we were sworn in in-front of a judge and became official Court Appointed Special Advocates and assigned our first case. Thank you to the amazing staff at CASA Lake County who make a difference in people's lives. Thank you Debra for training me to become the best advocate I can be, Monica for becoming my advocate manager, Brendan for having me join Young Professionals Board; Margaret, Shannon, Elizabeth, Laura, Debby for being guest speakers and wonderful resources if we ever needed anything. Sherri for being so friendly when we went to visit court to observe. Of course, thank you Terri for managing this incredible organization for so many year. If you want to learn more about how you can help a child and have an unforgettable, one of a kind volunteer experience, you should check CASA Lake County out. I bet you won't be disappointed. :)

From the owner: CASA Lake County is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the best interests of abused and…read moreneglected children within the juvenile court system. Based on the belief that every child is entitled to a safe and permanent home, thoroughly trained CASA volunteers work in collaboration with key agencies, legal counsel and community resources to serve as the child's advocate and represent the child's best interest in juvenile court.

I'm not a client at journey's - I'm a volunteer. It's a very rewarding experience. If you have time…read moreon weekends or are retired and have extra time, it's a worthwhile experience. They accept food and clothing donations, too. You can volunteer in many different ways (clothing panty, front desk, food service).

Not Good is an understatement !!! This privately owned non profit is masquerading as a resource to…read moreactually, truly help the homeless! Everything they do is a pretense to line their own pockets with government funds. Please read their bio: there actually is NO mental health support or services of any kind. The entire organization is run upon the backs of sincere yet naive volunteers. The "new" building is only 3 or 4 years old, yet there is no sufficient ventilation. It is an SBS. It has " sick building syndrome". The full week residents are constantly sick with every possible upper respiratory virus or illness imagine able. COVID ?? The facility doesn't care; they barely acknowledge such things. The food is often less than fresh. The few case managers do little to counsel or help clients to find a home. The managers main concern is to make CERTAIN that the residents ",sign in" every day. That is how they get paid by the government. There is NO medical staff, NO psychologists, and it is run like a locked down mental institution or jail in many ways. I'm too tired to say more. In my 70 years of life, the 3.5 months that I lived there were the most horrible and frightening months ever. I felt much safer living in my car. My title for this self-serving organization is "Journeys,the Road to Perdition". Look up the word "perdition" in a dictionary...it is a perfect description of Journeys. The day that I left Journeys, I put in a phone message,saying "I cannot come back even one more day. This place is psychically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually TOXIC."

Greedy garbage place. Manager wouldn't consider lowering the price of an overpriced BROKEN item…read more Delusional

Close this store!!! You won't see anything here except corruption, high prices and rude sellers!…read moreThroughout the year, the same product is marked as if on a conveyor belt. If something good appears, management leaves it for its own enrichment! don't give anything here!!!

I recommend the center for enriched living because the staff is so caring to all the members that…read morecome to the center for enriched living the staff helps the members with everything I also like all the volunteers that come out to volunteer their time at the center for enriched living the staff take their time putting the in person and virtual programs for us together the staff comes up with fun things for us to do when we come to the center for enriched living the programs are so fun at the center for enriched living there's Sunday morning cafe Monday night bowling Tuesday night Art Wednesday night sampler Thursday night bingo Friday music night Saturday social Sunday events Summer camp teen night and reach day program

This was another facility that I volunteered this summer for my 42 hours that is required for my…read moredegree in Special Education. This non-for-profit organization provides programs for teens and adults who have disabilities so that they can live more independent lives. One of my favorite programs that I got to volunteer with was Teen Party On The Patio on Tuesday nights. Basically, this class was a life skills cooking class that taught teens how to cook food so that they can do this when they eventually live on their own. Each Tuesday night the teens would make either a salad, soup, or side dish and one main entree dish with supervision. After they made the food, the teens would sit outside (or inside depending on the weather) and socialize with one another. Overall, I had such a wonderful experience at this center. This truly is a special and unique place for students with disabilities. This place really shows that students with disabilities can be a success in life just like their other peers. If you have a teen with special needs I highly recommend this center. I wish more states would have these type of centers so that more teens with special needs can be successful.

We love that WINGS supports women and children. So, when we have things to donate, this is usually…read moreour first choice. I don't think I've ever been in their retail store before, but have dropped off goods many times over the years. We're purging our house of 20 years of accumulated stuff. When you arrive, they have a door for dropping off donations. We've given them clothes, nick-nacks, paintings, glassware, and more. They take everything with a smile. We'll continue to drop off merchandise as we have it. And, perhaps next time we go I'll stop into their store. The reviews are certainly good.

WINGS Resale is my favorite donation center in the area. They take all types of donations from…read moreclothes, shoes, handbags, accessories, home decor, furniture, and more. It's easy to drop off donations at their back door which is separate from the store entrance. All items are organized, priced, and resold in the store. Walking around, resale items are very fairly priced and in good condition. Their profits from the store go toward supporting families fleeing domestic violence. What a great way to give back and help those in need! Donation Hours Daily: 10am - 5pm* Tip: They have locations in Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, and Niles. Pro Tip: Check out their daily discount specials before heading over to browse their great selections.

I got a prompt response to my request with a quote for diagnostic, which would be waived if I…read moreproceeded with the repair. They do provide the service requested and gave me a link to make an appointment. We'll see how things go in a couple of days. The repair man, Alex, was prompt and identified the problem - two problems, actually. He was able to get the dryer running again, better than it had been. Reasonable price

Nice and reliable service. Very prompt and efficient. Alex thanks we appreciate you. He came again…read moreand helped us.

I never really spent time here until a few weeks ago, even though we go hiking at Ryerson Woods…read morepretty regularly. It's a cute building with rotating exhibits and they also have scheduled and open crafting hours. My sister and I participated in a wreath making create and sip last night which was so fun and extremely reasonable at $20/per person when they supply the materials. Since their supplies are donated, it was really interesting to see all the different styles of wreaths that were made. We would definitely come back for another craft and sip.

I never knew this place existed until my neighbor told me about Ryerson Woods a few weeks ago and…read moresuggested I go because it was peak autumn. She told me there is a gallery, too. I made it up just in time before they closed for the day. It's a cute building and they have various collaborations. The first time I went their featured art was from the Highland Park Art Center. This past weekend I went back for their Soundscapes exhibit, which is a partnership with various non-profits and focused on art made by veterans and their families. I went to the opening reception, which was free, and included performances/spotlights on the participating partner organizations and some of the artists featured. It was a moving event (especially being Veteran's Day weekend) and a powerful exhibit. This is a great space and I loved learning more about how they support the local community and partner with other non-profits to bring art to the space and make art accessible. Highly recommend. Also, the surrounding area is stunning, so being able to see art and enjoy nature is a double dose of joy.