Available now
- A nationwide public-service directory
- Search by need, place, and service type
- Addresses and phone numbers copied from source records
- A way to report a listing that is wrong
About WhatWay
A clearer way to find the next place to turn.
WhatWay helps refugee, immigrant, and underserved families find clinics, classes, legal help, resettlement support, and shelter. You describe what you need; WhatWay returns real organizations and keeps their names, addresses, and phone numbers tied to source records.
Page reviewed 16 October 2026.
The hard part is not asking. It is knowing which answer to trust.
Useful service information is spread across agency sites, government datasets, PDFs, maps, and word of mouth. It is often written for people who already know how the system works. A changed phone number or a weak match can cost someone time, money, and confidence.
WhatWay starts with a directory rather than a blank chat box. Search helps interpret a request, but listing facts come from records. When there is no trustworthy match, the safer answer is to say that clearly and offer another route—not invent a place.
How an answer reaches you
One connected route keeps a useful suggestion tied to a real place.
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Public sources
Government and nonprofit records provide the starting facts.
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Quality screens
Build checks reject malformed records and flag duplicates or missing details.
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Grounded search
Your need and location rank records; the model does not create the list.
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A checkable answer
You get the recorded name, address, phone number, and source details.
What “checked” means here
Automated validation and source review improve the directory, but not every live listing has been called by our team. Hours, eligibility, costs, and availability can change. Always confirm them directly.
What is live—and what is still being built
We separate today’s service from tomorrow’s promise.
In development
- The conversational assistant on the public website
- A verified public WhatsApp channel
- Reviewed guidance across every supported language
- Broader community and subject-matter review
Built as public-interest research
WhatWay began as a Chicagoland refugee-resource research prototype created by Mowaffak Alraiyes with Eric Jia, MS, and David Liebovitz, MD. It is growing into a browser-first public directory and assistant.
The research asks whether grounded, plain-language search can make local services easier to navigate. The next evaluation focuses on usability, relevance, trust, and privacy. It has not yet established that WhatWay improves access or health outcomes.
- Mowaffak Alraiyes
- Creator and builder
- Eric Jia, MS
- Research collaborator
- David Liebovitz, MD
- Research collaborator
The limits belong on the page, too
WhatWay is a navigation aid, not the final authority.
- Listings change.Call before you travel, especially for hours, costs, language access, and intake rules.
- Coverage is uneven.Health care is much deeper than education, legal, resettlement, and shelter coverage.
- Translation needs review.The interface supports 28 languages, but machine-translated text may be inaccurate.
- No eligibility decisions.WhatWay does not decide whether you qualify for a service or benefit.
Help make the next answer better.
Tell us about a missing service or a listing that needs correction.