Spring is a time for renewal and possibility. On May 15th, the new City Council and Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson will be sworn in. I’m excited to work with Mayor-elect Johnson and get to work fighting for the policies that neighbors and residents have been clamoring for during this long election season. We have the chance to work together to build real, lasting communities of care within our city. There will be challenges and obstacles in the days ahead, but a better city – one that works for the many – is possible.

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In the March 24th newsletter, we stated that our office was moving to a new location on March 31st. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to move on that date. We are planning to move to a new location by the end of the month, and we will provide more details in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned to our social media and newsletter for updates.

In This Week’s Newsletter

Quick Links 

*Want more information on community opportunities and job postings? Check out our Community Bulletin!

*Block party applications are open! Read more under “Forms” on the Neighborhood Services page, and apply here!

Healing Village, April 15th

On April 15th Student Voice, our office and other partner organizations will be hosting our second Healing Village event. The goal of this event is to bring the community together to experience different therapeutic modalities and learn together how to calm ourselves down and regulate our nervous systems. We want to build community with our neighbors and support our students in these efforts to create a safer and healthier community. We will have opportunities to practice yoga, tai chi, art therapy, music therapy and so much more! We will have food and mental health screenings will be available to all! 

Neighborhood Cleanup, April 15th

Join Cleanup Club Chicago to clean up the trashtastic Diversey and California highway interchange! We’ll cover both underpasses, multiple ramps, and the green spaces in between. There will also be a round of LITTER BINGO with prizes sponsored by Block Bins Composting! The cleanup will go from 12 PM – 2 PM.

PLEASE NOTE: for safety and liability reasons, Cleanup Club Chicago does not allow any volunteers under the age of 8.

Meeting Location: For the cleanup, we will meet up at the big green space at the corner of California and Diversey. It’s right across from Popeye’s Chicken, which is the address attached to this event.

Supplies: We will provide grabbers, bags, and some protective gloves. We recommend that everyone please bring their own 5 gallon bucket, water, and gloves

Click here if you’re interested in volunteering!

CTA Shuttle Bus Service- Blue Line Trains

Due to construction happening at the Belmont crossover, the CTA Blue Line will offer a free shuttle service between the Addison stop and the Western stop. Shuttle buses are expected to depart from the stations every 4-15 minutes.

The dates construction will be happening is April 14th-17th, April 21st-24th, and April 28th- May 1st.

Street Resurfacing In or Near Our Ward

Diversey Ave , from Central Park Ave to California Ave

On April 3rd, construction was scheduled to begin for the removal and replacement of pavement. During construction, temporary No Parking signs will be posted during working hours. All work is scheduled to be completed by April 30th.

Montrose Ave, from California Ave to Western Ave

On April 3rd, construction was scheduled to begin for the removal and replacement of pavement. During construction, temporary No Parking signs will be posted during working hours. All work is scheduled to be completed by April 30th.

Lakeshore Drive, between the Lawrence Ave exit and the Irving Park Rd exit

On April 16th there will be construction to repave and make repairs to Lakeshore Drive. Construction will not affect the morning and afternoon rush periods. All work is expected to be completed by mid June. For additional information, click here.

Rain Barrels For Sale

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago is selling and distributing rain barrels to Cook County residents while supplies last.

Rain barrels are a type of green infrastructure that captures rainwater from your roof and save it for when you need it. By keeping this water out of the sewer system, rain barrels can also help prevent sewer overflows and flooding. You can use rain barrel water to wash your car, water your lawn, or clean work boots and tools. Rain barrel water is naturally free of chlorine, lime, and calcium and some gardeners swear their plants prefer it. However, since rain barrel water is runoff from your roof, do not drink it!

To purchase yours today click here.

Free Tax Prep for Income Eligible Families

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services is happy to announce that the City’s Tax Prep Chicago free income tax preparation and assistance program is back, offering expanded in-person, drop-off, and by-appointment services at 11 locations across Chicago. This program is more important than ever with opportunity to claim Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Please note all sites are first come, first served.

Eligible Chicagoans could receive up to $8,183 from the federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits, in addition to other credits. But many people may not claim all the credits they deserve without the help of knowledgeable preparers.

Families earning up to $60,000 and individuals earning up to $32,000 are eligible to take advantage of the free and confidential Tax Prep assistance at eleven sites across Chicago. Volunteer tax preparers certified through IRS-approved training will assist them with federal and state income tax returns. Most sites will be open between end of January and mid-April 2023. (Please refer to the attached flyers and links below for specific information on site locations and hours.)

For more information about how to access the free tax assistance program, Chicagoans can:

• Call the City’s 311 helpline
• Visit the City’s tax assistance website at www.TaxPrepChicago.org
• Call (312) 588-6900 if you have any questions
• Visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov and type “free tax help” in the search box or call (800) 829-1040.

Neighborhood Events

1. Irving Park Food Pantry Toiletry Drive, All Month Long

2. Lizard’s Liquid Lounge 15th Anniversary Celebration, April 15th

3. Mojo Pack Walk, April 15th

3. Irving Park Bar Crawl, April 20th

4. Bateman Earth Day Work Day, April 22nd

Youth Opportunities

1. Summer Job Opportunities with Chicago Parks District

The Chicago Parks District has opened applications for summer job opportunities, and they have over 2500 open positions. Click here for more information.

2. Summer Internship Opportunity with Representative Will Guzzardi’s Office

Representative Will Guzzardi’s office is accepting applications for a summer intern.

Community Outreach Internship, Summer 2023
Office Location: Rep. Guzzardi’s District Office, 3458 N. Cicero Ave. 
Dates of Internship: June 12 – August 19, 2023
Internship Hours & Pay: 15 hours/week compensated at $15.00 per hour
Bilingual and BIPOC candidates are encouraged to apply! 

Requirements

• Applicants must be a current High School senior
• Applicants must have US Citizenship 
• Preference given to applicants who live or attend high school in the 39th District (map here>>)

Applications are due April 14th and can be accessed via the links below:

English Application

Spanish Application

3. Align Your Inner Self Youth Program (16-24), Now through September 2023

Black Alphabet started as an organization founded to encourage story telling and educate communities about the cultural and social contributions Black LGBTQ+ identified people have made upon the world. Now the organization has transformed and they are focused on creating and spreading awareness on issues that have an impact on the Black LGBT+ community.

Their new program, Aligning Your Inner Self, for youth ages 16-24 is to help those who are looking to align their inner voice or conscience through the use of art. The program started in March and they will have monthly sessions through September 2023.

Click here to register for a session!

4. Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation (CLCF) Scholarship Opportunity, Application due May 5th

Are you a college-bound high school student from Chicago? Or are you currently in undergrad? The Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation (CLCF) is providing forty $5,000 scholarships to qualified students from across Chicago! Students can apply online via the Caucus’ website. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 5, 2023 at 11:59pm

5. CPS Families Child Tax Credit

Chicago Public Schools families may be eligible for up to $3,600 per child through the expanded federal Child Tax Credit program.

To find out if you’re eligible, and to apply for this credit, visit GetCTC.org/chicagops, a simplified tax filing tool that takes just a few minutes to complete and does not require any tax documents. Some families may also be eligible for an additional $1,400 stimulus payment. Families have until mid-November to claim this money. More information can be found on this flier.

Cash Assistance Available from City of Chicago Recovery Plan

On February 2, The Department of Family and Support Services announced a new round of applications for $500 direct cash payments through the Chicago Resiliency Fund 2.0. Chicago residents who make a living as domestic workers or who missed COVID stimulus due to immigration status, can now apply. More information, including application details, at chicash.org.

Health Legacy Program for Women, April 13th- May 25th

Health Legacy Program for Women is a free 6-week community-based health program designed for women of color offering weekly health education, nutrition counseling, exercise, and support group sessions for women. HLP staff meets with women twice a week to educate, motivate and support participants on their journey to better health.

The goal of Health Legacy program for women is to impact and create behavior change and thus improve family outcomes in the area of obesity and diabetes by focusing on the health literacy and the health behaviors of women as they are “health regulators” of their family unit; purchasing groceries and meal planning, making health appointments, and modeling health habits and behaviors for their families.

They are hosting this workshop online through Zoom. Registration for the workshop is required, so they can provide the technical support necessary to access the workshop. All workshop materials will be mailed to participants. Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 13th- May 25th ,3pm-5pm.

If interested in joining, women can call to register at (800) 757-0202

Credit Building Workshop, April 25th

Join North River Commission and Wintrust Bank for a FREE credit-building workshop. Join us on Tuesday, April 25 at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

In this workshop you will learn about:

• Current credit-building programs
• Best practices to improve your credit score
• Additional financial education

RSVP with Erika via email at erika@northrivercommission.org or via text at 872-257-8773. 

Business Resources

1. Hire Trans Now

Hire Trans Now is a Chicago non-profit program offering small businesses free training and consultancy to help make their hiring practices more welcoming and inclusive of trans & nonbinary job seekers. HTN aims to make trans-inclusion accessible and achievable for businesses by focusing on clear, actionable best practices. Complete this form for more information or contact Silas Leslie (jsleslie@chicagotherapycollective.org) with questions or to sign up.

2. Roosevelt High School Apprenticeship Program

North River Commission is seeking Albany Park businesses to work with our youth. We want to encourage our youth to gain a sense of responsibility while offering an opportunity for hands-on entrepreneurial experience!

If you are interested in mentoring high school students on how to be successful in your respective professional arena, please reach out to Megan Lacey, Youth & Family Organizer, at meganl@northrivercommission.org or 312-718-3819. 

3. Business Grant Applications

• The State of Illinois continues to provide grant funding to small businesses and non-profit organizations hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Back-to-Business Grant Program has opened for a new round of applications for arts organizations, hotels, and restaurants. To learn more about eligibility requirements and watch past webinars on how to apply, please visit their website. 
• The Kitty Fund makes micro-investments in Moms who are running employer-based small businesses with two or more employees. The award was created in honor of Morher’s Day and Founder’s First CEO Kim Folsom’s mother, Catherine “Kitty” Abrams Tadlock Webster, who passed away in March 2020. This 25,000 fund will make investments of $1,000 to 25 mother-led business owners in the form of grants. Applications open on March 21, but you can pre-register today!
• CTA Building Small Businesses Program is an immersive financial capacity-building program tailored for small business acceleration that provided programming focused on financial management, access to capital sourcing, technical assistance and back office support, and procurement connections. 
• The Small Business Growth Fund is presented by Hello Alice and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and will award small business owners between $5,000 and $25,000 in grants to help accelerate their growth. To be eligible, your business must:
  • Be a for-profit business located and registered in one of the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia
  • Have less than $1M in 2022 gross annual revenue
  • Have a clear plan for how the funds will help them achieve a significant growth milestone in 2023
  • Applications close on April 21, 2023, at 6 p.m. ET.
• Verizon Small Business Digital Ready: Learn new skills, build your network, and apply for a $10k grant.
  • For 2023, LISC and Verizon Small Business Digital Ready have committed $1 million in small business grants.
  • Applications close at 11:59 pm PT on Friday, May 12, 2023.
  • To unlock the application for the current round of grant funding, register on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, and complete any combination of two courses, coaching events, and community events.* View more here.

For more business grant information please, visit North River Commission’s website.

Employment Opportunities

1. Second Chance Program Hiring Event, April 8th

2. CTA hiring Event for Track Workers, April 13th

3. CPS Paraprofessional Job Fair, April 19th 

4. Job Openings at O’Hare & Swissport

• ORD-Cargo Ramp Agent  $18/hr. FT
• ORD GH -Ramp Services Agent $18/hr. PT
• ORD – Passenger Services Agent (Bi-lingual Spanish/English) $18+/hr. PT
• ORD – Fueling Agent  $20.75/hr. FT

All positions are full-time with full health benefits

5. CTA’s Find a Job Fridays

MPox (MonkeyPox) Resources

The MPox virus is spread through close contact with body fluids, sores, shared bedding or clothing, or respiratory droplets (kissing, coughing, sneezing, etc.).

Vaccinations for MPV are currently available in Chicago for adults 18 and up. Because of the limited availability of vaccines, you must meet the eligibility requirements outlined by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).

COVID-19 Resources

1. At-Home Vaccinations:

Get your whole family vaccinated at home! CDPH is offering vaccination appointments at home for up to 10 family members. Click here to set up your appointment!

2. Receive Your Updated COVID-19 Vaccine At Home!

3. Vaccinations

CPS Students: 

– Permanent sites
– Mobile Events
– School-Based Health Centers
–  Sign up for weekly COVID testing at CPS

33rd Ward Vaccination Events

1. Theodore Roosevelt High School

2. Swedish Hospital: Walk-In’s Welcome

* More information on City testing sites here!

Community Safety Updates

1. 17th District CAPS Meetings

The 17th District has resumed beat meetings in-person. 

Information about Beat Meetings here.

Please contact the 17th District Community Policing Office / CAPS, if there are any questions or concerns.

Email: caps.017district@chicagopolice.org

Telephone: 312-742-4588