LIFT

LIFT-Chicago engages regularly with locally based social service organizations to create reciprocal partnerships in order to capitalize on the strength of existing community resources. LIFT highly values collaboration, not competition, within the sector and believes it is essential for nonprofits to work together along with for-profit industries to both move people out of poverty and permanently change the circumstances which produce poverty. Last year, LIFT-Chicago and LIFT-Evanston received over 250 clients referred-in to LIFT from other service agencies, demonstrating the trust that local agencies have in LIFT. Correspondingly, LIFT made more than 1,800 quality referrals-out to other service organizations in order to connect clients to the service they needed that LIFT does not directly provide, such as trained legal aid or medical attention. This model of partnership ensures the non-duplication and efficiency of social service programs in the community and strengthens the social services infrastructure

LIFT-Chicago is also a partner with the City of Chicago, Mayor’s Office. At Mayor Daley’s request, LIFT began operating satellite sites in Community Schools, working to meet the needs of Chicago Public Schools’ parents.

The Chicago offices actively host and co-sponsor events on-campus and in the community to bring community members together, to bring together expert opinions and dialogue about community issues, and to raise awareness about the issues facing low-income families in Chicago and the resources available to help them.

Past community engagements have included:

• As part of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, LIFT-Evanston facilitated a panel discussion for the entire Northwestern University community. The event featured faculty as well as representatives from local partners, including Connections for the Homeless and the YMCA.
• LIFT-Chicago partnered with Loyola University-Chicago’s Center for Experiential Learning to train student volunteers from a service learning social work class. The office also partnered with a community based research class and guided the work of a group of research students as they conducted a comparative study of two neighborhoods—Pilsen on the West Side and Hyde Park on the South Side—where LIFT is considering opening new offices in the city. The study surveyed existing community resources geared toward low-income individuals in the neighborhoods and assessed service gaps that LIFT could fill, as well as the strengths of potential university and community collaborations.  This winter a new section of community based research students is conducting an in-depth client tracking project for LIFT-Chicago.
• LIFT-Evanston partners annually with the Evanston YWCA to host additional tax preparation sessions on Saturdays throughout the winter.