Case Management

I learned about ICDI through a friend at my church. I grew up in a large family, but we always had food on the table and a roof over our head. I feel strongly about helping people who are starting out and who might be having a rough patch. The camaraderie here makes my heart feel good knowing there are other people who care about people living in our communities. I would like more people in the community to know there is a place they can go and feel safe and get clothing and housewares.

– Theresa, Volunteer

I started volunteering around the time when many immigrant families were being sent to Chicago on buses and I really felt that whatever we could do to help those families, I would like to do. No matter who our neighbors are, if they need support, I think it is our responsibility to do what we can to support them.

– Joanne, Volunteer

We welcomed about 20 people from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Colombia, Mauritania and Angola. There were people traveling alone, a family of three, a family of five and a group of four men. They needed water and snacks and baby food. Several just needed help finding the gate where their bus would depart. The four men needed to purchase new tickets because they JUST missed their connecting bus. The family of three was waiting for someone to pick them up sometime after 10 am.

The Angolan family and the man from Mauritania needed a place to stay so we sent them in an Uber to the Police Station. Sarah told us we could give them sleeping bags, but in the last minute rush, we forgot to get them.
Impressive to us was the helpfulness of these strangers to each other. After we helped someone, that person would refer someone else who needed assistance.

And their expressions of gratitude for the little we do is close to overwhelming. Something that surprised both Gerry and me was that the parents would not let their children accept coloring books or other kid toys.

On February 3, 2023, the family fled Ecuador due to threats from the local mafia and gangs. They refused to participate in drug distribution, which led the gang leaders to threaten their lives. Forced to give up their inherited land, the family faced ongoing harassment even after leaving their home. At 3:00 a.m., Mrs. Tigasi and her husband urgently fled with their young children, leaving everything behind.

Their attempt to escape in a speeding taxi resulted in an accident that endangered Mrs. Tigasi’s life. She sacrificed everything in Ecuador to protect her children. They have other children in Ecuador who are also hiding from the gangs. In mid-April, they entered the United States, where they faced detention by immigration agents. After being released, it took them a week to get an airplane ticket to Chicago.

Currently, the family is under the care of a host family in Chicago, supported by the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants (ICDI). They are in the process of applying for asylum, with all expenses covered by the host family and the ICDI. The ICDI will continue to provide case management assistance until further notice. Your support is crucial in helping this family seek safety and protection in their new home.

H is from Costa Rica, Y is from Venezuela. They arrived in Chicago in the autumn of 2022 with the first wave of busses of asylum seekers from Texas. Y was 4 months pregnant.  Initially, they stayed in one of the hotels offered by the State of Illinois. After a brief stay, they decided to leave the hotel and move into the shelter system thinking they could find work and get established. The couple moved from shelter to shelter because most homeless shelters only take men or women but not both. For some time, they lived separately.  Early in February, Y went to an emergency room to give birth to their son.  The family could be together in the hospital room for just four days and were released to the city’s shelter system.

ICDI received a call from a partner agency that a semi-retired couple had heard about their situation and were interested in taking them in. ICDI immediately contacted the family and interviewed them virtually. After visiting the home, ICDI expedited the placement process and arranged to move the young couple in with their host family who live fifty-three miles north of the city of Chicago.  They young family has a separate apartment in the house, giving them privacy with protection.  They are receiving wrap-around care and case management from ICDI.  In the picture below, ICDI staff are on the left, the young family is in the middle, and the couple providing the home are on the right.  Little David is 28 days old in this picture.