Pacific Garden Mission
Chicago's oldest rescue mission, with separate shelters for men, women, and mothers with children plus addiction recovery and meals. Men's intake runs weekday mornings on a first-come basis; women's beds rarely run out.
Safer Foundation
Reentry nonprofit in downtown Chicago offering job training and placement, education, housing support, clothing, and wellness services for people with arrest or conviction records. Enrollment starts through its online client portal.
Legal Aid Chicago
Free civil legal help for low-income Cook County residents. All new clients register by phone with the Client Screening Unit, which checks eligibility before assigning a case.
Helping Hands of Springfield
Emergency shelter with 200 beds and cots nightly for single adults and families in Sangamon County, plus transitional and permanent housing programs and meals for guests. The phone is answered around the clock.
Rockford Rescue Mission
Shelter, meals, a free medical and dental clinic, and residential Life Recovery programs for men and women in Rockford. Shelter check-in is open at any hour, with separate entrances for men and for women with children.
Prairie State Legal Services
Free civil legal aid across 36 northern and central Illinois counties including Winnebago and Peoria, with a dedicated domestic violence line and an eviction help line. Apply through your local office or online via Illinois Legal Aid Online.
Division of Vital Records
State office for certified Illinois birth certificates. Order by mail with a copy of valid photo ID and a check to IDPH; mail processing takes about 12 weeks, so the county clerk where you were born is usually faster.
Illinois State ID Card
State law waives the ID card fee for people released from IDOC, Juvenile Justice, a federal prison in Illinois, or a county jail; for homeless applicants with an affirmation from a qualified person; and for youth in DCFS care ages 16 to 21. Apply at any Driver Services facility.
ABE – Application for Benefits Eligibility
Illinois's portal and call center for SNAP, cash assistance, and Medicaid. Apply online or by paper form IL444-2378B; applications are reviewed at a local Family Community Resource Center, and emergency SNAP can be ready within five days.
211 Illinois
Free information and referral line for every Illinois resident needing non-emergency help with housing, utilities, food, mental health, or health care. Dial 211 or text your zip code any time of day.
Parole Reentry Group
IDOC's parole division unit that coordinates housing, community resources, and supportive services for people under supervision after release. Questions about parole conditions or community supervision go to the Parole Office line; general inquiries go to Constituent Services.
National lines that work in Illinois
Lifeline free phone program
Free or discounted phone and service for people on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or low income. Apply online or through a carrier.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential treatment referral for substance use and mental health. Finds local programs that take your insurance or none.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for any mental health or substance use crisis. Available to anyone in any program.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 confidential help for anyone affected by domestic violence. Advocates connect you to local shelters and legal help.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
24/7 confidential hotline for survivors of trafficking and people who suspect it. Connects to vetted local services.