I find it odd that a nun who took a vow of poverty gave herself $105,844 in 2022, when the poverty…read moreline in 2022 for a single person in Illinois was $13,590 , bought a new car every year and personalized plates. Now we have a priest who makes a six figure salary. I know not all priests take a vow of poverty but as someone else in a review said make sure to take things into consideration when donating. This place has $104 million dollar operating budget yet takes in $23 million dollars more than that. Many smaller underfunded places to give. There are also Reported conflict of interest transactions. This has been going on for many years. This place doesn't take on the most needy. It takes on the least needy actually. The families who can afford to take care of their own family get accepted first and foremost. Then these families drop their family members off for someone else to deal with while they write checks. Misericordia enables this from wealthy families. The families that don't have money and are accepted are required to volunteer for them and take their family member home once a month and keep their mouths shut if they have any issues. If they don't they risk their child being kicked out. Residents have went blind , been paralyzed, choked and died etc from staff neglect. You won't hear about that though as parents are terrified of their children having no where to go . Another thing mentioned in the reviews was their resale shop. Resale shop consists of donations that are meant for the residents yet instead sold! So yeah consider this when thinking of donating. You aren't helping the neediest. You are helping the rich not have to deal with their family members. You are helping another white person make a six figured salary. I could go on and on. The few wards of the state here are token residents who are left behind on field trips because there's no body who cares or checks on how they are treated.

We had lunch in the restaurant next to the bakery which is only open for lunch. We had a resident…read morefor our server and she was so sweet. They have a little system to make sure everything works so it's a little different than a regular server. They have volunteer servers to help too. Their system works great. Food was very good. So happy to see the residents happy and working. Nice to support this restaurant and bakery. I might also add they had the best oatmeal raisin cookies. They have multiple desserts and fresh baked breads.They also had a gift shop with lots of cute items. I will be back. A great organization helping the disabled.

I had about 12 bags of clothes and blankets to donate. They called me to arrange a pickup very…read morequickly. They ended up being able to come even earlier which worked out better. I would recommend them to anyone who has items to donate. Added bonus, you just put your items outside and they come and take it all!

Operation basement makeover kicks off tomorrow, but first I had to get rid of all of our current…read morefurniture occupying our basement. Over the past few weeks I made a list of local organizations that would find good homes for our furniture & remove the furniture from the basement themselves. After reading about the Chicago Chesed Fund I was sold...and even more thrilled when (on a Monday) they told me they could pick up my furniture that Friday. In comparison another local organization told me they were booked until end of July. That didn't help me since all my new furniture would be in by then. I was given a 2 hour window for pick up (12-2pm) and they arrived exactly at noon. Impressed! The driver, Michael, could not have been friendlier. By the time he left my house I was even more knowledgeable about the Chicago Chesed Fund and started thinking about other clothing, furniture, baby equipment and/or even my time that I could give to help. For others interested in donating they only take goods that are in good condition & nothing older than 25 years old. And they won't take sleeper sofas, but there were no issues removing a sectional, entertainment center, nightstands etc from my basement. In fact, they did so in record time. While I called around a bunch of organizations this past week, Chicago Chesed Fund will be the first call I make for donations going forward.

* Excellent Customer Service * Kind & understanding People…read more* Fresh produce, healthy choices * Nice neighborhood * Highly recommended

They are doing great work here to serve the community. The staff and facility are very nice.read more

You can still be a calamity in the kitchen and do some good at Inspiration Cafe…read more While not completely incompetent in the kitchen, I am not known for my culinary skills. Fortunately, you don't need to be the next Iron Chef to do some good here. What it is: * Inspiration Corporation assists more than 3,000 individuals and families affected by homelessness and poverty each year - serving as a catalyst for self-reliance.* * Inspiration Cafe serves meals in a restaurant-style setting and provides supportive services in a therapeutic community designed to help individuals on their journey toward self-sufficiency.* What you do: * Plan a menu for approximately 30 diners. * Shop, cook and serve the meal to the diners. I joined a group of my fellow Yelpers for a dinner shift at the cafe. Since my culinary skills aren't the greatest I was more than happy to work on the serving side of things. The kitchen part of our team was amazing - cooking and plating salads, rolls, a main course and dessert. Everything looked fresh and tasty. If you work on the serving side of things you will make sure everyone has silverware, condiments and drink refills. During meal time you'll also be responsible for taking orders for the main course (not everyone will necessarily want all portions of your menu) and bussing tables. All of the diners were great. Most were very outgoing, polite and jovial, telling jokes, making me laugh, and making me feel like I'm helping make a difference. Shifts are 2-3 hours depending on the complexity of your menu and seem to work best with a group of 10-12. If you're a first time group, play it safe and allow yourself extra prep time . Next time you're looking for a little pick me up consider signing up for a shift at the Cafe; I bet it will make you feel better, longer than any retail therapy. * From the Inspiration Corporation website

I almost hate these people??? I almost do hate you for reminding me I'm not just a cube dwelling…read moreanimal, but a biscuit buttering maniac they keep reminding me I have a heart, that people do care, that we are not different and are in it together for the long run in this small world. the food from the heart kitchen is always full of heart clogging love and the smiles that resonate at the end of the meals always leave my socks soggy from the ice that melts from around my heart. sometimes lacking in spices donated by others, the professionally equipped kitchen with built in human dishwashers is a wannabe top iron chef's wet dream come true....but do bring your own spices to add to the collection for future meals and growing dreams of a world where we all break biscuits and sop up home made gravy together. kudos to Colleen C for taking the time to light a candle that helps guide me away from my daily darkness

I love this place. I have been a supporter of WINGS, for many years. My husband and I, along with…read moreseveral friends, used to do motorcycle rides in support of WINGS. It was always so much fun. I love what they do and I love to donate. I just dropped off about 6, or 7 bags of clothes, etc. at their Gold Rd. Location the other day. They do wonderful work for women, children and even men in need. Keep it up. We appreciate you!

Prices are ridiculously high and the selections of clothing, kitchenware, etc. are sad.read more

This is a day program for people with dementia and Alzheimer's. Our loved one has been attending…read moreon weekdays for 2.5 years. They are hands down the best elder care experience we have had. From the cooks, to the front desk staff, to their nurses, social workers, and directors, the entire staff is excellent. They take their jobs, and caring for our loved one, extremely seriously but do with a smile, fun, and a sense of warmth. They have fantastic activities throughout the day. And it is all about giving people choices and individualized care. It is not the same old sit around and do bingo and watch the news all day. They have an art therapist on staff who gets them to really express themselves creatively. They have live music, often multiple times a week. They have intergenerational activities, pet therapy, go on outings, have dances, and more. It has been a tremendous outlet for our loved one to feel constructive and useful as this disease progresses. Additionally, the social work and nursing staff really have supported our family's entire experience of coping with Alz. and their case management goes well beyond the services provided at the day program. They have helped up brainstorm living situations, medical issues, and much more. I really appreciate that they have scholarships available and that the participants are from very diverse backgrounds both ethnically and financially. The only complaint we have is that they can't set up a cot and have our loved on live there! He and we would be so happy to see him with this quality of care 24/7.

There are no words to express how grateful I am to The Ark. The nicest people all volunteer there…read moreand it is such a pleasure to go to such a beautiful place and above all, the wonderful people ; the most intelligent, gentle Dentist and his wonderful assistant, the fantastic pantry and everyone greets you with a big smile. It is truly a pleasure to go there. They have been a true blessing in my life. THANK YOU, FOR EACH OF YOU, Ellen

Melinda should not the intake person. I left two voicemails for her and apparently she is too lazy…read moreto listen to them, so she reads the transcription which can be very misleading as we all know. I can't tell you how offensive it is when someone calls you a different name than what you have clearly left repeatedly. Her attitude was despicable. We didn't even get to the preliminaries. She literally started harassing me about my name and said I can't help you. I think the structure within the corporation at The Ark is fundamentally, cruel, and rude to people. I want to check to make sure they are not receiving any government funds because they should not be. I've heard many stories of them refusing services to Jewish people for different reasons. Melinda should not be the first representative people speak to. It's embarrassing for this organization. I left a message for the lead social worker and of course she didn't call back not surprising. Please steer clear of this place.

A great local Ravenswood / Lincoln Square organization helping to serve the underserved and hungry…read morein the area. By working with shipping volunteers (among others), shoppers are able to pick out food with dignity. I've only volunteered here once so far but I think they're doing some really good work. Sign up to volunteer via their website!

The Friendship Center is doing some good things for three community…read more I've always wanted to help out my neighbors by volunteering, and what a pleasure it has been to dedicate my time here. TFC treats all shoppers with dignity and respect and does it's best to provide a much-needed service to those in need. Operating in 4-hour increments, shoppers have the opportunity to pick out their choice of groceries from an assortment of items. Shopping volunteers guide them around the pantry and bag the items for the shoppers. Hot meals and delivery meals are also provided on occasion. I encourage anyone interested in volunteering to come by and help out. It could not be easier or more fun. I also encourage anyone in need to check to the website to see if they qualify.