LIFT

After moving out of his old apartment, Marc Alampi needed help recovering his security deposit from his former landlord.  LIFT-Chicago connected him to free legal aid, where lawyers were able to obtain a ruling that forced the landlord to reimburse the deposit plus damages to Marc.

He returned to LIFT for help with additional issues, but struggled to make much progress when he jumped back and forth between projects.  LIFT worked with Marc to channel his focus on immediate needs and long-term goals, first concentrating on obtaining better housing.  Marc says, “Volunteers have helped me organize my life and helped me work towards my goals. By working with me to set goals, timelines, and priorities, they have given me direction and helped with my personal decision-making.”

When the Chicago Housing Authority’s Section 8 office lost the majority of its funding, Van Lewis’s job as a file clerk disappeared.  With only a meager income of unemployment checks and food stamps to support himself, he was forced to relocate to a shelter.  Although he was able to obtain a new job at O’Hare International Airport, the upheaval had eaten away at his savings and he could not afford a new home.  His early hours at the airport forced him to wake up at 4:00AM for a two-hour commute, and with shelter activity not quieting down until late evening hours, the situation quickly proved unsustainable.

After being turned away from various overburdened agencies or placed on various waitlists and shuffled between caseworkers—even losing his place on a waitlist because his paperwork was lost in the process of a caseworker transition—Van received a referral to LIFT.

Frantz Pierre had been a client at LIFT-Evanston for several years, seeking LIFT’s assistance when he was searching for a better job or needed information.  With a strong résumé and history working in the medical field, Frantz could normally work with LIFT-Evanston and bounce back quickly from a job loss.  LIFT-Evanston had helped him land two positions previously, including a temporary assignment at a local hospital, which turned into a full-time job within three weeks.  But after he was laid off from his position at a cancer treatment facility in 2008, getting back into the workforce proved unusually difficult for him.

Bert Brockway had a long history as respiratory therapist but after losing his job, he was forced to take on shifts as a cab driver, working upwards of 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Bert says, “I was underemployed and overworked,” and his frustration continued to mount as he made little progress obtaining another job in respiratory therapy.  Bert was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, when he was introduced to LIFT-Chicago’s Uptown office.

Carlton Berry had recently been laid off from his job and was visiting the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) for unemployment benefits when he found LIFT-Evanston.  In need of guidance with his unemployment claim and interested in LIFT’s other services, Carlton scheduled an appointment and met with volunteers.

Myron Frost had been working for the same company for 37 years, and at age 60, he was looking forward to working a few more years and settling into retirement.  That dream changed in March 2009 when he was suddenly laid off and had to file for unemployment for the first time in his life.  His unemployment checks amounted to $2000 less per month than his previous salary and with money becoming increasingly tight, Myron was anxious to find health insurance to pay for his diabetes medication.  He was dissatisfied with unemployment agencies, so Myron contacted LIFT-Chicago for help and volunteers began working with him to identify affordable health insurance options and job opportunities.