Giving back to the community is one of the best ways to make the world a better place to live in. Chicago is one of the largest cities in the country and with size comes the ups and downs of modern living. Pollution, disease, and lack of shelter are a few of the problems which affect a large number of people of all ages and walks of life in Chicago. Here are some of the charities addressing these issues and many others around Illinois.

1. Alliance for the Great Lakes

The organization is 45 years old and has had a strong impact in pushing for legislation which supports environmental conservation. They have pushed for the governments in Ohio and Michigan to lower Lake Erie pollution by 40 percent. They have also made Illinois the first state to ban cosmetics made with microbeads. They have beach cleanups and other activities which bring together thousands of locals to volunteer.

2. Gilda’s Club Chicago

This is a health-related charity that was founded by relatives of the comedian Gilda after she was diagnosed with cancer. The non-profit provides more than 350 activities in each month, and membership is open to anyone that has been affected by cancer.

3. Chicago Run

This charity was founded in 2007 by Alicia Gonzalez. Chicago Run aims to reduce obesity prevalence by running physical activity programs in public schools. Currently, it serves 46 schools in the Chicago-area.

4. Girl Forward

The charity Girl Forward was founded by Blair Brettschneider. It encourages women between the ages of 12 and 21 from war-torn countries to move to Chicago and start a new life. The charity helps the girls with homework help, assistance with college applications and more.

5. Project Syncere

This is an educational program aimed at growing STEMs and making more kids in grades 4 to 12 study science, math, technology, and engineering. It was founded by Jason Coleman.

6. Bridge Communities

This is a charity that is determined to end hunger and homelessness in Chicago and especially DuPage County. They offer two years of housing, financial coaching, therapy, nutritional counseling and other useful advice.

7. The Cara Program

This organization also deals with unemployment. They take in people who have no jobs but have some skills which could land them work and teach them financial literacy, team building, interview readiness and more. They partner with 120 Chicago employers to provide the unemployed with jobs.

8. Paws Chicago

The charity deals with pet adoption. It was founded because of the large number of pets that were being euthanized. They now connect pets with foster homes to reduce the number of homeless pets.

9. Chicago Legal Clinic

This is a pro bono legal firm which helps people who are in legal problems but cannot afford lawyers. They have a sliding fee structure which helps people who work but cannot make enough for private legal services.

10. Center for Enriched Living

The center was created because of a shortage of after-school programs for kids living with disabilities. Last year but one, they unveiled a center that is accessible to everyone, regardless of their stage in life or disability.

You can look up any of these charities websites and register to volunteer or become a sponsor.