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Donate Blood and Save Lives on March 10
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Versiti has partnered with the Chicago Public Library to host a blood drive on Wednesday, March 10, from noon to 5 pm. Please make sure to eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating. A facemask and a photo ID are required to donate blood.
To sign up for an appointment, click here or call 800-7TO-GIVE.
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Honeybear Cafe Hosting Kids Art Supply Drive
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Honeybear Cafe has collaborated with artist Kristianna Jacques to launch a kids art supply donation drive. The supplies will go to kids living in the Rogers Park community to foster their creativity.
Honeybear Cafe has set up a contactless donation box in their entryway. Items can be dropped off between 8 am and 2 pm Wednesday through Monday. Any donation is appreciated.
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Commissioner Gainer's Annual Women's Toiletry Drive
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Commissioner Bridget Gainer is hosting her annual women's toiletry drive. Please consider donating travel-sized products of shampoo and conditioner, soap, shower gel, deodorant, and body location to a drop off location to help women that are currently incarcerated. For more information, call Commissioner Gainer's office at 312-603-4210 or email district10@cookcountyil.gov.
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Community Engagement Opportunities
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Celebrate & Honor Black Women in the HIV Movement
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The Positive Women's Network invites you to celebrate Black women and their tireless efforts in the HIV movement. The Positive Women's Network is a nationwide community of women living with HIV. Their mission is to prepare and involve all women living with HIV, in all our diversity, including gender identity and sexual expression, in all levels of policy and decision-making. For more information, visit pwn-usa.org/.
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Calling all homeowners! Share your yard for food growing! The Rogers Park Yard Sharing network helps connect gardeners to homeowners with unused yard space. They are currently seeking interested homeowners to share their yard and become a part of the Yard Sharing Network.
Interested homeowners can fill out this Google Form. You can learn more about this process and The Rogers Park Yard Sharing Network on our website. Please email yardsharingtoolkit@gmail.com with questions.
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CHA Community Alliance Affordable Housing Workshops
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The CHA Community Alliance is hosting a series of virtual workshops throughout the month of March. The workshops will focus on CHA family housing, senior housing, and waitlist management.
For more information, contact 773-245-4107 or email communityallianceprogram@lucha.org. To register for a workshop, visit bit.ly/LUCHAAffordableHousing.
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Community Makery Creating "4-H Real Talk" Video Series
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Community Makery is partnering with 4-H University of Illinois Extension to develop a "4-H Real Talk" video series as part of the ongoing Illinois 4-H DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiative.
They are searching for black & brown high school youth who want to share their voice about the impact of racism in their lives. If this project is of interest to you, please email Mimi at mimi@communitymakery.org.
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Planning Ahead Discussion March 16
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In partnership with Pride Action Tank, the Center for Disability & Elder Law is hosting a discussion titled "Planning Ahead: Securing your Future with Advance Directives and Estate Planning." The event will be held on Zoom on March 16 from 5:30-6:30 PM. While anyone is welcome to attend, LGBT elders and individuals living with disabilities can sign up for an appointment with a volunteer attorney to complete Powers of Attorney and a will intake.
For more information and to register, visit http://bit.ly/ProudtoThrive.
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Loyola Community Nursing Center Hosting Series
on Community Health and Nutrition
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The Loyola Community Nursing Center is hosting a virtual educational series on community health and nutrition throughout the months of February and March. Join a session to learn more about a variety of topics. To join a virtual session, visit luc.zoom.us/j/96131142188.
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Each week we've been updating this section with the rapid information coming down from all levels of government. This has resulted in a long email with the information running for several weeks. To shorten the length of the newsletter and provide the freshest content, we have archived all the COVID-19 newsletters on the 49th Ward website. You can also refer to the Rogers Park Community Response Team's website, where resources and information are abundantly available for our neighbors.
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Park District Announces Reopening of Lakefront
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The Chicago Park District announced this week that the lakefront, playgrounds, and indoor aquatics will be reopening over the new few weeks.
As snow removal and clean-up from recent storms continue along the lakefront, Chicago Park District crews will begin opening public access points to parkland east of Lake Shore Drive. Lakefront parks will be open during normal operating hours. Regulations on lakefront parking will also be lifted. Parking fees will be required and enforced. Masks are mandatory. Large gatherings are strictly prohibited and social distancing must be observed at all times.
During the upcoming weeks, the Chicago Park District will also unlock gates and prepare all 500+ outdoor playgrounds and nature play spaces to reopen, expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for children, ages 12 and under. Families and caregivers are urged to practice safety guidance, including wearing a mask, social distancing, and cleaning hands frequently. These high-traffic areas are not sanitized but can be enjoyed safely by following the guidance on the signage installed at each location.
During its Spring programming session, the Chicago Park District will reopen its indoor swimming pools to offer limited aquatics programming. Spring registration begins Monday, March 8th. Programs run from April 5th through June 13th. Spaces for each program will be limited to observe social distancing. The District will follow swimming pool guidance from the State of Illinois.
For more information, visit the Chicago Park District's website.
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Now Enrolling: Mary Crane Center
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Mary Crane Center at 1545 W. Morse is now enrolling children from 15 months to 5 years old. They offer Head Start, Pre-K, and Child Care Programs. Call them at 773-262-1390 to learn more!
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CPS Launches SQRP Revisioning Initiative
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Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced the launch of an effort to create a new system for measuring school quality. Key goals of the new SQRP go beyond traditional school ratings to include:
- Providing a more complete picture of school performance and progress: The advisory group will seek to better portray the various ways in which schools have improved and are serving the needs of their diverse student populations.
- Improving the district’s capacity to support schools: Effective accountability systems are tied to strong school support, and the new system should ensure that every school is effectively supported.
- Providing clear information to parents and the public: By better understanding what parents and other stakeholder groups want measured and reported, the new system should help each family choose the school that best meets their child’s unique needs and advocate for the support their school community needs.
- Evaluating and reporting on district effectiveness: The entire district must share responsibility for improvements in student outcomes, and the new accountability system will develop and report measures of district effectiveness that will enable conversations about district accountability.
CPS will hold targeted engagement sessions with existing stakeholder groups — such as Community Action Councils (CACs), Parent Advisory Councils (PACs) and Local School Councils (LSCs) — launching district-wide stakeholder meetings, issuing surveys, and holding stakeholder-specific focus groups and workshops.
CPS is also launching an advisory group that will develop and propose the new policy, which will be rooted in community feedback. The new policy will be presented to the Board of Education for consideration in spring 2022, with the first school ratings under the new system released in the fall of 2023 (for SY22-23). Advisory group members include parents, student representatives, teachers, principals, Board of Education members, and accountability experts from UChicago Consortium on School Research and UIC’s Center for Urban Education Leadership.
The advisory group will review materials, research proposals on system designs, ensure the incorporation of parent, educator, and other stakeholder feedback, and provide recommendations for how it believes the district should redesign its accountability system. Out of a commitment to openness and transparency in the district’s decision-making process, materials from these meetings will be available to the public via https://www.cps.edu/strategic-initiatives/accountability-redesign.
A full list of members can be found below:
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Earlier this month, the district began holding small-group conversations with key CPS stakeholder groups such as PACs, LSC members, and CACs. I
In March 2021, the district will hold four citywide town halls that will be simultaneously aired in Spanish. These small and large group discussions aim to create a baseline understanding of the history and purpose of school accountability while also collecting initial feedback from a broad set of stakeholders across the city.
Virtual Town Hall Dates:
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After initial feedback meetings, the district will engage in a set of deeper, more intensive engagement through stakeholder-specific focus groups, surveys, workshops and other research and data collection. The perspectives, input, and ideas generated through these discussions will be presented to the advisory group on a frequent, ongoing basis and ultimately reflected in the final proposed policy developed by the advisory group.
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Chicago Monuments Project
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Photo Credit: Block Club Chicago
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Monuments and memorials have become a focal point for conversation, protest and activism in the city of Chicago. In response, the City has created a committee to review the city’s collection of monuments and recommend solutions. The Chicago Monuments Project intends to grapple with the often unacknowledged – or forgotten – history associated with the City’s various municipal art collections and provides a vehicle to address the hard truths of Chicago’s racial history, confront the ways in which that history has and has not been memorialized and develop a framework for marking public space that elevates new ways to memorialize Chicago’s true and complete history. To learn more and share your thoughts, please visit www.ChicagoMonuments.org – and join the conversation on social media using #ChicagoMonuments.
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File Your Taxes with Tax Prep Chicago
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The City of Chicago will offer free, confidential tax help through mid-April in partnership with Ladder Up. Trained volunteer tax preparers can assist you in completing and electronically filing Federal and Illinois tax returns for Tax Year 2020 and, in some cases, for prior years. They'll also be able to help determine if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), and other tax credits!
The tax filing deadline is Thursday, April 15! For more information, visit www.taxprepchicago.org or call (312) 588-6900 to schedule an appointment and see if you qualify.
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Senior Sewer Rebate Program Update
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The Office of the City Clerk no longer functions as the intake office for receipt of eligible first-time applicants and renewals for the Senior Sewer Rebate program. Instead, the Department of Finance's Utility Billing and Customer Service Division processes the applications.
The yearly renewal form requires the claimant to provide a copy of their government-issued identification and a recent property tax bill for verification purposes. To simplify the application process, the Senior Rebate for multi-unit buildings and the Senior Exemption for single-family homes use the same application form and require the same documentation. The property type determines for which program the senior is eligible. Renewal letters have been mailed to those who received the rebate in 2020.
Current information and application forms can be accessed online at chicago.gov/utilitybill. When you're on the website, make sure to click utility charge exemptions and rebates. Those with questions about the program can email utilitybill@cityofchicago.org or call 312-744-4426.
Seniors can return their application and documentation in an email to utilitybill@cityofchicago.org or by mail to the following address:
Chicago Department of Finance
Utility Billing & Customer Service
P.O. Box 6330
Chicago, IL 60680-6330
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LIHEAP For All: Financial Assistance for All,
Regardless of Legal Status
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Low-income families in the state of Illinois can still apply for financial assistance to help pay for gas or electric bills through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) until June 30, 2021. However, the sooner you apply, the better.
CUB recommends that to avoid misinformation, the most reliable way to get details about LIHEAP benefits is to always use the State of Illinois’s website.
LIHEAP remains available up to 200% of the federal poverty level, and undocumented applicants are welcome. Currently, the LIHEAP system accepts an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in place of a Social Security number (SSN). Even if you don’t have an ITIN, you can still apply.
To apply for LIHEAP, fill out the pre-qualification application. Once you fill out your application, your local LIHEAP office will contact you.
For more information and to learn about other financial assistance programs, visit the state’s Help for Illinois Families website.
If you have any questions, please call the Citizen's Utility Board's consumer hotline at 1-800-669-5556. If you need help in Spanish, you can call 1-833-711-0374.
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Call or email the Rogers Park Community Response Team!
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The Rogers Park Community Response Team is an action-oriented group created in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. RPCRT was created by 49th Ward Alderwoman Maria Hadden in coordination with local service providers and community organizations. Partners include IL State Representative Kelly Cassidy, Protect RP, Northside Community Resources, Loyola Community Nursing Center, and hundreds of deeply committed community volunteers.
We are working together to support each other. We will do so, to the best of our combined ability care for all of our RP family, with fierce love and compassion. We want every Rogers Park resident to know that you are cared for and not alone.
Contact us at rpcrt49@gmail.com or call our Support Hotline at 773-831-7668. Volunteers are available to answer your questions and direct you to resources now.
Please also take a moment to look at the Rogers Park Community Response Team's robust website, rpcrt.org. This website acts as a centralized location where a variety of resources can live to help residents in the wake of COVID-19.
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Shuttered Venue Operators Grant
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The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.
Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO Grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.
For eligibility requirements, more information, and to apply, visit the SBA's website.
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COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans
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In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners, including agricultural businesses and nonprofit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories can apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to businesses currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
For eligibility requirements, more information, and to apply, visit the SBA's website.
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Payment Protection Program Application Now Open
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The Small Business Administration (SBA) opened another round of Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans this week. The latest PPP loans were included in the second federal relief package passed in late December 2020.
On Monday, businesses that did not receive a loan during the first round of the PPP became eligible to apply for a First Draw PPP Loan at participating Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). On Wednesday, certain businesses that have already received a PPP loan through the first round became eligible to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan through a participating CDFI. After these first two tiers, PPP will open for applications through all participating lenders, including traditional banks.
As a reminder, businesses apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans through a bank, credit union, CDFI, or other lenders. Initially, businesses will only be able to use CDFIs to receive loans in order to promote access to capital. For a list of Illinois CDFIs, click here. Please note that some CDFIs may not be participating in the program- please contact your preferred lender to determine if they are participating. The program will then open up to all participating lenders, including traditional banks, at a later date.
To learn more about the PPP, please visit these links:
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Rogers Park Business Alliance COVID-19 Resources
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The site maintains updated information on how we can support our small business community as well as resources for businesses in how they can adapt during this unique and challenging time. From their site:
Rogers Park Business Alliance is proud of the caring, work ethic, dedication and resiliency of our community. We firmly believe that, together, we will meet the challenge that we are all faced with today and going forward.
Out of an abundance of love and concern for the health of our community we are closing our offices. Based on recommended precautionary measures and public health guidelines, team RPBA will be working remotely until given the all clear. We are available via phone and email. We appreciate your patience at this time. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our office at (773) 508-5885 or info@rpba.org.
You can view our growing list of Rogers Park businesses that are open and/or receiving donations. You can also checkout the Chicagoland Dining at a Distance list.
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Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Scholarships
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Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority is awarding college scholarships to the class of 2021. These will be awarded to African or African-American high school seniors that have. a3.0 or higher GPA and have been accepted into a 4-year university. The deadline to apply is March 19. For more information and to apply, click here.
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Apply to be a Mikva Summer Fellow
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Mikva Challenge is seeking 17-20-year-olds for its Summer Fellows internship program. As a part of the Mikva Summer Fellows (MSF) program, you will be placed in a paid summer internship in the office of a city, county, state, or federal lawmaker. You will work 30 hours a week for 6 weeks between late June and early August, and be paid $15 per hour.
In addition to working in an elected official’s office, Mikva Summer Fellows will be part of a professional development cohort focused on developing work readiness skills including communication, collaboration, critical thinking, public speaking, and teamwork. Fellows will meet weekly with Mikva staff to create career goals, complete workforce readiness assessments, and track their progress in the program. Please submit your initial application HERE by April 10th.
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Stand Up For Each Other (SUFEO) Chicago is a group of law students at Loyola who provide free legal information and services to K-12 students in a variety of areas. With all the challenges of remote learning and uncertainty around school reopening, many families are concerned about their children's education. SUFEO is here to help.
Under attorney supervision, SUFEO offers support and representation to students experiencing:
- Inadequate special education services
- Bullying or harassment
- Suspension, expulsion, or other discipline
- Barriers related to COVID-19 and remote learning
Any parents/guardians who need help understanding their child's school rights should call the SUFEO hotline at 773-800-0338.
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CPS Pick-Up Meals Continue through Winter
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With the return of pre-K students to in-person learning, CPS will continue to offer free meals to the community. Any child under the age of 18 can receive a 3-day meal kit at over 450 CPS locations across the city. You do not have to be a CPS student to receive a meal. Families simply inform the cafeteria staff how many children are in their household and they will receive meals for each child.
The grab & go meal service is Monday through Friday from 8 am to 1 pm. To find a location, visit CPS's website or call (773) 553-KIDS.
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LUCHA Hiring Outreach & Engagement Specialist
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Organization Overview
Since 1982, LUCHA (Latin United Community Housing Association) an Illinois 501(c)(3) corporation has served thousands of moderate and low-income families with Affordable Housing Development, Emergency Housing Repair and Assistance, Home Buyer Counseling, Foreclosure Prevention and Legal Assistance. LUCHA owns and operates 198 units of affordable housing in the West Town, Humboldt Park and Logan Square Communities of Chicago.
Program Overview
The Community Alliance Initiative is a program conducted in collaboration with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) to work in targeted communities (Armour Square, Humboldt Park, Jefferson Park, Logan Square, and Rogers Park) with the goal of increasing the participation of Latinx, and other underrepresented groups taking advantage of CHA housing, business, and employment opportunities.
Job Role
- Conduct outreach to targeted households and local community organizations, agencies, institutions, and elected officials
- Schedule, promote, and hold workshops on CHA housing, business, and employment related programs.
- Conduct follow up services with interested workshop participants
- Enter and manage data regarding program participation
- Maintain ongoing relationships with local collaborating groups
- Support other LUCHA housing related initiatives when called upon
Educational Requirements
Required: Undergraduate degree (BA/BS).
Other Qualifications/Requirements
- Bilingual (not limited to Spanish/English) highly desired.
- Familiarity with client management systems
- Experience with MS Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.).
- Must be effective public speaker
- Social service, educational, or community organizing experience working in diverse lower income communities
- Must be able to work in client centered manner and be able to identify and respond to specific client needs
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
- Willing to work flexible hours.
- Owning a car with a valid driver’s license a plus.
- Ability to represent LUCHA in a positive and professional manner at all times.
- Residents of the target communities are encouraged to apply.
Contact: Maria Galarza, 773-276-5338 ext.#239 or mgalarza@lucha.org
LUCHA is 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and an equal opportunity employer. To learn more about LUCHA, please visit www.lucha.org.
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City of Chicago Hiring:
Asphalt & Concrete Construction Positions
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The City of Chicago is looking to fill positions for asphalt and concrete jobs. The city offers competitive compensation as well as benefits, including a pension and healthcare. For more information and to apply, visit the City of Chicago's careers page.
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Find a Career with S&C Electric Company
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S&C Electric in Rogers Park is hiring several key positions to join their team. S&C Electric is a 100% employee-owned team seeking several team members in the Rogers Park community to keep the lights on across the globe.
To learn more and apply, visit ww.sandc.com/careers.
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Doctors Test Centers (DTC) Job Opportunities
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The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) has long been an economic engine for the City and region at large. They recently announced that they will begin offering the most comprehensive COVID-19 testing of any airport in the country at O’Hare and Midway International Airports.
The program will require a workforce to fill the more than 100 available positions. Doctors Test Centers (DTC) has been selected as the vendor to assist the CDA with the endeavor. They have a variety of employment opportunities open and are seeking applicants. For more information, visit DTC's website here.
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