What Is Community Connections?
A young person’s well-being doesn’t stop at the school doors. When families face challenges with food, housing, transportation, health care, mental health or other urgent needs, Community Connections helps them find resources and support.
Working across Youth Guidance programs and schools in Chicagoland, our team listens to what families need, connects them with trusted community resources and provides direct assistance when available—helping families navigate difficult moments and move forward.
Connecting Families to Support
Meeting needs. Strengthening families.
Every family’s situation is different. Community Connections works one-on-one with Youth Guidance students and families to understand their needs and connect them with resources that can make an immediate difference. Support may include:
Food & Essentials
Groceries, clothing, hygiene products, furniture and other basic necessities.
Housing & Financial Support
Connections to housing, utilities, emergency financial assistance and other resources.
Health & Well-Being
Access to health care, mental health services and other supports for individual and family well-being.
Transportation & Other Resources
Help connecting families with transportation, legal assistance, employment and training opportunities, and other community resources.
Responding to Gender-Based Violence
Building knowledge. Strengthening communities.
Community Connections also works to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and human trafficking.
Through training, workshops, resources and partnerships, Youth Guidance equips school, health care, social service and community professionals with tools to recognize gender-based violence, respond to disclosures in trauma-informed ways and connect people with appropriate resources and support.
The team also provides youth-focused education and individualized support for Youth Guidance students and families affected by gender-based violence.
Community Connections in Action
Support that meets the moment.
400+
$150K
20
*FY25 data
In Their Words
I am really grateful for my son’s counselor. He immediately connected us to someone who could help us with our housing needs. It was exactly what we needed.
Connect With Community Connections
Need support? Connect with your Youth Guidance counselor or program staff member to learn more about Community Connections.
Interested in a gender-based violence training? Connect with our team to learn about training and partnership opportunities.
