Resources - Social Services & Support
Our monthly Memory Café offers a comfortable and supportive environment for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers. Activities at this event will vary at each meeting but will include games, arts and crafts, music, and more. Friends, family members, and community allies also are welcome!
We’ll meet on the last Friday of every month. The first hour is reserved for the formal program; the second hour is set aside for socialization. Light refreshments will be served but feel free to bring a bagged lunch. There will also be a raffle for a special door prize!
Held the last Friday of each month, in partnership with the Edgewater Branch Library, Renewal Memory Partners, Weiss Hospital, Chicago Methodist Senior Services and Flourish Research.
Find more details on our programs page.
The City of Chicago’s Department of Family & Support Services, Senior Services offers helpful local information for older adults on their Senior Services website.
One online source of general information for seniors is the nonprofit group AgeRight.org. Check out their website for helpful information.
The National Institute on Aging offers research-supported articles on aging-related topics written explicitly for seniors with links to additional resources, including both academic studies and consumer-friendly guides.
At a recent Edgewater Village and Edgewater Library program on safety, police officers from district 20 shared carjacking prevention tips, including locations that are most targeted, scenarios that you should avoid and safety tips in general. They said that cars that are left running to warm up (even if the fob isn’t in the car), or with keys left in the ignition are an easy target for theft and provided suggestions for preventing vehicle theft.
We often hear that home and business security videos are helpful in finding suspects. Did you know that the City of Chicago has a Home and Business Protection Program to reimburse for the cost of these cameras? In some neighborhoods and for income-eligible individuals, the security cameras can be provided for free.
Already have a security camera in place? Register it with the city of Chicago and help solve crimes faster.
If you own a car in Chicago or neighboring communities, you might be interested in Cook County’s Stolen Vehicle Tracking Program. Anyone living in the city or the suburbs can apply online by signing a tracking consent form. That will authorize the sheriff's department to track the location of your vehicle if it's ever stolen. You’ll also receive stickers to display on the front and back windshields of your car. Those stickers may discourage carjackers. This program only works for 2015 vehicles or later.
At a recent program on safety, Christine Washkevich from the northside Community Justice Center said that her group is focused on solving public safety problems, reducing crime and improving the quality of life for communities. They collaborate with law enforcement, business, faith-based organizations, elected officials, schools, government entities, social service agencies and community groups to achieve this goal. She encouraged concerned citizens to reach out to their office.
For many older adults, meal times can be lonely times. Did you know that the City of Chicago’s Family and Support Services offers a “Golden Diners Program” for older adults (60+) to help address this concern? This program offers a way to get a healthy meal each day and enjoy the company of others. Hot, nutritious lunches are served at nearly 70 community sites each weekday throughout Chicago. Four locations offer breakfast instead lunch and five locations each offer an ethnic-specific meal: Asian, Indian/Pakistani, and Korean.
Our own Edgewater Senior Satellite at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway is one of the locations. For other locations, please see the full list on the Senior Services section of the Chicago Family and Support Services website.
In addition to enjoying a meal with friends and neighbors, seniors can participate in the many activities scheduled at the sites. For instance, health education sessions, exercise classes, speakers and trips are offered at the sites. Stop by one of these locations and see what you’ve been missing!
JourneyCare is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides care and support to families living with serious illness. With 40 years of healthcare leadership and expertise, JourneyCare has achieved national recognition for growth, innovation, community partnerships and best practices in caring for seriously ill adults and children. JourneyCare is licensed to serve 13 counties in the Chicago region and is the largest provider of hospice and palliative care in Illinois. Contact them for more information.
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Application for benefits eligibility (ABE) Use this site to apply for healthcare, food, and cash assistance benefits.
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Senior Connections, operated by Chicago Methodist Senior Services, matches vetted volunteers with older adults who are feeling isolated and seeking companionship. Volunteers visit or telephone the older adults weekly for conversation and connection. To be matched with a volunteer, the older adult must be 65 + years old, live independently in Evanston, Skokie, Rogers Park, Edgewater, or Andersonville, and be experiencing loneliness and seeking a friendship with a volunteer. To be a volunteer, the individual must be 18+ years old and able to commit at least one year to a Senior Connections relationship.
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City of Chicago Senior Services Information
List of Chicago Senior Centers
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Rooted in Jewish communal values, CJE Senior Life’s mission is to enhance quality of life and facilitate independence of older adults. CJE Senior Life provides information, support and referrals for older adults on a variety of topics including housing, health care, and wellness.
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Heart to Heart located at St. Gertrude Parish in the Edgewater neighborhood. is available to any local older adult in need of services such as rides to medical appointments or friendly visits. They also have a lending closet. Items available include walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, and portable commodes. If you are a senior in need or care for an older person that may need Heart to Heart’s services, please call the Rectory at 773.764.3621.
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The National Council on Aging offers a Benefit Checkup to help you locate benefits for which you might be eligible, using your zipcode to locate options in your neighborhood.
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The Meals on Wheels program for Chicago residents is handled by the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services. Please contact Information and Assessment at (312) 744-4016 to inquire about home delivered meals.
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Northside Community Resources provides a variety of services for seniors on the north side of Chicago, including home visits, safety and well-being checks. Their Small Accessible Repairs for Seniors program provides safety, security and accessibility improvements that help senior citizens to remain in their homes. See their website for full descriptions of their programs and eligibility criteria.