The Oak Park/River Forest Area Walk-In Ministry (WIM) was founded in November 2005 by local faith communities who wanted to provide assistance to the many people who sought emergency aid, but did not have the expertise or resources to do so. By pooling their resources, the faith communities and individual donors were able to create a centralized agency to assist those who are faced with unexpected challenges or are living on the margins.

First United Church of Oak Park-
lower level parking lot entrance
848 Lake Street Oak Park, IL 60301
Phone 708•386•1946
info@walk-in-ministryoprf.org
Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00 – 11:00AM

The Oak Park/River Forest Area Walk-In Ministry (WIM) was founded by a group of local faith communities in November 2005 to help the many people in this area seeking emergency aid. Previously, those in need were often going from place to place without finding a substantial program to help them. By pooling resources from faith communities and other donors, WIM can now effectively assist those who are living on the margins or who are faced with unexpected challenges.

WIM has a significant opportunity in the current economic climate to reach out to people who are struggling with daily life. Whether it is the loss of a job, the burden of debt, or an unexpected expense due to illness, WIM gives people short-term support and helps them navigate the many resources that exist within the community.

The Oak Park / River Forest Area Walk-In Ministry (WIM) is a community-supported volunteer-driven organization that works with clients who have immediate needs, with the ultimate goal of helping them reach self-sufficiency.

WIM carries out its mission by listening compassionately to people in need, addressing their immediate concerns, and helping them seek solutions to their underlying issues. WIM’s primary role as a referral agency has a long-term impact on the clients it serves by linking them with appropriate services and providing ongoing support, so that they may improve their situation and ultimately become self-sufficient.

The WIM program succeeds because clients are accountable and actively involved in this process.