I have to say in recent years I have found so much value from AARP Illinois. From caregiving…read moreresources, discounts, activities for Elders, political support against price gouging, and a truly positive community focused on making life better after 50. I never realized how much great support came from that membership that now includes amazing tech support focused for Elders. The Illinois group is particularly active and focused on the right things.

My wife didn't use her card so they cancelled it. When she tried to get it back, they refused. I'm…read morecancelling my credit card & never getting an AARP card again... Craig.

I'm not sure why LGBA is showing up as "closed", they are most definitely OPEN!…read more I just want to sing the praises of working with a local business association that puts your membership dollars to work. What a great group of business owners, headed by executive director Nancy Cummings, Lori Donahue and current president Sarah Keuss-Boyce, the association provides networking opportunities, community outreach services, website, sales and marketing opportunities for new and established businesses in the community. There is always something going on to provide an opportunity for your business to be seen and grow. I highly recommend.

I am so confused with the poor reviews! Helping Hand Center has been so instrumental in the…read moredevelopment of my son, who was diagnosed with Autism. He attends their school for autism. My son has flourished in their environment. We have seen such improvement in his day-to-day, behavior, and speech. The staff truly care about the children and are so attentive and thorough. They are the best of the best! HHC has open communication with teachers and staff, constant feedback and reviews on our sons goals and progress, and 1:1 assistance/teaching aides. My son loves being there! We are so thankful for the quality of care they provide. Would not know what to do if we didn't have HHC! They are family.

Hi - my daughter has been have ST and OT services at Helping Hands for about 3 years now - every…read moreMonday. The clinicians we've had have been top notch -- and my daughter has had consistent progression. She enjoys going to Helping Hands -- also, Carol Boyke is always very nice. Also, the clinicians are so passionate about what they do. Thank you everyone for what you do every day! Donna K.

Good afternoon, I…read morewould like to commend the team of Vincent, Marie, and Dorothy Sanders at the CEDA Intake Site, Brock Services, 418 E 107th St., Chicago, for their excellent service, professionalism, and promptness over the confusion with a recent utility notice. Team Vincent, Marie, and Dorothy went beyond the basic, instead, they exceeded my expectations by building a genuine connection, promoting active listening, empathy, and problem-solving, and they made me feel valued as a customer. As a former Customer Service Manager for years, I am so impressed that there are still people willing to go above and beyond with integrity. Thank you, Vincent, Marie, and Dorothy, for the positive experience and empathic interactions.

I ABSOLUTELY love the family of workers assisting the community. Vincent & his sister has the…read moreGREATEST attitude, and are very Hospitable to EVERYONE each time I've come here to be serviced and I've been faithfully coming to this family for at least 15 plus years now. Their mom is a total sweetheart as well which she's raised her children to have the same "Servants" heart as she does. The other staff of ladies that assists the family team were very well hand picked as well. They go above their call to get you every program applied to your account that you are qualified for. I have been reaching out to them for the past few months for possible assistance but haven't been able to reach them since they've moved to 107th street location. My relative and I were able to receive assistance with this agency on last year October. That's actually the last time I've heard from them. If anyone knows anything or if they're still servicing the community please comment to this post. I'd love to stick with this agency as opposed to going elsewhere. Other agencies doesn't show as much genuine care as CEDA- Brock services on 107th East of Martin Luther King Drive street

The donation boxes are very convenient and helpful when cleaning out the closet and downsizing,…read moregetting rid of unwanted clothes. Used to put then in bags in the alley for whoever wants and needs to take but oftentimes I find them all messed up, thrown on the ground which defeats my purpose. So off to the donation box it all goes. Wish there were more of the boxes around town. I'd rather drop it off at the box then drive to the Goodwill. Everyone complaining of it being sold etc it's the same thing the Goodwill.and Salvation Army does. But at least I don't have to drive far or wait in line when I'm in a time crunch in a busy week, and don't want to haul bags of stuff in my car for weeks until I am able to go to a Goodwill and don't have the time to list on ebay or marketplace but need closet space at the same time. I think what Gaia is doing is very good. At the end, someone does use the clothes, and they're not thrown around in the alley on the ground where nobody will want them. I could care less for a tax deduction because I'd always forget the slip when tax time comes and plus it don't make much difference anyway. Tried donating to shelters before only to learn that those who work there scavenger the donation and keep what they like/what's newer for themselves instead of giving everything to those at the shelter. If you want to give directly to the homeless then give it to them on the spot. But it's also hard to figure out if the pants size will fit them etc. So when I'm in a time crunch and need to clean out fast, don't want to haul bags of clothes waiting to go to Goodwill and making myself seem like I live in my car with random bags of clothes waiting to be donated, I just drop it off at the Gaia donation box. It's also helpful with the website that gives location of the boxes so if I'm traveling O can easily look up the nearest box. Honestly, think that everyone complaining about the concept of these donation boxes works for Goodwill or Salvation because then they don't get direct donations to sell at the store. Gaia boxes are convenient too being available 24/7 specially when working an odd schedule I can never make it to a Goodwill to drop off. At the end of the day, someone still makes use of the clothes, they don't end up in a landfill and maybe if I don't want to donate such clothes then I'll just not buy anything until my current wardrobe wears out. I don't make a penny from donating to Goodwill either, only the buyer gets to have new clothes, some brand new at a cheap price. But I don't have time for that so I just drop off at Gaia box. I also.like the little projects they have going on, fun stuff, and everything they do on local level at the warehouse to everything being done abroad in the developing countries, environmentally. Keep it up!

I donated clothes multiple times, then I read the charity watch review of this company and I was…read morenot very pleased with the outcome. Clothes is sold,not given to people. They have a big "over head" to run their business so there is really no money left to help others in need. I probably will not use again. Please check for yourselves and decide if you still want to continue using their bins. Gaia please change your practice, you could be a wonderful place to use.

A place where they find people furniture when they need it most. In 2025 they had their first bed…read morerace and they created beds on wheels and encourage people in the community to dress them up and it was a lot of fun to see the races with people dressed up. What a nice way to raise money and get donations for a great cause. We came to donate and get the cute TS for $25 each and they had a raffle. They pick up unwanted furniture and donate to those who need it.

**Horrible Virtual Appointment Experience with Chicago Furniture Bank**…read more I had a virtual appointment today with Chicago Furniture Bank to select furniture. My agency paid $450 for the service. Although I appreciate any help being offered to families in need, my experience today was very disappointing. After the appointment, I told them to cancel the delivery. Now I feel really bad that my agency may still have to pay a $100 cancellation fee. In my opinion, that feels very unfair. I was told I was approved for a furniture package, meaning a living room set, dining room set, beds, dressers, rugs, lamps, and household items. But what I saw during the virtual appointment and what I was actually allowed to choose from did not feel like a real furniture package at all. The lady doing the virtual appointment came late, was going extremely fast, and had a very nasty attitude. I felt rushed the entire time. There were a few items I saw that I wanted to ask about, but I was afraid to ask because of her attitude. Even my social worker looked highly disappointed, although she did not say anything. Most of what I saw on the video was the worker's feet, the floor, and her walking fast through the building. She was moving so quickly that it was hard to really see the furniture or ask questions. The way she acted during the appointment was horrible, especially knowing agencies are also present during these virtual and in-person appointments with their clients. Why would workers behave that way in front of the very agencies who are paying you to help their clients? That makes no sense and is just plain unprofessional. Most of the furniture had stains, scratches, and looked worn out. The furniture I saw was mismatched, scratched, worn out, and some items looked very beat up. I understand the furniture and merchandise are donated, but people who need help should still be treated with respect. Just because the items are donated does not mean families should be treated rudely, rushed through the process, or given items that are too damaged to use comfortably. It also did not make sense to me that there were things I could see during the virtual appointment, but I was not allowed to choose them simply because I was doing the appointment virtually. I was told during the virtual appointment that I could only get household items if I came in person. I saw pots, pans, and other household products, but she walked right past them on the video. If families are doing virtual appointments, they should still be allowed to choose basic household items, especially when they have a large household. I have a large household with mostly teenagers who are taller and bigger than me, but I was only allowed to choose one full-size or queen-size bed. I was told I could only get one queen or full-size mattress and box spring, and the rest had to be twin beds. That does not make sense for older teenagers because kids nowadays are often taller and weigh more than their parents. Families should be allowed to explain what size beds they actually need. I also saw nice chairs and just a few better-looking items, but I was not allowed to choose the nicer ones. Some of the merchandise looked so damaged and worn that I turned some items down. Since I turned some items down, I feel I should have been allowed to choose something else to replace them. Instead, I ended up picking old dressers, a scratched table, no TV stand, and not the right mattress. Honestly, my agency paid $450 for this, and I feel like I could have done better on my own by searching Craigslist, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, and local freebie groups. I have actually found like-new and even new living room sets, bedroom sets, and mattresses from sites like that before. A person could rent a truck for under $100 and pick up free furniture that is in way better condition. A lot of times, you can get new or like-new furniture for free or very cheap. The only problem is needing someone to pick it up and help move it. I would tell people to think carefully before using this service, especially if they are doing a virtual appointment. Compare your options first. There are free items online that may be in much better condition, and you may have more control over what you choose. The YouTube videos are misleading compared to what I experienced. Now I see why DCFS never wanted to refer me and my family here. They would rather pay thousands of dollars getting families new items than send them to a place where people are rushed, disrespected, and offered furniture that looks this worn out. All I can say is, if Chicago Furniture Bank does not change how they treat people and improve what they offer during virtual appointments, anyone who receives products from them may be very disappointed. I would discourage any agency from paying these high fees for their clients to receive terrible-looking furniture while being disrespected, mistreated, and rushed during a video appointment.