Community Resources

Business/Economic Services 

Citizenship

• Advocates for Human Rights 

  • Advocates for Refugees, Immigrants, Women, Minorities [ethnic or religious], and Marginalized Populations

• Citizenship Works

  • Help with naturalization, citizenship applications, partnering with other organizations to make the process easier

• Immigration Advocates   

  • Provide access to immigrant legal resources

• Informed Immigrant  

  • Focus on immigrant rights and resources

• Protecting Immigrant Families  

  • Resource for Immigrant Rights

• World Relief 

  • We offer holistic services designed to promote local integration so that refugees and immigrants root and flourish in supportive communities. 

Consumer Services

• The Federal Trade Commission 

  • The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil U.S. antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. 

• Illinois Consumer Protection 

  • Learn how to be a safe consumer, what to do when a purchase or service goes wrong, and more. 

Counseling

• 360 Youth Services

  • Substance Abuse Counseling, Housing for Homeless Teens, Food, LGBTQIA+ Counseling 

• The Employee Assistance Program

  • The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides a valuable resource for support and information during difficult times. The EAP is a free, voluntary and confidential program that provides problem identification, counseling and referral services for employees and their covered dependents regardless of the health plan chosen. 

• Family Counseling Service

• Fox Valley Hands of Hope

  • Fox Valley Hands of Hope is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing expert support for children, families, and adults who are experiencing grief, loss, or life-threatening illness. 

• National Alliance on Mental Illness 

  • For Family Members, Teens/Young Adults, Veterans, LGBTQIA+

• Suicide Prevention Services of America

  • They provide counseling and treatment for a variety of things associated with suicidal ideation. They also have support groups for survivors of suicide, and they provide workshops and training for schools and organizations on suicide prevention and identifying the signs of when someone may have thoughts of suicide. 

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault 

•  Mutual Ground

  • They provide comprehensive victim services free of charge. They offer counseling, preventative services, and emergency shelter. Mutual Ground is the safe place where people come together to break the cycle of domestic violence and sexual abuse. They answer almost 2,000 calls for help each and every month with 24-hour hotlines staffed by trained Mutual Ground Crisis Intervention Advocates.

•  The National Domestic Violence Hotline

  • 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse.

Drug & Substance Abuse

Education 

• Adult Literacy Project of Waubonsee Community College

  • To strengthen literacy in our community, Waubonsee trains and places volunteers to provide English language tutoring to adults who want to improve their reading, writing, math skills, or to learn English. Volunteer tutors work with students on an individual basis or assist classroom instructors in High School Equivalency (HSE) and English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes.  

• Changing Children’s Worlds Foundation 

  • The Changing Children’s Worlds Foundation (CCWF) mission is for every child and adolescent to be supported in positive development by caregivers and professionals within loving, non-violent families and peaceful communities. Through parent groups and educational workshops we strive to promote a sense of community and foster empathy.

• Cities in Schools 

  • Dropout Prevention, Mentoring, Tutoring, Before and After School Programs, Home Visits, Food, Shelter, Clothing, Utilities Services

• Colorin Colorado

  • State by State Links to ESL and School Support Services 

• The Dream U. S.

  • Scholarships and other college related resources for Dreamers

• Dominican Literacy Center

• Family Focus

  • Free Tutorials to learn English for Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, and Korean speakers

• GCFGlobal

• Illinois Adult Learning Hotline

  • The ALRC utilizes content expertise and current research to develop and deliver high quality professional development and technical assistance to individuals, programs, and state networks. These services are available to educators through online courses, in-person training, and other activities.

• Leaders in Transformational Education

  • Education Advocacy, Case Management, Assessment, Life Planning, Coaching, Skill Training

• Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley

  • We provide free, one-to-one literacy tutoring to adults in St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Elburn, Campton Township, LaFox, Lily Lake, Wasco and Wayne, Illinois. Lessons help people learn to read, write, understand and speak English better.

• The Merry Tutor

  • One-on-One Educational Assistance

• SPARK Aurora 

  • An education initiative of Fox Valley United Way, SPARK (Strong, Prepared and Ready for Kindergarten) connects underserved Aurora, Illinois, families with early education and childcare opportunities that prepare their young children for success in school and life.

• Two Rivers Head Start 

  • To alleviate the effects of poverty by providing education, support services, and opportunities for children, families, and communities. 

Food Pantries & Nutrition

• Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry 

  • The Aurora Food Pantry is committed to providing nutritious food relief to the community in a humanitarian and compassionate manner.

• Feeding Illinois

  • Feeding Illinois is the association of Feeding America food banks that serve Illinois. Together, they provide food and other services to every county in Illinois through a vast network of member agencies and specialized feeding programs.

• Food Pantries

  • A directory of Food Banks, Soup Kitchens, and non-profit organizations committed to fighting hunger. 

• Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

  • The Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry is dedicated to meeting the hunger needs of individuals and families in Aurora and surrounding communities by educating, empowering and enlightening people to be self-sustainable through collaborations and partnerships.

• Northern Illinois Food Bank

  • Provides nutritious food and resources for our neighbors, with dignity, equity and convenience, through partnerships and innovation.

• Two Rivers Head Start

  • Two Rivers Head Start Agency operates two Food Pantries which serve residents of Kane County.

• Women Infants and Children

  • WIC is a food assistance program for Women, Infants, and Children. It helps pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well and stay healthy. 

Healthcare

• Aunt Martha’s Community Health Center

• FreeClinics

  • List local clinics offering free Dental, Medical, Adult, Women’s, Pediatric, and Behavioral Health providers

• Immune Deficiency Foundation

• INC Board (A Community Mental Health Funding Alliance)

• Kane County Health Department

  • Promote, protect, and advocate for health and wellness in the community.

• NAMI-South (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

  • NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

• Octapharma Blood Center

  • Blood Donation

• Open Door Health Center 

  • Affordable healthcare provider that offers a sliding scale for low income. They also offer pregnancy care, general care, vaccinations, and physicals. They take most or no insurance and can work as a primary care.

• Planned Parenthood

  • Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care, and the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With or without insurance, you can always come to us for your health care.

• Visiting Nurses Association (VNA)

  • Affordable Healthcare provider that offers a sliding scale for low income. They also offer pregnancy care, general care, vaccinations and physicals. They take most insurance or no insurance and can work as a primary care. 

Housing

• The Aurora Housing Authority

  • The Aurora Housing Authority (AHA) was founded in the 1940s and charged with the mission of providing safe, decent, and affordable housing for the people of the City of Aurora.

• Hesed House

  • Its mission is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and give people the change to hope again. 

• Housing and Urban Development 

• Housing Action Illinois

  • Bring together 160+ member organizations, united in their vision of expanding affordable housing and ending homelessness, including housing counseling agencies, homeless service providers, developers of affordable housing, and policymakers. 

• Illinois Housing Development Authority

  • IHDA was created by the state legislature in 1967 pursuant to the Illinois Housing Development Act as a self-supporting agency to finance affordable housing across Illinois. IHDA does not use taxpayer dollars to sustain its operations, although it does administer publicly funded programs on behalf of the state. Since its creation, IHDA has provided more than $20 billion to finance more than a quarter million affordable homes.

• LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance)

  • Illinois LIHEAP is a low-income assistance program that is designed to aid eligible households in paying for winter energy services. 

• The Neighbor Project

  • Assistance in locating finances to purchase homes

• Rebuilding Together Aurora

  • For over 26 years, Rebuilding Together Aurora has provided free critical home repairs for low-income homeowners in Aurora including senior citizens, military veterans, people living with disabilities and families with young children living in unsafe conditions. We want to connect homeowners with volunteers to bring the community together and ensure that everyone has a safe and healthy home.

• Wayside Cross Ministries 

  • Wayside Cross Ministries provides restoration and recovery for the impoverished, addicted, and abused. Their mission is to honor God by loving and serving the afflicted and powerless through sharing the Gospel of forgiveness and hope in Jesus Christ by empowering them to be disciples of Christ.

• Lazarus House

  • Lazarus House helps people in need find the shelter, food, and other support services they need to get back on their feet. They serve people who are connected to Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and western rural Kane County by address, employment, school district, or immediate family.   

Job & Career

Legal

• American Immigration Lawyer Search  

• Boundless 

  • Immigrant legal services, online citizenship applications, work, and other forms.

• Fwd.us

  • Immigration and Criminal Justice Legal Services

• National Immigration Law Center

  • Advocates for immigrant rights, DACA policy, immigrant health care, worker’s rights, education and tax assistance.

• Prairie State Legal Services 

  • Prairie State Legal Services offers free legal services for low-income persons and those age 60 and over who have serious civil legal problems and need legal help to solve them. There are 11 office locations serving 36 counties in northern Illinois.

Museums

• Air Classics Museum of Air and Space

  • The Air Classics Museum of Aviation is a volunteer-run aviation museum located at the Aurora Municipal Airport (ARR) in Sugar Grove, Illinois.

• Aurora Historical Society 

  • The Aurora Historical Society gives the past a future by collecting, preserving, interpreting, and presenting the rich, diverse history of Aurora and the surrounding area.

• Aurora Regional Fire Museum 

  • Located in Aurora's original Central Station, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum provides a place for public history, learning, and community gathering for all ages and occasions.

Senior Services

• Ecumenical Support Services for the Elderly (ESSE)

  • The Latin word "esse" means "to be", and our purpose is to acknowledge and support the continuing life, growth and fruitfulness throughout one's life span.  At ESSE, we encourage our participants "to be" all that they can be by providing opportunities for socialization and meaningful activities in a caring environment.

• Illinois Department on Aging Benefit Access Program

  • A services for Illinois seniors including care coordination, food programs, home response services, home repair, employment programs, health assistance programs, and transportation.

• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

  The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) provides grants to qualified agencies and organizations for the dual purpose of engaging persons 55 and older in volunteer service to meet critical community needs and to provide a high quality experience that will enrich the lives of volunteers. 

• Senior Ride Free Program (RTA Chicago)

  • Seniors, aged 65 or older: If you are an Illinois resident, and currently enrolled in the Illinois Department on Aging’s Benefit Access Program, you are eligible for free transit on fixed routes operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace.

• Senior Resources Guide (City of Aurora)

  The Senior and Disability Services division is committed to making sure our community understands the resources available to them and is pleased to offer the first-ever resource guide specifically for seniors and those who support them.

• Senior Services Associates

  • They aid and provide referral for local and state services and benefits that are available for adults age 60+. Some of these include homemaker services, adult day services, emergency home response, and service assistance in applying for programs.

Special Needs/Disabilities 

• Association for Individual Development

  • To empower people with physical, developmental, intellectual, and mental health challenges to enjoy lives of dignity and purpose. They provide quality outcomes for individuals served in areas of housing, employment, community integration, health promotion, recovery, and crisis prevention. 

• Bookshare 

  • Provides a customized reading experience for those who have print disabilities and low-vision people. Audio books, Braille, and Large Type are available. 

• Fox Valley Special Recreation Association

  • Provides a diverse range of year-round recreational activities to enable residents with disabilities to experience active, healthy, and playful lifestyles. Programs are designed to include opportunities that will enhance skill development and socialization, encourage self-awareness and community exploration, promote independence through personal choice of least restrictive environments, and provide a sense of enjoyment, satisfaction and fulfillment.

Tax Information 

Veteran Assistance

• Aurora Veterans Advisory Council

• DuPage County Veterans Assistance Commission

  • Provides food, clothing, financial assistance, scholarships, suicide prevention services, healthcare information and counseling, and transportation.

• Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission 

  • The Veterans Assistance Commission exists to help veterans access the benefits they earned for serving our great nation.

• Veterans Assistance Commission of Kendall County

  • Provides transportation, employment, healthcare, pensions, education, and home loans.

• Veterans Guide

  • Veterans Guide provides you with the necessary information you need to obtain the maximum benefits when you leave military service.

Additional Resources