OUR IMPACT
Mpowering Individuals, Families, & Communities

Metropolitan Family Services is a social services pioneer that has “M”powered others since 1857.

For more than 165 years, MFS has provided social services and legal aid, and we advocate and mobilize social policy.

Our fervent mission is to provide and mobilize the services needed to strengthen families and communities.

Our values are marked with our FAMILY Values:

  Focus on Strengths

  Accountable

  Mobilize for Social Justice

  Innovative Culture

Learning Organization

Yes-Minded Approach

MFS established the Racial Equity Inclusion Justice (REIJ) initiative to ensure our work is both inclusive and garners varying perspectives of our diverse team, and our REIJ initiative leads our commitment to achieve racial equity both in the workplace and with communities we serve.

• REIJ’s purpose is to create a more equitable workplace environment and promote inclusiveness on every level.
• REIJ focuses internally on the workplace environment by providing staff with the knowledge and tools to incorporate a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens with team members and the families we serve.

MFS operates 10 Community Centers, and we have more than 60 affiliate sites. Our Community Centers are:

• Calumet Center

Serving Beverly, Chatham, Englewood, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, Pullman, Riverdale, Roseland, Washington Heights, Washington Park, West Pullman, and Woodlawn

• DuPage Center

Serving all communities of DuPage County, including Wheaton, Elmhurst, Naperville, West Chicago, Woodridge, and Addison

• Headquarters
• Howard & Evanston Community Center

Serving Des Plaines, Evanston, Golf, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, and Skokie

• Legal Aid Society
• Metropolitan Peace Initiatives
• Midway Center

Serving Brighton Park, Chicago Lawn, Clearing, Englewood, Gage Park, New City, West Englewood, and West Lawn

• North Center

Serving Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Irving Park, and Portage Park

• Southeast Center

Serving Calumet Heights, East Side, Hegewisch, South Chicago, and South Deering

• Southwest Center

Serving Blue Island, Robbins, Ford Heights, Posen, Harvey, Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn, Alsip, Hickory Hills, Chicago Ridge, Palos Hills, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Midlothian, and Merrionette Park

Our Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI) includes the Metropolitan Peace Academy, and Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P), a collaborative partnership of 14 leading outreach and restorative justice organizations, active in 28 Chicago communities, who are reducing gun violence in Chicago by building trusted relationships.

Our Legal Aid Society (LAS) is a pioneer in providing “justice for all” regardless of ability to pay. Since 1886, LAS has protected and strengthened families by providing equal access to justice by focusing on the most vulnerable communities.

MFS is a team of over 1,200 team members – and growing!

To learn, to earn, to heal, to thrive, our Community Centers with our talented diverse team offer programs and wraparound services under our 4E’s:

• Emotional Wellness
  • Adoption Support Services
  • Counseling and Mental Health Services for Children, Adults, Seniors and Families
• Education
  • Before and Afterschool Programs for Children & Teens
  • Preschool, Home Visiting, Head Start/Early Head Start
  • Parenting Programs for Families, Pregnant Moms & Dads
  • Tutoring/Education Support for High School Students & Adults
• Empowerment
  • Domestic Violence
    • Services for Domestic Violence Survivors
    • Services to Protect Seniors & Adults with Disabilities
    • Supervised Visitation for the Children of Domestic Violence Survivors
    • Support Groups
  • Violence Prevention & Intervention
  • Community Empowerment
  • Metropolitan Peace Initiatives
  • Legal Aid Society Services for:
    • Health, Housing, & Economic Stability
      • Housing Law Program
      • Impact Litigation & Advocacy Project
    • Safety & Family
      • Domestic Violence
      • Elder Justice Initiative
    • Individual Rights & Social Justice
      • Serving victims of crime
      • Human Trafficking
      • Community Schools Legal Clinic
      • Employment Law Initiative
    • CP4P Justice Corps
      • Cannabis Expungement Project
      • General Legal Services
      • Gerst Family Young Fathers Program Legal Clinic
• Economic Stability
  • Career Services
  • Economic Resources
  • Benefits and Entitlements
  • Employment/Job Training & Placement
  • Summer Job Placements for Teens/Young Adults
  • Financial Literacy/Planning
  • Services for Senior Homeowners

We’re proud to be a legacy nonprofit organization that continually evolves to serve and meet the changing needs of others and of our communities.