By William S. Bike
Editor’s note: At press time, future events listed in Around the Neighborhood still were scheduled, but changes are happening on a daily basis due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Check websites or call before going out in case events have been postponed or canceled.
ART INSTITUTE NEWS
The Art Institute of Chicago is scheduled to present the exhibition Monet and Chicago during the summer through Monday, Sept. 7, at 111 S. Michigan Ave. Log on to www.artic.edu.
ANTI-RACISM RESOURCES
Local resident Richard Alvarez has created an anti-racism resources website at https://antiracism-resources.com.
BENTON HOUSE INFO
At Benton House,3052 S. Gratten Ave., find out about public benefits such as supplemental nutrition assistance and citizenship application help. Call (773) 927-6420 or email [email protected].
BOULEVARD NEWS
The Boulevard of Chicago at 3456 W. Franklin Blvd. provides medical respite care and housing services for homeless adults discharged from area hospitals. Call (773) 533-6013 or log on to www.blvd.org.
BUCKNER RESOURCES
Residents who want to share their thoughts or require assistance on coronavirus or any issue in the community can reach the office of State Rep Kam Buckner (D-26th) at (773) 924-1755 or by email at [email protected]
NURSE CONSORTIUM NEWS
The Chicago Bilingual Nurse Consortium helps foreign-educated nurses attain licensure in Illinois.
National Council Licensure Examination predictor tests are available to demonstrate probability of passing the nursing exam.
The organization’s website at www.chicagobilingualnurse.org also lists jobs available for nurses. For more information, call (773) 838-1870.
CCT NEWS
Check out Chicago Children’s Theatre,100 S. Racine Ave., any evening from 7 to 11 p.m. to see a larger-than-life, multi-color, bright new window installation that changes the colors of the rainbow around the life-affirming message “Everything will be okay.” Chicago Children’s Theatre staff and artists created, programmed, and installed the window display using paper, stencils, and LED lights pulled from the theater’s existing production stock. See a related music video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0JBp0LtbNM.
CCT also offers virtual theatre and learning for youngsters ages two through 13.
For information, call (773) 227-0180 or log on to chicagochildrenstheatre.org.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services reports that Community Services Block Grant Scholarships are available for those enrolled or planning to enroll in college or vocational training. Contact Jenny Schuler at [email protected] or (312) 746-7291.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE
City of Chicago emergency rental assistance is available for people suffering financial hardship. Call 311 or use a search engine to find City of Chicago Family & Support Services online.
LABOR LAW SEMINARS
The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection is offering webinars on topics such as minimum wage, fair workweek, and paid sick leave on every Tuesday and Thursday in June at 2 p.m. Log on to www.chicago.gov/laborstandards.
GET ORGANIZED
Community Organizing and Family Issues, 2245 S. Michigan Ave., (312) 226-5141, organizes and trains parents to win improvements in schools and communities and in how to create organizations and programs. See cofionline.org.
CMI RESOURCES
The Crisis Management Institute (CMI) works with schools and parents after a tragedy, such as a shooting or national event like the Sept. 11, 2001. To deal with issues related to coronavirus, the CMI launched several websites. One has resources for school counselors, counselors.cmionline.com; a second is for parents, parents.cmionline.com; and a third serves children and their parents, resources-for-kids-during-covid19. Parents can access several children’s books by Marla Koch to help children deal with quarantine by using the resources tab of the parents’ website. For more information, log on to www.cmionline.org or call (503) 585-3484.
DE LA SALLE NEWS
Twenty young women and men from the De La Salle Institute Class of 2020 have chosen where they will further their educations next year while participating in intercollegiate athletics. Hockey: Gabe Galvez (Robert Morris University); softball: Erianna Claudio (Triton College), Kamryn Gonzalez (La Sierra University), and Alyssa Luna (St. Thomas University–Florida); baseball: Matthew Boehm (Lewis University), Jeremy Figueroa (Heartland Community College), Ben Hernandez (University of Illinois at Chicago), Isaiah Hernandez (Inspiration Academy), Lee Hodges (Morton College), and William LePretre (Millikin University); football and baseball: Michael Passarelli (Illinois Wesleyan University); football: Matthew Byrnes (Iowa Western Community College), Jamari Johnson (Eastern Illinois University), Taron Dabney (University of Indianapolis), and Devonne Phams (Concordia University–Wisconsin); football and wrestling: David Ortiz (Elmhurst College); girls volleyball: Nina Penny (Indiana Tech) and Nyiah Penny (Indiana Tech); boys soccer: Cristian Granados (Lewis University) and Manny Rodriguez (Saint Xavier University).
De La Salle has chosen Francesca Castagna as the new head coach for the Meteors varsity girls’ softball program. She has been an assistant softball coach the last two seasons.
De La Salle is located at 3434 S. Michigan Ave. Call (312) 842-7355.
LEGAL AID SCHOLAR
First Defense Legal Aid intern Charles Jones III has earned a summer 2020 Mansfield Scholarship at Roosevelt University.
Located at 5100 W. Harrison St., the organization provides representation to people in custody, informs people of their rights, and organizes volunteers to help.
For more information, call (800) 529-7374.
GLESSNER NEWS
Glessner House has opened a courtyard that allows pedestrians to look through the windows into its schoolroom, main hall, parlor, and kitchen. The courtyard is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
After the State and City lift stay-at-home directives, explore architecture, history, and design at Glessner House. Tours will be offered Wednesday through Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. In the meantime, take a virtual tour or, for information, visit GlessnerHouse.org.
The house is located at 1800 S. Prairie Ave. Call (312) 226-1480.
GBMA HELP
Greater Bridgeport Mutual Aid, a network of more than 150 volunteers, has organized to provide free grocery delivery, direct people to resources and information through a telephone hotline, provide digital enrichment for students during remote learning, and do neighbor support check-ins. The network serves the Bridgeport, Chinatown, Armour Square, and Canaryville neighborhoods. Services are available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Request services on the group’s website at www.gbmachicago.org or by calling or texting the group’s hotline at (312) 818-1393. Donations are welcome by emailing GBMA through the organization’s website.
GWTP JOB TRAINING
Greater West Town Partnership, 500 N. Sacramento Blvd.,offers job placement and training programs in wood products manufacturing and shipping and receiving. Call (312) 563-9570.
HOLY FAMILY-NOTRE DAME NEWS
While Masses are suspended due to coronavirus through the Easter season, Holy Family-Notre Dame Parish will offer Sunday Masses on the parish Facebook page at 10 a.m. Office hours are suspended. Email [email protected] for more information.
HR HOTSEAT
HRHotSeat Chicago is a free monthly online meetup of more than 1,600 human resources practitioners, service providers, students, and Chicago-area professionals in job transition who come together to expand networks and solve problems. Visit www.HRHotSeat.com or email [email protected] for a calendar of upcoming events.
GIVE BLOOD
The Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers encourages people to give blood. Contact Vitalant at www.vitalant.org or (877) 258-4835 to schedule a donation time. For more information, log on to www.illlinoisbloodcenters.com.
BYRNE DETOURS
As part of the Jane Byrne Interchange reconstruction, the Illinois Department of Transportation on June 1 closed the ramp connecting the inbound Eisenhower Expressway with the outbound Kennedy Expressway. The ramp will remain closed for four months. A detour sends drivers down the Dan Ryan Expressway to Taylor Street and then back on to the Kennedy. Taylor Street is closed to street traffic between Union Avenue and Ruble Street, although pedestrians and bicyclists still may use it. IDOT also closed the inbound Dan Ryan ramp from Roosevelt Road, detouring motorists down Halsted Street to Adams Street.
LOW-COST INTERNET
Internet Essentials makes it possible for people receiving public assistance to qualify for low-cost internet service. Log on to internetessentials.com.
LADIES OF VIRTUE
Ladies of Virtue, 1245 S. Michigan Ave., (877) 565-7121, provides mentoring and leadership and empowering experiences, including help with school applications, for girls ages nine through 18 from underserved communities. Log on to lovchicago.org.
LATINO UNION
Latino Union of Chicago collaborates with low-income workers to improve their social and economic conditions through employment opportunities. Log on to latinounion.org or call (312) 491-9044. For those looking to hire workers, call (773) 588-2641.
RENTERS’ SERVICES
The Lawyers Committee for Better Housing provides eligible renters with supportive services and free legal aid. The LCBH also offers Rennie the Chatbot at rentervention.com to help with people’s housing problems. The LCBH is located at 33 N. LaSalle St. Call (312) 347-7600 or log on to www.lcbh.org.
MEALS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
Third District Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry has been dropping off meals provided by local restaurants to first responders during the coronavirus crisis. The Third District Support Fund has raised more than $5,800 to provide meals for first responders. Make a donation at www.CommissionerLowry.com/SupportFund or call (312) 603-6391.
MERCY NEWS
Mercy Home for Boys & Girls seeks adults to be mentors for youngsters. Learn more at MercyHome.org/ChicagoGazette.
Call (312) 738-7560 or log on to www.mercyhome.org.
MERIT ONLINE CLASSES
Merit School of Music has reworked its summer offerings to allow students to experience Merit’s camps, classes, electives, and workshops while staying safe and healthy at home through online camps and classes. Merit’s summer lineup offers a wide variety including sound engineering, songwriting, voice camp, and intro to piano classes. In addition to offering financial aid to qualifying families, Merit has raised money for a COVID relief discount for families whose finances are affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Browse classes and register at www.meritmusic.org/summer.
EMPOWERING LATINAS
Mujeres Latinas en Accion empowers Latinas through service and advocacy. Their domestic violence crisis hotline is (312) 738-5358 and their rape crisis hotline is (888) 293-2080. Mujeres is located at 2124 W. 21st Pl. Call (773) 890-7676.
IMMIGRANT JUSTICE
The National Immigrant Justice Center, 224 S. Michigan Ave., provides comprehensive legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. It will continue to do intakes over the phone during the coronavirus crisis. Call (312) 660-1370 or log on to www.immigrantjustice.org.
PAPPAS IMPROVES WEBSITE
Taxpayers seeking property tax refunds have new tools on cookcountytreasurer.com enabling them to file electronically instead of downloading a form and mailing it in, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said. Eliminating paper applications will reduce the time it takes the office to issue refunds due to overpayments, she added.
GAS WORK
People’s Gas is replacing a gas main at West 31st and South Halsted Streets through Monday, July 6. The company expects no interruption in service.
INTERNET COURSES
Public Narrative,600 S. Michigan Ave., offers courses in various locations on topics including social media, communication plans, podcasting, search engine optimization, and analytics. Call (312) 369-6400.
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE
Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Crime Victims Services Bureau helps those dealing with the effects of crime. Call (800) 228-3368.
SAINT IGNATIUS NEWS
Saint Ignatius College Prep’s 34th Annual Golf Classic is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, at Cog Hill, featuring golf, food, and prizes. Proceeds will go to the school’s Tuition Assistance Program. Call (312) 432-8403 or email [email protected].
The school is located at 1076 W. Roosevelt Rd.
CONTACT ROBINSON
State Representative Lamont J. Robinson (D-5th) wants to hear what residents think are the most important issues in the community. Contact him at (773) 924-4614 or at his office at 5048 S. Indiana Ave.
SHRINE NEWS
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii is posting a novena daily during the coronavirus pandemic at www.ourladyofpompeii.org/special-covid-19-novena/.
Rev. Richard N. Fragomeni, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, will lead a virtual retreat, Connecting Our Hearts in this Time of Distancing, on Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to noon. Check in online at 8:45 a.m.
The shrine is at 1224 W. Lexington St. Call (312) 421-3757 or log on to www.ourladyofpompeii.org.
SHURE HELPS CPS
As students and teachers continue transitioning to online learning, having the right tools to learn from home can be a challenge. To help, Shure, an audio equipment company, donated $79,000 worth of earphones to Chicago Public Schools. The earphones are compatible with mobile phones and laptops to enable more focused learning for students and teachers who may encounter distracting noise or difficulties in hearing online lessons at home. For more information, see www.shure.com.
FARMERS MARKET ONLINE
The South Loop Farmers Market online marketplace will open for new orders of produce, meat, eggs, bread, baked goods, specialty foods, plants, beer, and other products every Friday at 9 a.m. Vendors will pack your order and have it ready for pickup on the following Thursday between 2 and 6 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, 1936 S. Michigan Ave. Pickup fee is $10. During pickup, customers will come to the parking lot of Second Presbyterian Church and form a line outside the church’s back door. Customers must wear a mask and follow all social distancing and safety precautions. The market also will deliver to select buildings. Sign up at www.southloopfarmersmarket.com/slfm-direct.
SOUTH LOOP NEIGHBORS NEWS
The South Loop Neighbors chose These Extraordinary Times for this year’s photo contest theme and recommends interested participants start taking photos now. All contest entries must focus on the South Loop; SLN will provide more information later. If SLH cannot hold the photo contest in conjunction with the Printer’s Row Art Fest, it will conduct it online.
Enjoy a South Loop Sing Along every night at 8:30 p.m. Check out Hello South Loop on Facebook to find out the nightly song selection.
For information, log onto www.southloopneighbors.org.
STEVENS HONORED
Congratulations to Gazette Chicago reporterSusan S. Stevens, who received one of the inaugural Chicago Headline Club Service Awards for her decades of dedication and service to the club. According to the CHC, Chicago’s premier journalism organization, “Sue is the backbone of the Chicago Headline Club. In addition to serving as the club’s longtime secretary, she has been our institutional memory and the voice of reason during times of transition…a journalism pioneer who joined the Headline Club in 1969—the first year women were officially welcomed to join.”
CORONAVIRUS TESTING SITES
New testing sites for coronavirus (COVID-19) include Saucedo Elementary Academy, 2850 W. 24th Blvd.; Kennedy King College, 6301 S. Halsted St.; Senka Park, 5656 S. St. Louis Ave.; Gately Park, 844 E. 103rd St.; and, for first responders and health care workers only, Guaranteed Rate Field, 333 W. 35thSt.
TRAUMA HELPLINE
The toll-free TURN Trauma Counseling Helpline,(833) TURN123, operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. TURN stands for The Urban Resilience Network, and the helpline assists those experiencing trauma caused by exposure to violence. The organization also provides trained ambassadors to visit community events and schools to educate about trauma.
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
If your business has experienced substantial economic injury due to the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Small Business Association is authorized to issue assistance through a small business economic injury disaster loan program. This program can provide low interest loans of up to $2 million to businesses and private non-profits. See https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
SUMMERLAB
The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools will host Summer Lab, Monday, June 22, through Friday, July 31, featuring a day camp, theatre training, summer school, sports, dance, and recreation. Log on to SummerLab.org.
UIC INFORMATION
Two education-related researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago received nearly $1 million combined in grants from the Spencer Foundation in support of their work. The foundation presented the awards to Decoteau Irby, associate professor of educational policy studies, for his project exploring school district-level equity leadership and impact and to Amanda Roy, assistant professor of psychology, to support her investigation concerning education and work decisions among low-income, ethnic minority youth.
BLOOD NEEDED
Vitalant, the Chicago area’s largest blood center, is facing an emergency need for blood and platelets. To donate, visit vitalant.org or call (877) 258-4825.
HIV+ WOMEN
The Women’s Treatment Center offers free assistance with online applications for enrollment into the Illinois Ryan White Part B Program for HIV+ women. Call (312) 850-0050, x4994. The center is at 140 N. Ashland Ave. Log on to www.womenstreatmentcenter.org.
MUSEUM CAMPUS TOUR
Historian Richie Zie has posted a 20-minute tour of the Museum Campus on his website www.richiezie.com. Click on video, and then on Chicago history. In the last three months, Zie has posted 17 shows on the website.
Send news of events held “around the neighborhood” by the 15th of the month before the month they are to occur to William S. Bike, Around the Neighborhood, Gazette Chicago, 1335 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607-3318, fax (312) 243-4270, or email [email protected].
SEND INFO FOR ATN
Local schools, churches, and institutions are welcome and encouraged to send information to Gazette Chicago for inclusion in the Around the Neighborhood section free of charge. News of upcoming events; student, faculty, staff, and parishioner accomplishments; and photos of events that have occurred are welcome. Please send information to [email protected] in the month preceding the event—for example, news promoting July events should be sent to Gazette Chicago in June. The next deadline is Wednesday, June 17, for the July 3 issue.