What We Can Do to Help Others
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Dear Neighbors,
As we have been settling into our new reality, I'm so grateful for all the calls and emails coming into our office from people asking how they can help - and from individuals and organizations asking for our help. Here are some significant places with which to share your time and treasure in this hour of need.
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Chicago Community Trust COVID-19 Response Fund
Chicago has launched the Chicago
Community COVID-19 Response Fund
geared to help those hardest hit by the crisis.
C
hicago’s philanthropies, corporations and individuals can donate money that can be disbursed to nonprofit organizations across the region. Please give.
Since its launching last Tuesday, the fund has raised over 8 million dollars. The Fund is administered by the
Chicago Community Trust
.
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Governor Pritzker Volunteerism Website Launched
It is hard to know who to help and how to reach the organizations that need our help. Governor Pritzker has announced the creation of a new website designated for volunteerism during the COVID19 pandemic.
Serve.Illinois.gov will allow an organization to register its volunteer needs and for individuals to connect with those organizations.
Check out the
website to learn more. More organizations are being added all the time.
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American Red Cross Needs Blood Donations
The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago and Northern Illinois has stated that more than 6,000 blood drives have been cancelled nationwide due to the COVID19 pandemic. Donating blood is considered an "essential function" and the Red Cross is calling on those healthy to donate blood. Go to
Redcross.org to learn more, or call 800-Red-Cross.
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Needed
The need for protective gear for our medical community is dire. The state has received N95 masks, surgical masks, and other supply donations from cast members of the shows “Chicago Med,” “Chicago PD,” and “Chicago Fire;” from the Indian Valley Vocational Center in DeKalb County, and from trade unions.
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Volunteer or Get Hired to be a Sitter in
Sittercity's "Chicago Responds" Program
Help Chicago's first responders serving on the front line. Launched in partnership with the City of Chicago, the “Chicago Responds” program will connect members of the public and public-sector employees with first responders who are looking for volunteers to provide sitter services in their homes. Please consider donating your time to these local heroes and their families. Visit
the website to for FAQs, and
click here to sign up.
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Apply for Unemployment Benefits
If you do not have access to paid sick leave or unable to work due to COVID-19 apply for
unemployment benefits. Governor Pritzker called for a moratorium on shutoffs for utility companies and wave late payment fees, in order to provide immediate relief.
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Jewel is Hiring
Jewel-Osco announces it has over 3,000 immediate job openings as a result of COVID19. This includes all departments including e-commerce and personal shoppers. If you are interested apply
here.
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Aldi is Hiring
Aldi is hiring at all stores and warehouse locations. For information and job listings,
click here.
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Local Opportunities to Help
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Chicago Cares, the leading in organizing volunteers in Chicago, advises that the most important volunteer work right now is right in your community. The ask us to:
- Check in on your neighbors
- Donate to relief organizations
- Complete the U.S.Census
- Connect with your children
- Support your local small businesses
- Stay home
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Marrillac St. Vincent DePaul Center: COVID-19 Relief Fund
The economic impact of the current health challenge disproportionately affects populations like the ones at
Marillac St. Vincent, which has been a non-profit in Lincoln Park for over 100 years. The vast majority of the parents of 800+ children in their care earn hourly wages, and many of their clients live paycheck to paycheck. Every hour brings news of school and business closures, and this affects their clients’ ability to adequately support their families.
Please help with some short-term aid to Marrillac St. Vincent Families
by donating here. Contributions are matched 1:1 and 100% of the contributions go to families in need.
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Care For Real
Care for Real is committed to remaining open during the crisis and is seeking volunteers and donations. Food is in high demand and prices are surging. Please click
here to make a donation. Care for Real is still providing food for those in need and has a new way of distributing while still practicing social distancing. (Please note: clothing donations are not being accepted at this time). If you are interested in volunteering, please email
volunteer@careforreal.org.
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Lakeview Pantry
One of Chicago's largest and longest run pantries remains open with modified hours during the stay-at-home order. Visit the
Lakeview Pantry page for details, hours of operation, and how to donate. Visit their
volunteer page to register.
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The Night Ministry Needs Donations
If you are healthy and are able, please make a donation to
The Night Ministr
y
. They need donations of hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, twin sized sheets, blankets and towels.
These can be dropped off at Edgewater Presbyterian Church at 1029 W. Bryn Mawr, call ahead at 773-784-9000.
They are accepting gift cards and monetary donations too. Lastly, they need help with prepared meals. If you are able to drop off prepared meals, please contact
Brittany Caine-Conley
to coordinate. To schedule a donation drop-off or pick-up, please first email
volunteering@thenightministry.org
or call Miranda at 773-506-6022.
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Restaurants and Bars Need Our Support
Chicago Tribune has compiled a map of more than 1,000 restaurants providing delivery, take-out, and curb side pick-up options.
Dining at a Distance also has a database or restaurants searchable by name or neighhorhood.
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Help LPHS Families in Need
A Meal Today, A Meal Tomorrow
Lincoln Park High School Junior Jessica Tansey has found a way to help both students in need and restaurants suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic by creating "A Meal Today, A Meal Tomorrow." Purchase a gift card from a participating restaurant and the restaurant in turn will donate a gift card to LP High and they select a family in need.
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Support Our Local Breweries
You can still support the many craft breweries in town by purchasing your brew online or calling in orders for curbside pick-up or delivery options. This is also a great time to purchase gift cards to support this industry through these unforeseen times.
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Koval Distillery to Make Hand Sanitizer for Medical Workers
Koval Distillery will be focusing their efforts on making hand sanitizer to support the medical community at the front lines during this medical crises. If you are interested in donating to this cause visit
Koval Distillery go fund me page for more information and how you can make a donation.
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Friends of Lincoln Park High School
Online Auction
Bidding Extended until March 27 10:00 p.m.
Help our local high school while you are stuck home. Click
here
to check them out and start bidding. Local on line auctions are a great way to help - and win a nice gift for you. All proceeds will benefit and support our amazing, resilient school, so bid high and often.
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Nextdoor Volunteering
Nextdoor, the online community, is offering an opportunity to match local residents with others in the immediate neighborhood who need assistance running errands or who need a call. Help out, or ask for help. Volunteers are not vetted. Learn more at
nextdoor.com
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Now for a Little Fun:
Neighborhood Rainbow Hunt
With children stuck inside with no playdates or ability to go to the playground, the Dayton Street Block Party has come up with a great way to make walks fun.
Here's how it goes:
Anyone that would like to participate, please draw, paint, create some sort of rainbow to be displayed in your front window, for all the neighbors to see.The attached
Quarantine Rainbow Map
doc will allow you to register your address as having participated, and will give other participants a 'map' of where to spot the rainbows. Just do a search for Chicago or Dayton Street to find our local rainbows. Kids and adults alike should play along, and know that each of us are trying to spread some joy!
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Pandemic
- Lyn Ungar 3/11/20
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love--
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
Rev. Dr. Lynn Ungar is a minister with the Unitarian Universalist Church.
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Be tender with one another, and our world,
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Coronavirus Resources
:
The Doctor Is In: Ask Dr. Arwady.
Live-stream by Chicago Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., daily at 11:00 am on
Twitter and
Facebook Live.
State of Illinois
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
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