Together We Cope

What Together We Cope does

Together We Cope is a 501(c)(3) homeless prevention agency headquartered at 17010 S Oak Park Avenue, Tinley Park, Illinois, founded in 1982 to keep families in temporary crisis housed in the south suburban Chicago market. The organization serves residents of 27 communities across Bremen, Orland, Palos, and Worth townships (excluding the Mount Greenwood neighborhood), delivering an integrated service bundle that includes a food pantry sourcing from the Greater Chicago Food Depository and USDA, client services and case management for shelter, housing, utility, medication, and domestic violence assistance, the Nu2u Resale Shop thrift store, and seasonal programs such as Back to School and Santa's Workshop. The operating model is community-led: 200+ active volunteers and a nine-person leadership team deliver services through walk-in, phone, and referral channels, with client information coordinated via the regional HMIS database. The agency reports reaching more than 1,500 families each month and approximately 5,000 people fed monthly, with 89 cents of every dollar spent directed to programs.

The business model combines donation-supported free services with earned revenue from the Nu2u Resale Shop, where donated clothing, furniture, and housewares are sold at 50-75% off retail. Donations are structured as unit-priced tiers (General Fund at $50-$250, Everyday Food at $20, Back to School at $75/child or $150/two children) processed through a WooCommerce storefront with Authorize.Net. Other revenue streams include in-kind USDA food distribution and food purchased from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Distribution is direct: food distribution at the Tinley Park pantry, in-person client services Monday-Friday, and the Nu2u retail storefront with extended Saturday hours. Marketing and fundraising rely on the website, organic social media, the annual Dinner Dance event, board-led peer fundraisers, and referral relationships with township offices, churches, and the Homeless Prevention Center.

The underlying technology is operational rather than differentiated: the agency uses HMIS for client case management and reporting, WooCommerce for donations, and Authorize.Net for payment processing. The organization remains operational following a November 2022 fire that damaged the main building and shuttered the client services office, food pantry, and Nu2u shop, with staff relocated to a nearby administrative building and over $100,000 in losses not covered by insurance. Reopening was expected in late spring 2023.

Name

Together We Cope

Legal name

Together We Cope

Website

https://togetherwecope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Together We Cope is a 1982-founded Tinley Park, Illinois nonprofit that prevents homelessness by delivering food, shelter, housing, and utility assistance to families in temporary crisis across 27 south suburban Chicago communities, supported by 200+ volunteers and a Nu2u Resale Shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Prevention and Emergency Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC)

Keywords

• Homeless prevention services
• Food pantry assistance
• Community case management
• Thrift store resale
• Emergency financial assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Tinley Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual and corporate donations received through website, mail, and in-person. General Fund donations range from $50-$250. Food assistance donations from $20 upward.
2. Nu2u Resale Shop Proceeds: Thrift store selling donated clothing, furniture, housewares, and other items. 89 cents of every dollar spent at Nu2u supports TWC programs and services. Revenue supports food, shelter, clothing, and referral programs.
3. Food Purchases from Greater Chicago Food Depository: Food purchased from Greater Chicago Food Depository to stock the food pantry, serving approximately 5,000 people each month.
4. USDA Food Distribution: Food received at no cost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for distribution to families in need.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Together We Cope is a nonprofit homeless prevention agency that provides free emergency assistance to families in temporary crisis, including a food pantry serving 5,000 people monthly, case management for shelter, utility, and housing aid, a Back to School supply program, Santa's Workshop holiday gifts, and donation programs. The wholly-owned Nu2u Resale Shop thrift store generates supplemental program revenue by selling donated clothing, furniture, and housewares at 50-75% off retail.

Product overview

Together We Cope is a nonprofit homeless prevention agency operating a single integrated service model rather than a technology product platform. The organization provides direct charitable assistance through multiple interconnected programs: a food pantry serving 5,000 people monthly, the Nu2u Resale Shop thrift store generating program revenue, client services offering financial assistance for housing and utilities, and donation programs including general funds, food assistance, and the Back to School program. All services are coordinated through case management and the HMIS data system to help families maintain self-sufficiency and avoid homelessness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Pantry Monthly food distribution providing groceries to families and individuals in need within the 27-community service area, serving approximately 5,000 people each month. Food is sourced from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, USDA, and community donations. Residents within the service area receive groceries once monthly; outside residents receive one bag of emergency food once yearly.
• Nu2u Resale Shop Thrift store selling donated clothing, furniture, housewares, and other items at 50-75% off retail. All proceeds support Together We Cope's programs, with 89 cents of every dollar spent going to client programs. Located at 17010 Oak Park Ave, Tinley Park.
• Client Services / Case Management Case management providing urgent assistance (shelter, fire/flood relief, medication, domestic violence support), financial aid (rent, mortgage, utility payments), and non-financial support (food, clothing, transportation, referrals) to families in temporary crisis within the service area.
• Shelter Assistance Emergency shelter assistance including help finding temporary housing, security deposit assistance, and referrals to shelter sites for families experiencing housing crises.
• Back to School Program Annual program providing pre-packed boxes of grade-level school supplies, ear buds, and masks for children in client families. Sponsored at $75 per child or $150 for two children.
• Santa's Workshop Annual Christmas program providing toys and pajamas to hundreds of area children from client families during the holiday season.
• General Fund Donations Unrestricted monetary donations supporting emergency needs including utility bills, missed rent/mortgage payments, and sudden medical costs for seniors. Available in preset amounts ($50, $100, $150, $250) or custom amounts.
• Everyday Food Donations Monetary donations specifically designated to purchase food for the Together We Cope food pantry to cover shortages of certain food items. Available in $20 increments or custom amounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 1,500+ families each month
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Greater Chicago Food DepositorycoreOthersPrimary food supplier for Together We Cope's food pantry. TWC purchases food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository and receives some food at no cost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Donations from the depository enable TWC to feed approximately 5,000 people each month.
• United WaymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnited Way logo appears on Together We Cope's website as a partner organization, indicating collaborative relationship in serving the community.
• Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHMIS (Homeless Management Information System) project partner. Alliance partners with many organizations in northeast Illinois providing homeless, health care, medical, and social services. Manages the HMIS database that TWC uses to coordinate services and track client information. Address: 4415 Harrison Street, Suite 228, Hillside, IL 60162.
• Veteran's Administration (Regional)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHMIS partner organization authorized to access client information in the HMIS system for administrative purposes related to providing and coordinating services to veterans and their families.
• Cook County Farm BureauminorOthersPartners with Together We Cope food pantry to support local farmers and food distribution efforts.
• International Housewares ShowminorOthersAnnual show at McCormick Place in Chicago. Vendors donate new items to TWC after the close of the show. TWC is one of four nonprofit agencies chosen to receive merchandise for resale or distribution.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: Large-scale Chicago-area nonprofit delivering food, housing, shelter, and emergency assistance across overlapping south suburban geographies. Directly comparable multi-service case-management model with similar donor-funded revenue structure.
• Hesed House: Aurora, IL-based homeless services nonprofit providing emergency shelter, food, and case management to families in crisis. Operates a similar integrated service model in the broader Chicagoland region with comparable volunteer-driven cost structure.
• CEDA (Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County): Cook County-wide anti-poverty agency administering utility assistance, weatherization, housing, and emergency relief programs. Overlapping service offerings, geographic footprint, and case-management approach in south suburban Cook County.
• Housing Forward (formerly DuPage PADS): DuPage County, IL nonprofit delivering shelter, housing, and case management to families experiencing homelessness. Comparable integrated housing-prevention model with HMIS data integration and volunteer-driven service delivery.
• St. Vincent de Paul of Chicago: Chicago-area social services nonprofit offering food, clothing, housing, and utility assistance through parish-based and direct-service programs. Closely aligned mission, donor-funded model, and household-crisis intervention focus.

Regional players

• Northern Illinois Food Bank: Regional food bank distributing to partner pantries across northern Illinois, comparable to TWC's Greater Chicago Food Depository supply relationship. Operates a parallel upstream-to-pantry model serving overlapping client populations.

Others

• United Way of Metropolitan Chicago: Regional funder and coordinating body for Chicago-area human-services nonprofits including TWC. Functions as both a partnership counterparty and a competitor for donor dollars and workplace-giving allocations.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army Metropolitan Chicago: National faith-based organization with broad food, shelter, rental, and utility assistance programming across Chicagoland. Operates a much wider portfolio (including retail thrift) and serves overlapping geographies with substantially larger scale and government contracting.
• Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois: Nonprofit operating a thrift-retail model similar to Nu2u Resale Shop, with proceeds funding workforce development and community programs. Directly comparable on the resale-shop economics, though broader in mission scope.
• Habitat for Humanity Chicago: Housing-focused nonprofit serving south suburban Cook County with homeownership and rehabilitation programs. Overlaps with TWC's housing-prevention mission but specializes in long-term housing stability rather than emergency assistance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TogetherWeCope
• Instagraminstagram.com/thrift_nu2u
• Xx.com/TogetherWeCope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/together-we-cope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Together We Cope