Earlier this week at the first meeting of the new City Council, I was elected as the the new Chair of the city’s Health and Human Relations Committee. This committee is particularly close to my heart because all the work I’ve been doing alongside community to have robust mental health and community care structures to serve everyone. I’m looking forward to using this powerful platform to hear and pass critical legislation on issues such as mental healthcare, bodily autonomy and gender affirming care, public bathrooms, and truly building a city that is a sanctuary for all.  I will also beContinue

Dear 33rd Ward neighbors,  In the midst of the asylum seekers' arrival, our community has rallied again to support these new arrivals. Please read Mina Bloom and Alex Hernandez’s piece in Block Club Chicago earlier this week on our collective efforts to truly build communities of care. It’s beautiful, inspiring, and empowering to see this work happening throughout the 33rd Ward. During the darkest days of the pandemic, our community rallied together by building mutual aid efforts to secure and deliver masks to neighbors, support the unhoused, and those who couldn’t access food and much needed supplies. Re-engaging and reactivatingContinue

Dear 33rd Ward community, As you may know, there has been an influx of asylum seekers into the city over the last few weeks. Many new arrivals, including pregnant mothers and young children, have been sleeping at police stations – going for days without showers and basic necessities. Across the city, mutual aid networks, individual volunteers, churches, and elected officials to name just a few have rallied together to support and respond to those arriving in this crisis. In the last few days, some of the newly arrived families in our ward have moved to Brands Park.   Together, we’re workingContinue

As some of you may be aware, beginning last year, the Governor of Texas began sending buses with asylum seekers from various parts of Latin America to Chicago. Many of you brought donations and supplies to my Aldermanic office which was vital for assisting the earliest arriving asylum seekers in our city.  In the past month, there’s been another increase in the number of people arriving – so many that individuals have been sleeping at police stations throughout the city without proper access to basic hygiene facilities, medication, and even food. So far, I’ve seen lactating mothers not being ableContinue

I want to wish you a happy International Workers Day. May 1st, also known as May Day, commemorates the struggles and gains made by workers and the labor rights movements around the world. This holiday, which originated in Chicago during the fight for the eight hour work day, is now celebrated by millions of people around the world. Tomorrow, Saturday at 1pm in Union Park (1501 W Randolph St), there will be a May Day rally and march. This annual event brings together a diverse group of working people and organizations committed to continuing the fight for social justice for all. Continue

This Saturday is Earth Day and I’m looking forward to celebrating our bright blue, life sustaining planet in a number of different ways. We’ll be kicking off our first Clean and Green events of the year. One will be at Bateman Elementary (4220 N Richmond) and another will be at the Concordia Place Annex (3300 N Whipple). The Concordia Place Annex event is a collaboration with the Avondale Gardening Alliance, the Friends of Von Linne and the Von Linne Green Team, and Concordia Place. Both events run from 9 am to 12 noon.  Read on to learn more about requestingContinue

Dear community, For the last five years, there has been a homeless encampment located at the California and Diversey underpass beneath the Kennedy Expressway. A major Kennedy Expressway construction project is underway and will continue for the next few years. Because of this construction work, it was necessary to clear the encampment for the residents’ safety and well-being. We have been in conversation with the state and the city to advocate for a permanent solution to house unhoused residents impacted by the Kennedy Expressway construction. Residents of the encampment will be temporarily placed in hotels while the process to getContinue

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. **** In the March 24th newsletter, we statedContinue

There are 3 days left of Early Voting before voting day on April 4th! There is still time to cast your vote at any early voting location. The 33rd Ward Early Voting location is the American Indian Center (3401 W Ainslie St). Early voting hours are as follows: Monday-Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM, Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM. On election day, April 4th, voting hours will be from 6 AM to 7 PM. Click here to check your polling location.  The deadline to request a Vote by Mail ballotContinue

For the last two years our office has been collaborating with Roosevelt High School’s Restorative Justice program to create a culture of care, non-violent communication and collaboration. This work is being done alongside the RHS incredible staff and students who have taken an active role in this important work. 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 toContinue