In this newsletter
26th Ward Office Updates • Community Events • Public Notices • Ways to get Involved • Job Opportunities • Resources.
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Dear Neighbors,
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the events of the past week, particularly our Safety Town Hall meeting and the incredible honor I received. The Northwest Side Public Safety Town Hall brought together over 150 community members from the 1st and 26th wards coming together to address the pressing issue of armed robberies in our neighborhoods. Alder LaSpata, Commissioner Quezada and I, alongside violence prevention organizations (ALSO, PRCC, Rincón, Life Impacters) and representatives from the 14th and 25th police districts were present to share our efforts and collaborative initiatives to enhance safety. The turnout demonstrated the commitment of our community to ensuring our streets are safe for all residents. Your engagement and questions showed that community voice is critical in shaping our collective response to this issue. We value the feedback we received and will continue to host meetings like this one to solicit your input and ideas.
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On a personal note, I am deeply honored to have received the Hilda Frontany Community Care Award on Friday. This recognition means a great deal to me, as it pays tribute to the remarkable legacy of a true community leader. Hilda Frontany dedicated her life to our families and young people, and receiving an award in her name reminds me of the responsibility I carry to work tirelessly every day to serve our community.
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Lastly, I had the privilege of honoring Juan Colón Sánchez, the founder of Cocineros Unidos de Humboldt Park (United Cooks of Humboldt Park). Mr. Colón Sánchez has been supporting our local food vendors since 1979, and his unwavering dedication to the cooks and to Humboldt Park is truly commendable. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to him for his continued commitment to our community.
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The events of this past week have reaffirmed the strength of our community and the importance of our collective voice. Your engagement, feedback, and support inspire me to work harder every day to represent our interests and serve our neighborhoods. Together, we can continue to make positive changes and build a safer and more vibrant community for all. As we move into City Council this Wednesday, know that I prioritize the safety and vitality of our constituents as I make both the challenging and the celebratory decisions.
Thank you for your trust and partnership.
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Your 26th Ward Alderperson,
Jessie Fuentes
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We're hosting our first Senior Wellness Fair next Friday, October 13th from 10am to 1pm. Please help us spread the word by sharing this with seniors in your family and network.
Hosted by 26th Ward Alderperson Jessie Fuentes, State Representative Lilian Jiménez, State Senator Omar Aquino, and Commissioner Quezada.
Questions? Contact us at info@the26thward.org or (773)-395-0143.
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Community Meeting at the NMPRAC
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The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture would like to invite you to a community meeting regarding the status of the Museum's Archives and Collections Project. Join us on this evening, October 3rd, at 5:30pm at 3015 W. Division Street.
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We are excited to announce the new 26th Ward Ambassadors program to build stronger connections with neighbors & spread the word about important resources. Join a community of neighbors ready to take action, attend educational workshops, and more. If you're interested in signing up, call our Ward Office at 773-395-0143 and ask for Juanita.
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The 26th Ward is partnering up with the USDA for our first ever fishing derby coming up at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie on Saturday, October 14. We will partner with Micah and Bus for Outdoor Access and Teaching (BOAT) to provide transportation to and from Midewin from Humboldt Park.
- Prizes will be handed out to the biggest and smallest fish in age groups for each wave,
- Hotdogs (and veggie dogs), chips, and water will be provided for those fishing, their families, and those working the event.
- We will have interpretive tables from many of our partners involved, as well as some local first responders.
- We will debut our new Smokey Bounce House!
The plan is to have the bus leave Humboldt Park at 9:00am with arrival at Midewin at approximately 10:30am. We would have the BOAT group in the second wave of fishing from 11:00am-1:00pm. Then give them time to eat and enjoy the interpretive areas with plans to depart Midewin at 2:30pm. Click here to register.
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Connect with the 26th Ward Office
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The 26th Ward Office will be closed on Friday, October 6th as staff will be attending an important hearing at City Hall. The Ward Office will also be closed on Monday October 9th in observation of Indigenous People’s Day. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, October 10th from 10am-5pm. Contact us with pressing concerns at info@the26thward.org.
The 26th ward office is currently located at 2511 W Division St. The office's regular hours of operation are as follows:
- Monday 1 pm - 7 pm*
- Tuesday 10 am - 5 pm
- Wednesday 1 pm - 5 pm
- Thursday 10 am - 5 pm
- Friday 9 am - 3 pm.
*Ward Night: Monday's 5 pm - 7 pm
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Ward nights are an opportunity to meet with Alderperson Fuentes to talk to her about any local or city issues. Ward nights take place every Monday from 5pm - 7pm. Ward night meetings will be by appointment only and on a first come, first served basis.
On Monday, October 30th we will be hosting a Ward Night Pop-up at Iglesia Emanuel from 5pm to 7pm.
If you’d like to meet with Alderperson Fuentes during ward night, please call or email the ward office at 773-395-0143 or info@the26thward.org.
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We are excited to inspire our young people to get involved in government and organize in the community. If you are a youth (12-24 years old) that resides in the 26th Ward and wants to have a say in how we spend infrastructure money and what type of policies I champion, please sign up for our youth council by applying at bit.ly/youth26. Join our next Youth Council Meeting on Thursday, October 19th from 4:30pm to 6pm.
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The 26th Ward community-based zoning process requires that anyone requesting a zoning change must first complete a zoning intake form. Once their intake form has been reviewed they will be invited to present their zoning request to the 26th Ward Zoning Advisory Committee and must answer additional questions posed by the committee. When applicable, the person requesting a zoning change may also be required to present their zoning request to the broader public during a community input meeting. For more information go to: the26thward.org/zoning.
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Casa Central’s annual Gala is coming up on Friday, November 3rd at the Adler Planetarium. This year's gala features a special Keynote Speaker, Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr., a former NASA astronaut and the first African American to walk in space! Dr. Harris will share the inspirational story of launching his career, founding a philanthropic organization, and empowering and inspiring others to reach their goals. For more information and tickets go to give.casacentral.org/outofthisworldgala.
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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by attending these Arte a Tu Mesa events at local restaurants every Saturday through September and October. These events will feature live music, great food, and handmade artwork. For more information contact Javier Vargas at 773-407-5441 or arteatumesa@outlook.com.
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Postponed — Humboldt Park “Stop the Violence” Car Show
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The Humboldt Park “Stop the Violence” Car Show on October 7th has been postponed. We will share when a future date has been set.
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Sign Up For Street Sweeping Reminders
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You have probably noticed that the city's street sweeping schedule has changed this year. Use "wethesweeple.com" to search for your Chicago street address and find out when your street will be swept next. Then, register for email alerts or subscribe to a calendar feed so that you get a reminder when the next sweep is coming up.
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Small Business Storefront Activations
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The 2023 Small Business Storefront Activations Program RFP is now live, with submissions due by October 13, 2023. If you are a chamber of commerce, SSA's, local organizations/delegate agencies or business service organization with commercial development organizations that you can advertise to.
Through this RFP, the City will identify community and economic development organizations that will be responsible for identifying vacant storefronts in commercial corridors, negotiating short-term leases with landlords, sourcing local small businesses for pop-up activations, managing preparation and operations for the space, and providing ongoing support to small businesses operating pop-up stores. These activations will strengthen and leverage the economic and social links between downtown and surrounding neighborhoods and will draw additional foot traffic to commercial corridors.
Those interested in learning more about this opportunity can register for this pre-submittal conference taking place on October 3, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. CST. The pre-submittal conference is optional but highly encouraged.
For information about the RFP and pre-submittal conference, please encourage people to visit Chicago.gov/BACPrecoveryplan. To view this RFP, interested organizations can visit the City’s eProcurement website and search by RFP #9649.
For more information, please contact BACP directly at: bacpeconomicrecovery@cityofchicago.org.
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Cook County Board of Appeals
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The Cook County Board of Review is now open for Pre-Filing for the two County Townships that encompass the 26th Ward: West Chicago and Jefferson Townships. You can visit the Cook County Board of Review's Appeals Portal at https://appeals.cookcountyboardofreview.com to enter an appeal. The Cook County Property Tax Portal is a valuable website to check Exemption Statuses and other property information.
Pre-Filing allows a property owner who feels that their property was overassessed to enter an appeal before the Township is in an "Open" status for the particular township with the Board of Review. When you pre-file, your appeal will automatically go into review by the Board of Review when your township goes into an "Open" status. If you need assistance filing an appeal, please contact my office at (773)-395-0143.
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Order Discounted Rain Barrels
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Rain barrels, a type of green infrastructure, capture rainwater from your roof and save for when you need it. By keeping this water out of the sewer system, it can help reduce sewer overflows and flooding. Rain barrels are now available for $21.50 for residents while supplies last. Residents 65 and over receive an additional discounted price of $10.75. Limit 2 discounted rain barrels per household. Order at mwrd.org.
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Small Business Improvement Fund Opening in Hermosa
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Hey Hermosa, the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) opens for applications in October in the Pulaski Corridor TIF district. The Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) provides grant funding for permanent building improvements and repairs across the city.
Program participants can receive grants to cover between 30 percent and 90 percent of the cost of remodeling work, with a maximum grant of $150,000 for commercial properties and $250,000 for industrial properties. The grant, which is administered by SomerCor on the City’s behalf, does not have to be repaid.
Apply at chicago.gov/sbif by Oct. 31, and register for an informational webinar at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4 bit.ly/oct23sbif.
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Flood Assistance from FEMA
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FEMA is now accepting disaster applications to provide relief for damages caused by the severe flooding events between June 29, 2023-July 2, 2023. Check out our fact sheet here for more information on the program and how to apply.
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Domestic Violence Awareness Event Hosted by the 25th Police District
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Humboldt Park Advisory Council Survey
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The Humboldt Park Advisory Council wants your help to understand what is important to you by completing this very short survey! Please contact info@humboltparkadvisorycouncil.org with any questions.
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26th Ward Secretary of State Pop-Up
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Humboldt Park's first Fair Game Network Night
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Urban Initiatives would like to invite you to Humboldt Park's first Fair Game Network Night led by Urban Initiatives on Thursday, October 5th at 4:00-5:30pm at the Kedvale Park Fieldhouse! The Sports Together Event was a kickoff to our work in Humboldt Park! The Fair Game Network will be hosting monthly meetings to bring together stakeholders, community members, and parents, who are passionate/interested in sport and play to create more opportunities for youth in Humboldt Park, address challenges to equitable access to sport and play, and build connective tissue among organizations, programs, and community members. Please RSVP here! Enjoy games, light dinner, and discussion on how sport and play can make a difference in Humboldt Park.
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Volunteer At Nourishing Hope
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Nourishing Hope is one of the largest, most respected and longest continually operating food pantries in Chicago. Join their passionate community of dedicated volunteers. Volunteers needed Monday through Wednesday, 9am - 4pm, to distribute groceries. Spanish speakers are incredibly helpful! Visit NourishingHopeChi.org/volunteer to register! Questions? Email lacasanorte@nourishinghopechi.org.
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Restore the Bathroom in Humboldt Park
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Casa Central Fall Career Fair
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Casa Central is hosting a career fair at 1335 N California Ave on October 12th from 10 am to 2pm. Interested job seekers will have the opportunity to meet wit hiring managers and interview for various opportunities, including Bilingual Caseworker roles, Spanish or English Home Care Aides, various administrative roles and much more!
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Vargas Group is hiring for workers at O'Hare Airport. Notably, they are willing to hire immigrants pending work permits. Starting pay $16.80 and they will get a raise on November 1, 2023. Learn more at wwww.vargasgroupinc.com.
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Career Opportunities working for the City and State
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New Program Connects Landlords and Vacant Apartments To Folks In Need
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Chicago Rents is a program that connects landlords to tenants through multiple housing subsidy programs, allowing property partners to receive guaranteed rent, fill vacant units, and access individualized support. Chicago Rents is a program that was created in response to COVID-19 to centralize property partner relationships across multiple housing programs. Through Chicago Rents, property partners are connected with Chicagoans in need of housing, filling unit vacancies and making a real difference in Chicago's neighborhoods. For additional information, please visit: allchicago.org/chicagorents.
If you are a landlord interested in joining the Chicago Rents program, you can click here to apply.
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The Build Your Financial House Conference
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Want to learn more about how to get to financial freedom? Attend a workshop facilitated by financial experts on October 7th from 10am-2pm at 1410 N. Springfield.
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If you know someone looking for reproductive justice resources in Chicago, they can go to this Department of Public Health resource page to use the City’s digital community resource directory. There is also a free talkline (1-888-493-0092) where operators are available to share information on various reproductive justice options.
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