Dear Stephanie,

I hope this message finds you in good spirits. As we celebrate National Veterans and Military Families Month this November, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to all my fellow Veterans and their families.

To my fellow Veterans, your courage and sacrifice have made our nation stronger, and for that, we are all truly thankful. As a Marine Veteran myself, and as a proud mother of a son serving in the Navy, I understand the dedication and sacrifice it takes to protect our country. I am honored to have served my country alongside you, and I am immensely proud of all of all of you who have put your country first.

As we approach Veterans Day, I encourage everyone to extend their warmest wishes to every Veteran and military family they know. And I encourage you to join us at all the exciting upcoming Veterans Day events around our community! Listed below.

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween and received more treats than tricks. Next week I am heading back down to Springfield to finish our fall Veto session.

And don't forget that Alden Gardens of Waterford is hosting their Mobile DMV Event on Wednesday, November 9, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. All are welcome to stop by at 1955 Randi Drive.

Take care and have a great weekend,

P.S. Please reach out to our office if you need assistance at (630) 585-1308 or send me an email.

I am proud to have secured $240,000 in state funds to support Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry Expansion and Upgrade in Aurora. Their tireless efforts in addressing hunger are commendable, and I am confident that this project—fully funded thanks to Congressman Bill Foster—will have a lasting, positive impact. It's truly an honor to support their work.

Photographed: Karina Garcia, President of Aurora Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Erica Jones, Volunteer Coordinator at Marie Wilkinson; Representative Kifowit, D-Oswego; Diane Renner, Ex. Director of Marie Wilkinson; Congressman Foster, IL-11; Marie Wilkinson Board Members.

You can listen to my remarks here.

Calling all Aurora, IL area Veterans! You are invited to our 1st Annual Veterans Day Breakfast. The meal is being prepared by the EA Culinary Dept and the music by the EA Band. Military honors by the Tomcat Regiment.

When: 07NOV23 @ 0700 / Galley opens at 0730

Where: East Aurora High School / Enter door 8

Who: All American Veterans

Please use the QR code to register. We look forward to seeing you!

Aurora Veteran's Day Procession

• 📅 November 11 | 10:15 AM
• 📍 Downtown Aurora | Downer PL | Aurora, IL 60505

The City of Aurora recognizes the dedication of local military service men and women that have served our country at the annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony on Saturday, November 11th, 2023.

The parade steps-off at the corner of Benton and Broadway at 10:15 a.m. Units will march North on Broadway to Downer Place where they will then head West. The parade will conclude in front of the G.A.R. Memorial Hall (23 E Downer Place) where the Serving Our Country and Community ceremony will take place. The ceremony includes a military rifle salute by veteran organizations at 11 a.m., the exact time the armistice was signed that ended WWI.

For more information on this event, please contact the City of Aurora Community Events Division: (630) 256-3370 | Events@aurora.il.us 

Oswego Veterans Day Ceremony

• 📅 November 11 | 11:00 AM 
• 📍 Oswego Veterans Memorial, 1 Main Street, Oswego, Illinois 60543

Introduction: Join the Oswego American Legion, Oswego Fire Protection District and Oswego Police Department for a short ceremony to honor veterans.

Join the Oswego American Legion, Oswego Fire Protection District and Oswego Police Department for a 15-minute ceremony to honor veterans. There will be the posting of colors, bagpipes and a firing party. The ceremony takes place outdoors at the Oswego Veterans Memorial. Additional information HERE

Naperville Veterans Day 2023

• 📅 November 11 | 10:59 AM
• 📍 The Vietnam Wall of Remembrance near the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion (912 Honorary Sindt Memorial Ct, Naperville, IL 60540)

A Veterans Day program will be held through the joint effort of the Naperville American Legion Post 43 and Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873. The annual Veterans Day program will start at 10:59 am at The Vietnam Wall of Remembrance near the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion (912 Honorary Sindt Memorial Ct, Naperville, IL 60540) to honor all the veterans who have served the nation. This event is free and accessible to the public.

Sunday, November 5, at 2 a.m., clocks fall back one hour to standard time!

Pro tip: It’s Daylight Saving Time, with singular use of “saving,” not “savings.” ⏰

The AG's office is working hard to protect Seniors from Abuse, Fraud, and Financial Exploitation.

Far too often, scam artists perceive senior citizens as vulnerable and relatively wealthy due to their ability to access retirement accounts and pensions. As a result, seniors are a frequent target of a wide range of consumer fraud scams. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul works to protect all Illinois seniors by taking legal action against those who prey on seniors and supporting legislation to toughen penalties against those who commit crimes against the elderly.

Sadly, financial exploitation is not the only threat to seniors' safety. Physical and sexual abuse of elderly citizens is far too prevalent. These often unreported crime is devastating to both victims and family members. In response to this serious problem, the Attorney General's Office is working with advocates, other government agencies, and law enforcement officials to root out abuse. Telephone scams read HERE

• Senior Citizens Consumer Fraud Hotline, please call 1-800-243-5377
• To report abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older person living in the community, please contact the 24-hour Illinois Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-866-800-1409 or visit online, visit www.ilaging.illinois.gov
• To report the abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older person living in a long-term care facility, please contact the Department of Public Health at 1-800-252-4343 or individuals with hearing or speech disabilities can reach us by using the 7-1-1 relay service. You can also visit online, www.dph.illinois.gov

Watch the most recent Coffee Chat on Facebook!

Or, subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts 🎧!

I continue to host Monday Morning Coffee live via Facebook at 9:00am -10:00am where you can post your comments and questions.

I realize not everyone has Facebook. The good news is that you can still participate. If you would like to join us on Monday mornings, you can join in via ZOOM! Once connected via ZOOM, you'll be able to interact just as if you were on Facebook. Don't worry you will not be on live - your video feed and mic will be muted.

The ZOOM link will be emailed to everyone separately for Monday morning participation.

If you would like to join us, please email Michelle@ILDistrict84.com or call the

office at 630.585.1308.