Social distancing is understandably weighing on many. Join NAMI Chicago, local youth and myself to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting young people. We'll be live on my Facebook page, facebook.com/SenElgieSims17, on Thursday at 6 p.m.
The city of Chicago has established a COVID-19 Response Center as a way to take extra precaution to prevent the spread of coronavirus through a densely populated city-center. The website for the Response Center can be found by clicking here.
The city encourages fighting stigma and fear by understanding the facts about COVID-19 and taking the effective precautionary steps recommended by health professionals. Support people returning from COVID-19 quarantine and help reduce the spread of rumors by letting people know that viruses cannot target people from specific populations, ethnicities, or racial backgrounds. More information can be found here.
I have also been actively speaking with aldermen from around the district in an effort to facilitate cooperation at a state and local level to ensure our community has the resources it needs. You can find more information about your local ward by clicking the name of your alderman in the list below:
CPS is providing meals to families until schools reopen. The meal sites are open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are open to any CPS student. The meal site locations are subject to change, and we will keep you updated with the accurate and current information should that occur. Click here or refer to the graphic below to find your nearest meal site.
SPRINGFIELD—State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Senate passed a budget Sunday:
“This is a very deliberate and responsible fiscal plan to help the state of Illinois recover from the devastation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Funds from the CARES Act, a U.S. stimulus package, will help the state of Illinois provide more resources to the communities hardest hit during the pandemic, including $100 million in housing assistance and $636 million for various business interruption grants.
“We are also preserving core services, including $12.6 billion for P-12 education and an additional $1 billion to the state and local health departments.
“As a budgeteer, I saw firsthand how difficult it was to craft this budget during these unprecedented times, but I take pride in knowing that it will provide needed relief and address issues of inequity in marginalized communities throughout the state.”
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