Villivalam believes mass transit must take proper safety precautions

CHICAGO — Acting in his capacity as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) sent a letter to all mass transit agencies in Illinois to inquire about the steps they are taking to protect both their passengers and employees.

“Public transit is essential to people’s lives and livelihoods,” Villivalam said. “Its continued availability is crucial to reviving our state’s economy, but without proper safety precautions, our buses and trains could also help spread COVID-19.”

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Jones announces career development programs for South Side youth

CHICAGO — In an effort to provide at-risk youth with an opportunity to develop new skill sets, State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) announced the expansion of the Illinois Department of Human Services’ COVID-19 Summer Youth Employment Program, which creates additional employment opportunities for underserved youth in the South Side of Chicago.

“Early work experience allows teens to learn what their passions are and explore future career paths,” Jones said. “The program will help them learn work and professional skills, like time management and creating a resume, that will help shape them for years to come.”

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Van Pelt sponsors mobile testing on the West Side

CHICAGO — State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) hosted mobile COVID-19 testing for more than a hundred adults on the city’s West Side last week in a collaboration with Howard Brown Health, West Garfield Community Park Stakeholders, and Fathers Who Care.

“The older adults in my community are still struggling,” Van Pelt said. “The pandemic is still out there, and they still didn’t have access to necessary resources to stay alive. We wanted to do whatever we could to address that, hoping to provide some relief.”

Read more.

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CHAMPAIGN – To ensure parents returning to work can trust their children are in good hands, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is urging child care providers to apply for Child Care Restoration Grants to help their businesses cope with pandemic-related losses. 

“Working parents need child care to do their jobs,” Bennett said. “While child care providers are dealing with the consequences of this crisis, this grant will help them safely reopen after months of financial distress.” 

The Illinois Department of Human Services is distributing $270 million in available funding to assist child care providers across the state with reopening in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Licensed child care providers that meet the eligibility criteria may apply for Child Care Restoration Grants. 

To be eligible for the grant, child care providers must: 

• Have a current license from the Department of Children and Family Services to care for children,
• Be open and caring for children at the time of application,
• Be able to demonstrate a “business interruption” from their pre-COVID capacity, and
• Submit a complete application with all required documents.

Applications are open until Aug. 14. To learn more and apply, child care providers should visit www.inccrra.org/. 

VILLA PARK — To support the reopening of local child care providers after months of financial distress, State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) is urging providers to apply for Child Care Restoration Grants.

“I know residents like to send their children to facilities that are clean and adhering to safety guidelines during this pandemic,” Cullerton said. “As workers head back to work they should have the assurance that their children are safe and happy. This grant will allow child care services to reopen while giving them the support to keep children safe.”

The Illinois Department of Human Services is distributing $270 million in available funding to assist child care providers across the state with reopening in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Licensed child care providers that meet the eligibility criteria may apply for Child Care Restoration Grants. 

“Child care facilities serve as an essential support to help parents and caregivers enter and stay in the workforce,” Cullerton said. “It is our duty to ensure local child care providers will be able to weather the economic hardship of this pandemic so residents can safely go back to work as the state’s economy gets back on track.”

To be eligible for the grant, child care providers must: 

• Have a current license from the Department of Children and Family Services to care for children,
• Be open and caring for children at the time of application,
• Be able to demonstrate a “business interruption” from their pre-COVID capacity, and
• Submit a complete application with all required documents.

Applications are open from now until Aug. 14. To learn more and apply, child care providers should visit www.inccrra.org/. 

ROCKFORD – To provide Rockford area residents with an opportunity to improve important life skills, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) announced that the Literacy Council in Rockford will receive more than $70,000 in grants from the secretary of state’s office to help adult learners develop reading, English-language and others skills. 

“Giving adults the ability to learn new skills not only provides them with new opportunities. It enhances the community they live in as well,” Stadelman said. “Everyone, no matter their age, should be given the chance to improve their skills and better themselves.”

More than 13,500 students will be served by adult literacy programs throughout Illinois. Supported by $5.6 million in state funds, the programs will depend on nearly 6,000 volunteer tutors to provide skills training for students, according to the secretary of state’s office. Adult literacy projects are focused on improving reading, writing and math and are targeted at Illinois adults who read below the 9th-grade level or speak English at a beginning level.

“I encourage Rockford-area residents to give back to their community and volunteer for this great program,” Stadelman said.

The Literacy Council in Rockford is set to receive a total of $70,690.

Those interested in volunteering should contact the Illinois Adult Learning Hotline at 800-321-9511.

GURNEE– In an effort to help young adults find jobs during the pandemic, State Senator Terry Link (D-Indian Creek) supported the Illinois Department of Human Services’ COVID-19 Summer Youth Employment Program, which provides employment opportunities for youth in the community.

“The Summer Youth Employment Program will help young adults find a job during this pandemic,” Link said. “This program provides our youth with job training, life skills and meaningful work experience that will lay down a strong foundation for their future.”

The state has dedicated $9.3 million to the program to employ low-income youth living in areas most affected by the pandemic.

Employee Connections is one of 30 youth employment providers that will receive $500,000 to employ 100 youth workers. Employees are matched with work-based learning opportunities based on their age, ability and experience, and will take part in career development training. 

For more information about Employee Connections, contact Cynthia Harris at 847-360-7177 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NAPERVILLE – State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) is announcing that the 21^st Senate District is set to receive over $15 million for improvements to local roads and bridges as part of the state’s ongoing multi-year construction plan.

“In these uncertain times, it’s encouraging to see the state continue to work on roads and bridges,” Ellman said. “These projects will bring good-paying jobs to our area, while also providing a much-needed update to local roads and bridges.”

The $15 million in spending will be distributed among a number of projects across the district, including over $6 million for the Washington Street bridge. Located in the center of downtown Naperville, the over 40-year-old bridge will be completely replaced. Other projects include the construction of new bikeways, rehabilitating local roads and repairing other bridges.

"The Washington Street bridge at the center of downtown Naperville has over 30,000 cars travel across it daily," said Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico. "At over 40 years old, reconstructing this critical piece of infrastructure is key to our continued economic success and vibrancy of our downtown business district."

The Illinois Department of Transportation’s plan will invest $21.3 billion to improve the state’s infrastructure over the next six years. Projects included in the program were selected based on objective criteria, such as pavement conditions, traffic volumes, and crash history. It will create thousands of job opportunities for residents across the state.

IDOT’s complete Multi-Year Plan can be found on the website and the complete list of projects for the 21^st District can be found here.

CHICAGO – Earlier this week, State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) hosted mobile COVID-19 testing for over a hundred adults on the city’s West Side in a collaboration with Howard Brown Health, West Garfield Community Park Stakeholders, and Fathers Who Care.

“The older adults in my community are still struggling,” Van Pelt said. “The pandemic is still out there, and they still didn’t have access to necessary resources to stay alive. We wanted to do whatever we could to address that, hoping to provide some relief.”

Many residents at John Sullivan and Chicago Albany Terrace Apartments have been at a major disadvantage during this pandemic, with no access to transportation, food, and other resources, made worse by the limited access they had to their families.

Census workers were also in attendance, helping residents fill out the census on site in order to boost the region’s participation. In the 2010 Census, Black Americans were missed by a rate of 9% -- a rate higher than any other racial or ethnic group in our country.

“Time is running out to complete the census,” Van Pelt said. “This was an important event for seniors to get tested and get counted – both of which will ultimately better our communities.”

In light of calls for justice and equity across the nation, the census is more important now than ever before. Responding to the census is one way Illinoisans can push for social justice in their neighborhoods. Inaccurate data results in inadequate funding for underserved communities.

Anyone who hasn’t filled out the census can do so at my2020census.gov or expect to see census workers at their door around August 11.

People interested in donating resources for older adults can do so here.