Today, we celebrate one year in this aldermanic office and I am filled with gratitude to be where we are. By engaging the creativity and brilliance that exist in our community already, we have launched many initiatives that we are incredibly proud of. We came in with a clear objective to invite members of the community to have an active role in their own governance — to build partnerships and processes that help build our local democracy by turning power over to people.
Here are a few highlights from our eventful year:
- We activated our community’s network of allies and caring neighbors in the face of ICE raids. We organized “Know Your Rights” canvasses and ICE spotting brigades which turned out over 150 residents to support our undocumented neighbors.
- We stood alongside our public school teachers in the fall as they went on strike to fight for better schools for our children. Our teachers accomplished massive victories making CPS schools better for all working families.
- We launched the ward’s first Community Driven Zoning and Development (CDZD) process to ensure our community could have input on how we develop our communities and our working families can protect affordable housing.
- My team launched and supported the efforts of our community-led Participatory Budgeting (PB) process where neighbors developed proposals on how to spend $1 million of our annual infrastructure funds and over 800 residents submitted their votes on how the funds were to be allocated.
- We created a Community Safety and Wellness Working Group comprised of community members, in collaboration with local organizations, in order to develop a public health and community-based responses to violence.
- We organized mobile ward nights in our different neighborhoods to make sure our office services are accessible to all parts of our community.
Now, in the face of a pandemic, all of the things we have been fighting for have become even more important, and many of the tools we have used to fight for them have been taken from us. At the same time, our community and my team have been so resourceful and found creative ways to come together while maintaining social distance.
- We have partnered with and supported the incredible work of the three mutual aid networks serving residents of the 33rd ward and more.
- We have given away thousands of masks to 33rd Ward residents directly and through partnerships with community organizations.
- We have increased our communication with neighbors through paper newsletters and weekly Facebook live shows.
Thank you to the countless volunteers who helped accomplish all of these things. Thank you to the neighbors who engaged in conversations about how me and my team can better represent and support the 33rd Ward. Lastly, thank you to all of our neighbors who have shown deep care for our community and continue to partner with us to create the ward and city we dream of and deserve.
Happy one year in office from the first brown, Spanish-speaking Latina to hold this office and my incredible staff!