Programs
- Center for Changing Lives
- Food Pantry
- Interim Housing
- Social Security Payee Services
- Warming Center
- Center for Working Families
Center for Changing Lives
The Center for Changing Lives is a daytime supportive center that serves over 1,200 clients annually through a range of services, including:
- Life skills training
- Substance abuse screening
- Employment counseling
- Housing referral
- Mailing address
- Food pantry
- Clothing distribution
- Cafeteria serving 2 meals daily
- Individual counseling
Our highly skilled staff of counselors has served the homeless of Humboldt Park Social Services and Logan Square for over fifteen years. They assist clients in a bilingual and culturally competent manner that enables them to address the needs of our largely Hispanic clientele.
Food Pantry
The Food Pantry serves more than 300 families a year. This community outreach program provides neighboring families with food packages that contain essentials that could last for up to a month.
The Food pantry also provides supportive services to its clients, where clients can obtain clothing and referrals to other social service agencys based on their individual needs.
The service area is from North Avenue to Diversey and Kedzie to Western.
Interim Housing
Homeless families rebuild their lives in a nurturing environment that provides spiritual and material support. The families reside in one of our eight fully furnished apartments while they are given the supportive services needed to piece their lives together again.
Our staff provides intensive case management that includes life skills training, a savings program, health referrals, and job training. Most important, we give struggling families the spiritual support they need to overcome the formidable obstacles presented by homelessness.
Social Security Payee Program
HPSS manages funds issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) on behalf of over 50 clients found incapable of managing their financial affairs.
Each month, our agency receives SSA disability checks that we disburse in the best interest of these clients. In this manner, we secure their basic needs and enable them to stay housed.
Warming Center
Every year, between the months of October and June, Humboldt Park Social Services opens its doors to 55 single male adults per night who seek shelter from the harsh Chicago nights.
We provide every participant with a sleeping space and blanket. Each has access to our bathroom and shower facilities. In the morning, we offer a full breakfast to our guests before they leave to face another day.
Case Management services are offered during our daytime hours.
Center for Working Families
The Center for Working Families (CWF) helps participants become more financially secure by assisting them to get and keep jobs, enter and complete training, access public benefits for which they are eligible, and learn how to manage their money. A partnership of Humboldt Park Social Services and Logan Square Neighborhood Association and a program of the Center for Changing Lives, CWF provides job readiness, one-on-one employment counseling, pre-employment preparation andpost-employment support and retention service to ensure participantsremain gainfully employed. Participants can also access one-on-onefinancial counseling, learning valuable skills like budgeting, debt management and financial literacy.
In 2007 HPSS saw 137 people for employment. Of these 57 individuals 43% were directly placed in employment, an essential ingredient on the road to financial stability and becoming permanently housed. One of every three persons served through employment services were also seen by a financial counselor, for credit counseling, budgeting, workshops on how to open a savings and checking account, referrals for home buying, and options for financial assistance.
