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Interested in having some fun and helping the community? From ballroom evenings, to exciting trivia nights, we are sure to have the perfect event for you! Events Find an event you love, and make an impact that lasts. Back 2 School Fair When: Friday, August 15, 2026 What: Our Back 2 School Fair is held each year in August before kids head back to school. We promote healthy activities, connect neighborhood families with school supplies, physicals, vaccines, and resources from partner agencies. Learn More Auxiliary Board's Summer Soiree When: Summer 2026 What: Join us for an evening of connection and celebration featuring cocktails, light bites, and a vibrant summer atmosphere. Mingle with young professionals while learning more about our mission and helping create pathways to opportunity for those we serve. Holiday Toy Drive When: Winter 2026 What: Each year, to help out our Child Welfare Department, we host a toy drive to collect items for children and teens in Foster Care. From baby toys, to books, to puzzles and games. Gifts for all age ranges are encouraged! Help us bring a smile to a child's face this holiday season. Learn More Faces of Hope When: Summer 2027 What: Faces of Hope is our annual fundraising gala where we celebrate the people and spirit of hope that fuel Association House's work in advancing health, education, and economic opportunity for the most vulnerable among us. For questions regarding Faces of Hope, email Abby Ellis , Associate Director of Marketing. Learn More Association House Run Team When: Year-Round! What: Join the Association House Run Team, and race for a cause! When you sign up for our run team, you’re running for yourself, your health and your neighbors. Interested in taking the first step in a year of training & triumph? Fill out an Association House Run Club Interest Form at or contact Jennifer Sheridan , Development Specialist. Learn More Interest Form Never Miss An Event. Join Our Email List!

Association House is a Humboldt Park nonprofit offering job training, educational programs, counseling, mental health services, child welfare and a wide range of bilingual support in English and Spanish. old logos Our Program Areas Behavioral Health Mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities programs. High School Charter school for youth left behind by the traditional school system. Workforce Development Job training, coaching, and placement for under-employed and unemployed individuals. Child Welfare Bilingual foster care and intact family services. Community Health Outreach and wrap-around programs advancing health outcomes. Behavioral Health Mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities programs. High School Charter school for youth left behind by the traditional school system. Workforce Development Job training, coaching, and placement for under-employed and unemployed individuals. Child Welfare Bilingual foster care and intact family services. Community Health Outreach and wrap-around programs advancing health outcomes. Behavioral Health Mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities programs. High School Charter school for youth left behind by the traditional school system. Workforce Development Job training, coaching, and placement for under-employed and unemployed individuals. Child Welfare Bilingual foster care and intact family services. Community Health Outreach and wrap-around programs advancing health outcomes. Behavioral Health Mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities programs. High School Charter school for youth left behind by the traditional school system. Workforce Development Job training, coaching, and placement for under-employed and unemployed individuals. Child Welfare Bilingual foster care and intact family services. Community Health Outreach and wrap-around programs advancing health outcomes. Behavioral Health Mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities programs. High School Charter school for youth left behind by the traditional school system. Workforce Development Job training, coaching, and placement for under-employed and unemployed individuals. Child Welfare Bilingual foster care and intact family services. Community Health Outreach and wrap-around programs advancing health outcomes. Behavioral Health Mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities programs. High School Charter school for youth left behind by the traditional school system. Workforce Development Job training, coaching, and placement for under-employed and unemployed individuals. Child Welfare Bilingual foster care and intact family services. Community Health Outreach and wrap-around programs advancing health outcomes. Neighbor Helping Neighbor Everyone deserves service with dignity FIND HELP GIVE NOW News & Updates Join Us for the 20th Anniversary Back 2 School Fair! Our Back 2 School fair returns for its 20th year in Chicago! Development May 27 2 min read How Association House Staff Leveled Up Their Skills in 2026 This year, Association House staff earned licenses, attended conferences, and thought big about their careers. Meet Hailey, Our Affordable Housing Emerging Leader Intern A conversation with our first Affordable Housing Emerging Leader intern Haley Aldrich on shaping the future of housing in Chicago. Join the Fight for Equitable Housing During Hope For Homes Day Today is a statewide day of giving to spread equitable housing. Will you join in? Join Our Email List!

< All Staff Mr. David Pieper dpieper@ahhs.education Principal How long have you been an administrator? I have worked as an administrator 11 years. What inspires you as an administrator? It is the students that inspire me. Understanding the enormous human potential that walks through our school doors daily, I am grateful to be a part of student growth. What is one fun fact about yourself? I can juggle! Related Content Afterschool Programs Learn More Mentoring Programs Learn More Curriculum Learn More

Last year, Mary celebrated 7 years on the Association House staff. While working with us, she became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. The best investment we can make in our community is investing in the people who serve it. Every year, Association House staff participate in professional development opportunities that help them sharpen their skills, deepen their expertise and grow as leaders. This year, that commitment led to some remarkable milestones, from advanced clinical licenses to specialized counseling certifications that are already making an impact for participants. For Behavioral Health Supervisor Mary, professional development has been part of a much longer journey—one that began long before she joined the staff. A participant at Association House before becoming an employee nearly nine years ago, Mary continued pursuing higher education while working full time. She earned her associate's degree, bachelor's degree and master's degree in social work before completing nearly two years of clinical supervision and passing the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) exam on her very first attempt. Mary is one of the most familiar faces at the House. Maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout graduate school wasn't easy, but Mary says one advantage was already having years of real-world experience working with participants. "I was already doing the work," she said. "I had the experiential knowledge, I had the practical employment knowledge, and then I got the educational knowledge." Today, Mary's LCSW allows her to practice independently, review and approve clinical documentation, and begin building a private therapy practice alongside her work at Association House. But even with those new responsibilities, she continues seeking supervision and learning from colleagues—a reflection of the growth mindset that's guided her career from the very beginning. Her story has come full circle. After first walking through Association House's doors as a participant, she now helps lead the very kind of care that once supported her own recovery—proof that investing in staff growth doesn't just strengthen careers; it creates leaders who understand firsthand the impact compassionate services can have. That same commitment to growth and service inspired Visions Coordinator and Counselor Lawrence to pursue his Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) credential this year. Lawrence brings something especially meaningful to his role: lived experience. Now nearly two decades into his own recovery journey, he knows firsthand the courage it takes for participants to walk through the doors of the Visions Substance Use Disorder Program. "Eighteen years ago, I made a conscious decision to say, 'In order for me to change my life, I have to change the way I think,'" Lawrence said. Lawrence is a source of inspiration for the substance use recovery participants he serves. Recovery transformed the course of his life. After becoming active in the recovery community and volunteering for four years at Association House, he eventually joined the organization as a staff member. Today, he helps participants navigate substance use treatment through a harm reduction approach rooted in empathy rather than judgment. Earning his CADC strengthened the work he was already passionate about, giving him another tool to support participants as they work toward recovery. But for Lawrence, credentials have never been the ultimate goal. "I don't want to be part of a system that just shuffles people through because of paperwork," he said. "I need to be able to make a difference, but I need to also see the difference that I'm making." Those moments come in many forms: a participant rebuilding relationships with family, maintaining sobriety, finding stable housing, or simply beginning to believe that a different future is possible. "When you see the gleam in their eyes, when you hear the sincerity in their voice, that's when you know something has changed," Lawrence said. Having broken a multigenerational cycle of addiction in his own family, Lawrence understands that every participant's success has a ripple effect far beyond the individual. "There is life within recovery," he said. Like Lawrence, Behavioral Health Counselor Jacqueline earned her CADC while serving participants in the Visions program, where she combines clinical expertise with a deeply person-centered approach to care. Although Jacqueline had long planned to become a therapist, substance use counseling wasn't originally the path she expected to take. While in graduate school, she entered the field through a specialized program and quickly realized she'd found her calling. "I almost fell into it, but ended up being really passionate about that specialization," she said. "I realized I have a lot of personal experience with it, and it's a lot more prevalent than people even realize. I think it's important to bring awareness to it." Jacqueline leads group substance use counseling in our Visions program. While studying for the CADC exam, Jacqueline was simultaneously putting those lessons into practice with Visions participants every day—a combination she says made both her work and her certification stronger. Today, her master's degree in counseling psychology and CADC credential allow her to approach participants from both a mental health and substance use perspective. She says those two disciplines are inseparable. "It's not one or the other—they work together," Jacqueline said. "Having both perspectives allows me to view each person more holistically." That philosophy shapes everything from the groups she facilitates to one-on-one counseling sessions. One lesson has stayed with her throughout her education: "Focusing on the person and meeting them where they're at," rather than trying to "fix" someone or decide what recovery should look like for them. Working at Association House, she says, makes that person-centered approach even stronger. "I think that's the best thing," Jacqueline said of the organization's holistic services. "People are able to explore resources for jobs, housing and continuing mental health care. It's a holistic program versus just focusing on substance use." Mary and other members of the Behavioral Health team celebrating at least 5 years of service with the House. Whether it's achieving independent clinical licensure after years of dedication or earning specialized counseling credentials that deepen their impact with participants, each of these accomplishments reflects something bigger than individual milestones. Professional development at Association House isn't just about checking a box or adding credentials after a name. It's about strengthening the people who strengthen our communities. Every certification earned, every new skill developed and every new perspective gained ultimately comes back to the participants who walk through our doors looking for opportunity, support and hope. ▪

This summer, LUCHA welcomed Haley Aldrich as part of the Illinois Housing Council Emerging Leaders Internship Program (ELIP), a new initiative designed to prepare the next generation of affordable housing professionals through hands-on experience with housing organizations across Illinois. A graduate student at the University of Chicago pursuing dual master's degrees in Social Work, Social Policy, Social Administration & Social Sector Leadership and Nonprofit Management, Hailey came to Chicago with a passion for connecting homelessness advocacy and affordable housing. We recently sat down with Hailey to learn more about what brought her to LUCHA, what she's learned through the internship, and why she's excited about the future of affordable housing in Chicago: What excited you about LUCHA? Hailey: I moved to Chicago last August to pursue my master's at the University of Chicago. My background is in homelessness advocacy—I worked directly with people experiencing homelessness, particularly at the intersection of gender-based violence and housing instability, and later moved into legal and policy advocacy. I think there is room for the homelessness advocacy world and affordable housing developers to connect on a deeper level, learn from one another, and collaborate to expand access to affordable housing in a way that centers the communities they serve. A fellowship introduced me to the Illinois Housing Council, which led me to the Emerging Leaders Internship Program. I already knew a little about LUCHA through community organizing work, but once I learned more about LUCHA's history—and saw that "Housing is a Human Right" is literally part of its identity—it just felt like the right fit. Learning about LUCHA's partnership with Association House made it an even stronger fit. Bringing affordable housing together with organizations already providing direct services to residents is incredibly smart, and it's exactly the kind of collaborative model I believe in. Hailey at the Illinois State Capitol at an advocacy day with the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness What makes Chicago such an exciting place to do this work? Hailey: Chicago feels like a place where these conversations are happening in a really meaningful way. There's a shared understanding that affordable housing and homelessness require local, community-driven solutions. I was especially drawn to the University of Chicago's social work program because it emphasizes work at the individual, community, and policy levels. Community organizing sits right at that intersection, and that's exactly where I want my career to be. There's still plenty of work to do, but Chicago feels like a city that's willing to ask difficult questions and invest in finding better solutions. What has your internship looked like so far? Hailey: It's been a little bit of everything, which I really appreciate. I've been sitting in on weekly construction meetings and learning the technical side of affordable housing development—everything from funding sources and financial documents to understanding projects in both pre-development and construction phases. At the same time, a huge part of my work has been documenting LUCHA's institutional history. I've been interviewing residents, former executive directors, current and former board members, and longtime staff to better understand how the organization has evolved over nearly 45 years. Hailey and Christian (left), one of her LUCHA internship program mentors. What I find really interesting is that many affordable housing developers focus primarily on development itself, but LUCHA has always balanced that technical expertise with deep community organizing. Seeing how those two priorities have worked together over time has been fascinating. I've also had the opportunity to connect with Association House staff to think about how services can become even more integrated for LUCHA residents. Every week feels different, and I feel like I'm getting to experience every side of the work. Have any conversations stood out during your interviews? Hailey: One thing that keeps coming up is how long people stay connected to LUCHA. It seems like once people enter LUCHA's orbit, they tend to stay there because the organization approaches its work in such a thoughtful and community-centered way. It's been really inspiring to see how LUCHA continues to evolve while staying true to its mission. Where do you see momentum in affordable housing, and where is there still work to do? Hailey: I'm encouraged by organizations that are thinking beyond the standard 30-year affordability timeline and asking what housing can look like 100 years from now. Groups like the Here to Stay Community Land Trust are helping push those conversations forward, and I'd love to see more long-term thinking become the norm. I also think there's still an opportunity for affordable housing organizations and homelessness advocates to work more closely together. Those fields have so much in common, and if they continue aligning around shared goals, they'll become an even stronger force for change. Hailey and the rest of the LUCHA team celebrate at a community gathering event for our newest housing project, La Herencia. What advice would you give to future LUCHA interns? Hailey: Say yes to as many opportunities as you can. There are so many people at LUCHA and Association House who are incredibly knowledgeable and well connected. Every meeting, every site visit, every conversation is a chance to learn something you didn't expect. In just 12 weeks, I feel like I'm getting so much more out of this experience than I ever imagined. I'd recommend this internship to anyone interested in affordable housing or community development. ■ -- Learn more about LUCHA at lucha.org.

Today is Hope for Homes Day, a statewide initiative to end homelessness and spread fair housing in Illinois. Together with LUCHA, Association House is leading the charge for equitable housing development in Chicago, and for breaking barriers for what an affordable housing community can look like. Today, we're asking our community to join in by making a donation to support resident services at our properties. We are raising $3,000 to continue connecting our tenants with life-changing programs that make LUCHA homes not just a place to live, but a place to thrive. Your support helps families like the Lopez family find peace of mind. When rising rent and unsafe living conditions threatened to force Angeles, her husband, and their young son out of the neighborhood they loved, they weren't sure where to turn. Then came a call that changed everything: they had been selected for a three-bedroom apartment at Encuentro Square. Now, instead of worrying about where they'll live, they're planning for the future they once thought was out of reach. Today, Angeles and her family live in a home filled with safety, joy, and hope. That is the impact of your generosity. Please make your Hope for Homes Day gift today and help more families find a place where they can truly thrive! Donate or discover more about Hope for Homes Day below. We thank our giving community for their incredible generosity as always!