As you may know, it’s time to create the city budget for 2023. Our mayor has proposed a budget for next year, and in the following weeks City Council will discuss and vote on the proposed budget.

Before City Council meets on this issue, we will host a virtual  Budget Townhall on November 1st with the 35th Ward Alderman, Carlos Ramirez, to hear neighbor feedback about the proposed budget. Please stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages for more information.

To watch previous city budget hearings, please click here. 

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Our office is accepting donations for the asylum seekers from Central America. Please review this list from the City of Chicago to see which items we are able to accept. Please note, we can only accept brand new items and will turn away used items per order of the City. We greatly appreciate all donations we have received thus far!

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Monday, October 10th is Indigenous People’s Day. Our office would like to uplift the history, the struggle, the resilience, the wisdom and resistance of First Nations. We continue to fight to make this day the official holiday in our city and have removed the Christopher Columbus statue in downtown Chicago. We will continue to fight until Indigenous People’s Day replaces Christopher Columbus day as an official holiday in Chicago.

Thank you to our Native neighbors who continue to bless and protect the land around us and show us how to be better stewards of spaces we occupy. We recognize we are not the original inhabitants of this land and honor those who are.

We will be closed on Monday, October 10th to observe Indigenous People’s Day and will reopen on Tuesday, October 11th.

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As a reminder, the November 8th general election is coming up in about one month. If you would like to vote by mail, follow this link. To check your polling location, please click here. If there are any other questions you have regarding voting day, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioner website is a great resource to utilize for more information.

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 “Form” on the Neighborhood Services page, and apply here! 

*Please consider donating to Jackson, Mississippi to help their residents gain access to clean drinking water as the water crisis still remains indefinite! 

These organizations are currently collecting funds to purchase and distribute clean drinking water: Mississippi’s Rapid Response Coalition, Cooperation Jackson, The Mississippi Food Network, and Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity.

Construction Notice for Addison St, Happening Now

IDOT recently began resurfacing Addison St and repairing the sidewalks to make them more accessible for everyone. This construction will cause lane lane closures and will prevent street parking from 8:30 am to 4:30pm. Please allow for additional time on commutes for potential traffic delays. For any questions, please email info@33rdward.org.

Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot, Applications Open Now

Cook County’s Promise Pilot is a $42 million funded program that will provide $500 monthly payments to 3,250 Cook County families for two years to improve the economic stability, health, and independence of our residents and communities. Participants are free to spend the money however they see fit to meet their needs, within the bounds of the law. 

The application will be open from October 6 to October 21. Applicants must provide an email address or a mobile phone number and will also be prompted to upload a government-issued photo ID or selfie (a picture of yourself that clearly shows your face). At a later date, applicants may be asked to provide documents that verify their identity, residence, and household income.

You are eligible to apply if:

• You are aged 18 or older;
• A resident of Cook County;
• Your household income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level or less; and
• Neither you nor anyone else in your household are receiving funds from another guaranteed income pilot. This includes the City of Chicago’s Resilient Communities pilot.

Cook County residents who are eligible can learn how to prepare their applications and sign up for updates.

Virtual Public Community Meeting, October 12th

A Virtual Public Community Meeting has been scheduled for the proposal located at 3219 N Elston St. The meeting will be held Wednesday, October 12 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Neighbors can register to attend this virtual meeting at this link and they can register a question or comment by clicking here.

Please contact our office with any further questions at 773.840.7880 or at info@33rdward.org. Background on the proposal can be found here. Community feedback for the proposal can be submitted here. 

Community Meeting with the Department of Water Management (DWM), October 18th

The Department of Water Management (DWM) is hosting a virtual community meeting on October 18th from 6 PM – 7 PM about the recent flooding in your neighborhood. This community meeting will provide information about flooding, the sewer systems, and answer questions about the flooding happening in your neighborhood. 

Click here to register for this event. 

Sage Brigade Meetup, October 20th

The Sage Brigade is having a meeting for seniors in the ward on October 20th at 2714 N Montrose on the second floor. No RSVP required

Community Wealth Building Initiative

As a part of the Chicago Recovery Plan, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has partnered with The Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice (OERJ), to design the Community Wealth Ecosystem Building (Community WEB) Program. The Community WEB program will allow the city to invest in the organizations that start, sustain, and scale CWB models.

The Community WEB program will fund an interconnected network of advisors to provide high-quality, specialized, and culturally-relevant technical services for free to eligible non-profit and for-profit start-ups and operating businesses, such as worker cooperatives, limited-equity housing cooperatives, community land trusts, and community investment vehicles.

The deadline to apply is Tuesday, November 1st. Click here for more information.

Neighborhood Events

1. Albany Park Lot Jams Concerts, October 8th

2. Irving Park Bar Crawl, October 13th

5. Queen of Angels Children’s Resale, October 15th

4. Self Defense & Awareness Seminar, October 29th

Youth Opportunities

1. 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.

2. Little Explorers, October 3rd – November 21st

The Kedzie Center is hosting another cycle of their parent-child play group called Little Explorers/Pequenos Exploradores for parents and young children (0-5) in our community. The program is bilingual and offered at no cost to community residents. Call them at (773)-754-0577 to reserve your spot. Masks and proof of vaccination required for adults. 

3. Department of Water Management (DWM) Art Contest, Entry Deadline October 7th

The Department of Water Management (DWM) is holding an art contest for their Imagine A Day Without Water campaign. They are looking for art entries from children in grades 3-12. 

Click here to learn more about the Imagine A Day Without Water campaign.  

4. ComEd High School Career Day, October 18th

ComEd is hosting a Career Day for high school students on Tuesday, October 18th from 9am- 2pm at the United Center. 

The career day will include a 45-minute session with a ComEd executive, learning about career paths within ComEd (Construction, Engineering, IT, HR, Finance, etc.), and other fun activities, such as touring fleet vehicles, watching drones in action, touring the United Center’s athlete locker rooms and the Michael Jordan statue, and take pictures in our photo booth.

In order to attend, please RSVP by September 30th. Lunch will be provided to all students.

5. Skating, Hockey and Figure Skating Workshops, Sundays from October 2nd- December 18th

Chicago Youth Foundation is a proud women-led initiative that brings the joy of ice sports to Chicago youth to improve their social and academic well-being and empowering them to find success through sportsmanship and teamwork. Below are the 3 FREE classes children can choose from.

Learn to Skate Workshop (for children that do not know how to skate)

• Students will learn the proper skating techniques needed to participate in our hockey or figure skating programs.
• Ice skates will be provided; Students must bring their own helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and warm gloves
• Students should wear layers; including long sleeve shirt, light jacket, sweatshirt, with leggings, sweatpants, or jeans.

Hockey on your Block (for children that already know how to skate and would like to learn how to play hockey)

• Students will learn the proper techniques of advanced skating, stickhandling, passing, shooting, and playmaking.
• Hockey skates will be provided
• Students must bring their own hockey equipment and stick

Figure Skating on Your Block (for children that already know how to skate and would like to learn figure skating)

• Provides a safe and fun environment with group skating instruction that follows the framework of United States Figure Skating (USFS) to serve the needs of both recreational and competitive skaters.
• Figure skates can be provided 
• Helmets are optional.

Class size is limited to only the first 40 students who register online. If your children would like to participate in our 2022 fall workshops click this link.

6. Treatment Not Trauma Youth Summit, October 15th

The #TreatmentNotTrauma team has been hard at work creating a youth summit focused on what mental health should look like in our city. The campaign to create a non-police mental health crisis response team and re-open the public mental health clinics (and defund the police!) is gaining momentum. You’re invited to join the team!

All that attend will receive free meals and art and a chance to participate in workshops and activities. There will also be a raffle for prizes, like gift cards, merch, t-shirts, and more.

RSVP for this event here.

McFetridge Sports Center Seeking Sponsors

McFetridge Sports Center is hosting a Trunk-n-Treat event at their facilities on Saturday, October 22^nd, 3-5pm. They will have 400 kids from the area participating in this event and are looking for sponsors for a trunk! 

Each trunk sponsor is responsible for decorating their own trunk space and providing a treat for each of the 400 kids in attendance. Beyond the trunk-n-treat, the kids will have the opportunity to make fun crafts, play carnival games, go to our Monster Mash Dance Party, and other fun activities.

Click here to become a sponsor.

Community Blood Drive, October 8th

Christ Lutheran Church will host their monthly community blood drive on Saturday, October 8, 9:30am-2:30pm. Each donation can save up to three lives!

Reserve your spot ahead of time at this link or walk in during the hours listed.

The entrance is on 4541 N Spaulding Ave. Call 800-7TO-GIVE or visit Versiti.org with any questions.

14th District Community Event, October 11th & October 25th

The 14th District is hosting a Community Conservation to create their 2023 Strategic Plan. There will be two meetings, one virtual and the other in person. 

Virtual Meeting 

Via Zoom on Tuesday, October 11th from 6 PM to 8 PM. 

Zoom Meeting ID: 837 7407 0978

Passcode:925948

Join via app or dial 312-626-6799  

In Person Meeting

Tuesday October 25th at 6 PM

Concord Music Hall 

2051 N Milwaukee

To register for either event, please visit chicagopolice.org/convo.

For more information or to receive special accommodations, please contact the 14th District Community Policing Office at 312-744-1261 or email them at caps.014district@chicagopolice.org

Latino Heritage Month Job Fair, October 15th

State Representative Delia Ramirez will be hosting the Latino Heritage Month Job Fair on October 15th from 10 AM to 1:30 PM at NEIU El Centro (3390 N Avondale Ave). Community Members will be able to attend job readiness programs, receive family resources, and hear about current job openings.  Please consider bringing your updated resume to this event. 

Open House Chicago, October 15th-16th

ComEd is proud to announce our sponsorship of Open House Chicago!

On October 15th and 16th, you can tour over 150 of Chicago’s breathtaking sacred spaces, repurposed mansions, innovative breweries, and inspiring art centers. This FREE festival offers behind-the-scenes access, allowing visitors to enter buildings around the city for rare and unusual experiences. ComEd’s Chicago North building will be included this year, opening its doors to the public to share our new and innovative interactive exhibits.

Click here for a full list of destinations and activities!

Credit Building Workshop, October 18th

Join the North River Commission in partnership with Wintrust Bank for a FREE Credit Building Workshop on Tuesday, October 18th at 6 p.m via Zoom. Learn about credit-building programs and best practices. This workshop will help guide you on your journey to build, improve, or REBUILD you credit so you can become a homeowner. 

To RSVP, contact Erika at erika@northrivercommission.org or text 872-257-8773.

Legal Contracts for Small Businesses Webinar, October 20th

Michelle Green brings us the third webinar from the “Business Formation” series, where you can learn everything about business contracts, how to write, read and negotiate, termination, penalty clauses, and much more!

RSVP by email to marisabel@northrivercommission.org or call/text 312-860-9294. 

Free IT Training Course, Applications due October 24th

Per Scholas is hosting an IT Support Course for FREE! The course is 12 weeks long and, like all Per Scholas courses, it includes tuition-free technical and professional development training in addition to direct connections to jobs at employer partners and robust learner and alumni support teams. 

Applications for this course are due Monday, October 24th and classes begin Monday, November 7th.

Click here to apply today.

Love Fridge

Love Fridge is a mutual aid network that sets up community-run fridges all across Chicago to provide access to free food and help fight food insecurity. The fridge provides free food to anyone on a take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can basis, stocked by us and awesome neighbors like ours! The Love Fridge is currently accepting donations, and they are looking for volunteers to support the maintenance and cleaning of the fridge. Click here to sign up as a Love Fridge Volunteer!

Friendship Center Food Pantry & Benefits Assistance

The Friendship Center fosters hope and dignity in Chicago’s northwest side communities through access to food and vital resources. The Friendship Center offers a food assistance at the following times: 

Food Pantry

• Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 12pm-4pm
• Tuesdays from 3pm- 7pm

Hot Meals To Go

• Thursdays from 6pm-8pm

Pet Food Pantry

• Third Saturday of every month from 9am-11am

In order to receive food pantry services, you must bring a valid ID and proof of address on your first visit.

Benefits Assistance

Interested in applying for SNAP, Medicaid, or Cash Assistance benefits? Have Questions about public benefits and other community resources?

The Friendship Center offers benefits assistance at the first two hours of food distribution: 

• Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 12pm-2pm
• Tuesdays: 3pm-5pm

Serve as a Poll Worker on November 8th

Chicago needs poll workers more than ever! Help defend democracy and apply today to work the November 8, 2022 General Election. Apply today to become an Election Judge or Election Coordinator! 

MeterSave Program with DWM

The Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) has announced that they are installing free water meters after approval by the City Council, which allowed for some additions to the program. The voluntary MeterSave Program, which has provided over 130,000 meters to
homeowners since 2009, has saved residents up to 50% on their water bills.

Those on the MeterSave waiting list will be prioritized when the program begins in September, but anyone interested in receiving a meter can join the list by registering at: www.MeterSave.org

The program in its current form will end in January of 2023 when the state law changes to require lead service line replacement as part of any meter installation.

Job Openings

1. Hibbard Elementary School

MonkeyPox Resources

The monkeypox virus is spread through close contact with body fluids, sores, shared bedding or clothing, or respiratory droplets (kissing, coughing, sneezing, etc.). This week, there were 14 documented cases in Chicago. 

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. You are now eligible for 8 MORE free at-home COVID rapid tests!

Residential households in the U.S. are now eligible for 8 free at-home tests on USPS.com.  

2. 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!

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

4. At-Home Vaccinations Incentive

Through August 30, any Chicagoan age 5 and up is now eligible to receive a $50 gift card for booster COVID vaccine doses (regardless of zip code) via the City’s At-Home vaccination program. 

Per CDC rules, this bonus is only being offered to individuals that have not received more than $100 in COVID vaccine incentives from the City. Incentives will be provided while supplies last.

Click here to schedule your appointment

5. 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