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Alternatives, Inc. is a not-for-profit youth and family service agency established in 1971, serving Chicago's northeast communities of Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park, Lakeview, North Center, Lincoln Square and West Ridge. The agency's mission is to facilitate personal development, strengthen family relationships, and enhance the community's well being. The organization has grown from a small, single site offering substance abuse services to a multifaceted agency that employs 50 full-time staff, manages over 175 volunteers and serves over 3,000 youth and families annually.
Alternatives’ programs and services use an asset-based model that focuses on enriching a youth's life by building upon individual strengths within the context of their family and community. We provide comprehensive, accessible and affordable programs that increase young peoples’ opportunities to succeed and grow as individuals and community members.
Alternatives serves Chicago's multi-ethnic northeast side and our participants reflect the community's rich diversity: 40% Latino, 37% African American, 10% Caucasian, 8% Asian, and 4% bi-racial/multi-ethnic and 1% Middle Eastern. Two-thirds live in low-income households; one-third live in single-parent homes.
Alternatives values the rich diversity of the communities we serve and partner with over 100 local organizations and schools. Our long-term strategy is to strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders in the community in order to remain responsive to needs identified by youth and their families.
Established when the community identified substance abuse as a key issue affecting local teens, Alternatives is northeast Chicago's largest agency dedicated to at-risk youth and their families.
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