Food pantry, meal, SNAP/Link, Medicaid, LIHEAP, and benefits-navigation network - Chicago and Cook County; pantry schedules and eligibility vary
Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository connects people to food pantries, meals, shelters, and community partners across Chicago and Cook County. Its team also helps people explore SNAP/Link, Medicaid, LIHEAP, and other benefits. Use the current map or call for nearby options, then confirm hours, identification, household rules, transportation, and whether a friend can pick up food.
Free civil legal assistance for qualifying low-income residents - Chicago and suburban Cook County; income, case type, deadline, and intake rules apply
Legal Aid Chicago
Legal Aid Chicago provides free civil legal help and focuses on issues including safe and affordable housing, eviction, repairs, benefits, disability, and public assistance. Apply online through its intake pathway or call early when a notice or court deadline is involved. Legal Aid is not a housing-placement, cleanup, or emergency service.
Independent nonprofit legal support for older adults and people with disabilities - Chicago and Cook County; eligibility, issue type, and intake rules apply
Center for Disability and Elder Law
The Center for Disability and Elder Law offers civil legal assistance and education for older adults and people with disabilities. Ask whether the current program can address a housing, benefits, guardianship, consumer, or safety-related concern and what documents or eligibility rules apply. This is not legal representation for every matter, a cleanup service, or an emergency response.
Illinois disability-rights protection and advocacy nonprofit - Statewide; issue, disability, and intake criteria apply
Equip for Equality
Equip for Equality is Illinois's designated protection and advocacy organization for people with disabilities. It may be relevant when disability discrimination, abuse, neglect, institutional rights, or access barriers overlap with housing or support concerns. Ask about current intake and scope; it is not a general hoarding-support or cleanup provider.
SNAP, Medicaid, cash, and other state-benefit applications - Illinois; household, income, identity, immigration-status, and program rules apply
Illinois ABE Benefits Portal
Illinois's ABE portal is the official starting point for applying for or managing several state benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid. A benefits application may help stabilize food, medical, or household needs that make a safety plan more possible. Confirm current documentation, recertification, notices, and appeal deadlines; the portal is not hoarding support or emergency care.
Accessible buses, rail, travel planning, and ADA paratransit information - Chicago and six-county RTA region; certification, service-area, and station-access rules apply
CTA Accessible Transit
CTA describes accessible buses, accessible rail stations, elevator and service alerts, trip planning, and ADA paratransit information. ADA paratransit is available only to people certified through the Regional Transportation Authority, and not every rail station is accessible. Check the current elevator status and ask about step-free routing before traveling.
Reduced-fare and free-ride programs for qualifying seniors, people with disabilities, Medicare recipients, and others - Illinois; enrollment and permit rules apply
CTA and RTA Reduced-Fare and Ride-Free Programs
CTA and RTA describe reduced-fare and free-ride programs for qualifying seniors, Illinois residents with disabilities enrolled in Benefit Access, Medicare recipients, and other groups. Eligibility and permits must be confirmed before relying on a fare benefit. This is transportation assistance, not a medical, housing, or hoarding-support service.
Searchable hoarding-related care, support, organizer, and task-force directory - Chicago, telehealth, and national options; verify every listing directly
IOCDF Hoarding Resource Directory
The International OCD Foundation directory can help identify clinicians, support groups, organizers, and task forces that indicate an interest in hoarding-related concerns. Directory listings are not endorsements or credential guarantees. Ask about experience, licensure, consent-based pacing, privacy, fees, insurance, wait time, and home-based or telehealth scope.
Independent qualified-care provider advertising hoarding-related treatment - Chicago and virtual; credentials, clinical fit, insurance, fees, and availability must be confirmed
Chicago Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders
This independent Chicago practice advertises hoarding-disorder treatment in virtual and office formats. Ask about the clinician's credentials, current availability, treatment approach, insurance or private-pay rates, privacy, and whether the provider serves the specific person and level of need. This is not a Fight the Blight, University of Chicago, or emergency service.
Independent local education and professional-networking resource - Greater Chicagoland; current programs and referral boundaries must be confirmed
Chicago Hoarding Task Force Resource Network
The Chicagoland Hoarding Task Force can be useful for local education, professional networking, consultation, and community connections when a person or agency needs to understand hoarding-related concerns. It is independent of Fight the Blight and should not be treated as an emergency, clinical, housing, or cleanup guarantee.
Free household food-scrap drop-off - Chicago residents; registration, training, accepted-material, cart, and location rules apply
City of Chicago Food Scrap Drop-Off
Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation operates a food-scrap drop-off program that residents can join after completing the current online training. The city posts accepted materials and asks residents not to leave anything outside full carts. Confirm the current location, access hours, and material list before transporting food scraps; this is not a general waste-removal service.
City sanitation, refuse, recycling, and service-request navigation - Chicago; collection, building, material, and request rules apply
Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation through CHI311
Residents can use CHI311 to identify the current city pathway for sanitation, refuse, recycling, missed collection, and neighborhood-condition questions. Ask which service applies to the address and material, whether a building or private hauler is responsible, and what current placement or scheduling rules apply. CHI311 does not provide private cleanup crews or hoarding-specific support.
Practical and peer support - Private-pay pathway; confirm fit, scope, availability, consent, privacy, travel, and fees
The Peer Tree
The Peer Tree offers nonclinical hoarding and clutter support, including organizing help, groups, family guidance, and practical next steps. Ask about current availability, service area, scope, pacing, privacy, consent, and fees before beginning. The Peer Tree is a separate private-pay pathway from Fight the Blight's nonprofit programming.
Digital peer support - Available online; not therapy, clinical care, or emergency support
Unburied
Unburied, from The Peer Tree, is a judgment-free digital peer-support pathway for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns and for friends and family supporters. It can offer ongoing connection, tools, and momentum from Chicago or anywhere else. It is not therapy, clinical care, a crisis service, or emergency support.