Kelly's Update

I’m writing this from I-94 on my way to move one of the boys in for their 3rd year of school in Ann Arbor. Even though I have loved having two of the boys home for the summer, I also love watching them navigate their world and follow their dreams. Plus, Ann Arbor is a fun college town to visit, so we get back there a couple times a year which also helps. We always end the summer with a trip out west for some time in the mountains and forest with all of the boys, a tradition we’ve had since they were little and recently returned from. I am so aware of how lucky I am that we’re still able to make this happen even as they become more independent and we treasure each trip with them.

Last weekend’s Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest was another smash success, with local artists, performers, and vendors sharing their talents in one of the last truly neighborhood based street festivals out there. It was great fun seeing friends and neighbors, including a family that I got to know very early in my time in office who had moved to Evanston several years ago. Seeing their grown kids, one of whom declared at a long ago birthday party where I was the special guest that they were going to run for President and would choose me as Vice-president someday, I got a little teary. It’s kind of funny to be excited about my own kids’ journey to adulthood and emotional over some very special former constituents, but I’m also smiling remembering how excited I was to get to give them hugs.

Kelly saying hello to a furry friend at the Glenwood Ave Arts Fest and congratulating the runners of the the Brave Space Alliance Dignity Dash

I was also very excited to congratulate the runners on Sunday at the first annual Brave Space Alliance Dignity Dash, a 5k run at the AIDS Memorial Garden on the lakefront. Nearly 400 runners and walkers helped to raise nearly $100,000 for the Black and Trans led service provider that is a lifeline for so many trans people in our city and beyond. 

I did an interview about the 10th anniversary of the passage of our state’s groundbreaking law banning the use of the abusive practice sometimes referred to as conversion therapy on minors. The Trevor Project released a study in 2022 revealing that they’d identified nearly dozens of mental health professionals still engaging in the practice in Illinois and hundreds nationwide. Our federal government is threatening to try to legitimize the practice, going so far as to suggest it as a medically appropriate treatment for trans youth. In Illinois, we remain committed to protecting our youth from this kind of institutionalized abuse that has been condemned by every major medical and mental health professional association and proven to result in heightened risk of suicidal ideation and other mental health impacts.

As summer comes to an end, things are picking up on the policy front. I had several interesting meetings about issues and potential legislative efforts over the last week or so, including discussions on energy policy, HIV/AIDS, sexual assault policy, the closure of Weiss hospital, probation policy, and implementation of our chronic pain bill.

Photos from the Data Center Coalition's roundtable

I appreciated the opportunity to participate in a data center legislative roundtable convened by the Data Center Coalition. We heard from tech companies who utilize the centers, operators of data centers, labor leaders involved in the construction and operation of the facilities, and climate job policy specialists. The issue is complicated, to be sure, but it’s imperative that we address concerns across the board so that our ever increasing hunger for data in our online lives can be balanced with the very real concerns about sustainability, utility costs, water conservation, community impacts, job creation, and privacy. Several of the legislators present, including myself, are also members of the Green Caucus and I anticipate more discussions with them and our partners in the environmental community. Several members spoke about being confronted by constituents at the doors or out in the community about spiking power bills across the state with constituents often citing the data center industry as the cause.

Industry leaders acknowledged that data centers are certainly a component of the issue due to the demands for energy data centers represent, they also sought to illustrate the many other factors that have driven our prices so high. There was a lot of discussion of the need to dramatically increase power generation with continued investment in wind and solar while also calling to lift the state’s ban on new nuclear generation facilities. Among the factors industry cited as pushing costs up were a combination of two decades of no load growth (no new generation) and retired generation in the marketplace (closed plants), insufficient transmission infrastructure, other growth industries, and increased electrification of vehicles and other uses.

We continue to monitor the issue of transit policy reform and funding and found a couple of different hopeful bits of news recently. First, Leader Kam Buckner, one of our chamber’s negotiators on the transit issue, shared ideas for other funding mechanisms that could be easier for members to support, including a surcharge on large event tickets while sharing his confidence that there will be a transit package presented in the October Veto Session. In addition, there was a great explainer on how additional sales tax revenue is providing some relief from the timing of the agencies’ fiscal cliffs in the Capitol Fax blog and news of support from Metra and Pace for CTA to delay their need for immediate cuts.

This small reprieve, combined with the progress being made by our negotiation teams, gives me hope that we will see a progressive combination of governance reform and funding support before too long. And not a minute too soon. All of us who use the CTA have our own direct examples of the ways CTA is failing to provide the level of service a world class city like ours deserves. Just last week as Candace and I were headed home from a rained out Cubs game (in a thunderstorm no less), the train stopped at the Loyola stop with an announcement that there was no power on the train and everyone had to get off. As we got off the train, I asked the operator if I’d heard her correctly and she said she didn’t really understand it but that’s what she’d just been told. We were luckily equipped with rain jackets, so we made our way home pretending it was a romantic walk in the rain rather than a dash through a thunderstorm. We later learned that there had been another derailment of a yellow line train at the Howard station causing passenger evacuations, although thankfully minor compared to the 2023 derailment. I’m not sure if putting passengers out in a thunderstorm without alternative transportation really counts as “evacuation,” but we were glad that we only had a relatively short walk home compared to many on the train with us who might have been hoping for a transfer to the Yellow line. This is minor compared to many of the complaints we regularly hear, given the critical importance of the Red line to the communities we represent and I am hopeful that the end result of all of the negotiating team’s work is a safe, clean, reliable system we can all depend on.

While I was on mom duty this weekend, Team 14 was out in the district, joining the ribbon cutting for iCryo Edgewater, the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Willye White Park with a festival and block party, and donating to the Friends of the Edgewater Library's Book Drive. There’s really nothing like a Chicago summer. 

District Office Manager Rauly attended the iCryo ribbon cutting with the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce and got a tour of the facility Brrr!

Alderwoman Maria Hadden reads a resolution celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Willye B. White Park

Elected and former Government Officials stand with the Willye B White Park Advisory Council to celebrate the park's 25th anniversary.

(Above) Chief of Staff Taylor at the 49th Ward Block Party talking with a constituent.



(Below) Our office donating some books to the Friends of the Edgewater Library's Book Drive, you can find out more about their programming in a section below.

We might be out of session, but our team is constantly thinking about new legislation and the session to come. To see a comprehensive list of Rep. Cassidy's passed legislation from this year click here.

Need to Know Info

Our office will be closed on Monday, September 1st, in observance of Labor Day. Please direct all inquiries to info@repcassidy.com and we will get back to you when we are back in the office. Happy Labor Day!

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) is happy to announce the reopening of the Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program (CBRAP) that provides emergency rental assistance to tenants currently in eviction court. CBRAP is designed to ensure vulnerable and underserved Illinois communities continue to have a vital safety net to help prevent homelessness.

CBRAP will provide up to $10,000 in emergency rental assistance to households currently going through the eviction court process due to non-payment of rent. Program funds can be applied to past due rent, up to $700 for court costs, and up to two months’ future rent. Approved grant payments are made directly to the housing provider/landlord on behalf of the tenant and the housing provider/landlord must agree to dismiss the eviction proceedings. This ensures that the tenant can remain safely housed as they regain their financial footing.

This rental assistance does not need to be repaid. Other eligibility requirements for CBRAP assistance include that the rental unit must be in Illinois, and the household must earn at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). For this round of CBRAP, households are only eligible for assistance once and cannot reapply for funding after receiving an initial payment.

Eligible tenants and landlords can start an application online at www.illinoishousinghelp.org. 

CBRAP resources and marketing collateral can be found at www.illinoishousinghelp.org/resources.

We have added some updates and new resources to our Know Your Rights and LGBTQ+ Preparedness web pages, as well as a new Reproductive Rights page. To see what's new, visit our website at:

repcassidy.com/reproductive-rights

repcassidy.com/lgbtq-preparedness

repcassidy.com/know-your-rights

Stop by our district office located at 1507 W Morse Ave for a free box of NARCAN. Otherwise known as Naloxone, NARCAN is a rescue medication that can be administered by anyone trying to help someone facing an opioid overdose. See above for instructions on how to administer Naloxone.

Lambda Legal has made a guide that offers practical strategies for travel, documentation, and safety planning in 2025. Whether you’re renewing a passport, preparing for a trip, or deciding how and when to update your documents, this resource is here to support your decisions with tools to help you stay informed, prepared, and empowered.

This is in addition to their Identity Document Guidance for Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender-Nonconforming, and Intersex People page.

Please note these upcoming schedule changes from Care for Real due to the holiday and Edgewater Music Fest:

They will be open for food distribution on Saturday, August 30th and closed on Monday, September 1st in observance of Labor Day. There will also be no food distribution on the following Saturday, September 6th due to Edgewater Music Fest.

Food Distributions will resume on Monday September 8th from 4-6pm in Edgewater.

The Illinois Department on Aging is hosting constituent engagement sessions across Illinois to gather input on its Multi-Sector Plan for Aging. While the in-person events are out of district, please refer to the two virtual options below!

Virtual (WebEx)

Mon, September 8 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Thurs, October 2 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Please click here to register.

Family Service & Mental Health Center of Cicero now offers Mental Health First Aid Training FREE of charge. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among youth and adults. This evidence-based training originated in Australia and it is now taught worldwide. It is an all-day training, and participants will receive a certificate that is good for three years. This training is ideal for HR staff, community workers, parent ambassadors, first responders, teachers, etc. They provide the training in both English and Spanish.

They offer training at their agency monthly, alternating in English and Spanish. They can also come out to you! They can provide training in your office at your convenience.

If you or your agency is interested, you can reach out to Corina Martinez at cmartinez@cicerofs.org.

Illinois Pride Connect is a new statewide resource hub and first of its kind legal hotline that expands access to legal information and support for LGBTQIA+ individuals across Illinois. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), in collaboration with community partners, will lead the initiative.

Supported by a $250,000 investment from the State of Illinois and $100,000 in philanthropic support for legal staffing and statewide accessibility, IL Pride Connect provides two key tools: a digital resource hub and a free legal hotline.

The initiative was developed with the guidance of LGBTQIA+ led organizations and legal advocates statewide and will be led by the Legal Council for Health Justice.

You can check out their website here, or call their Legal Hotline Monday-Thursday 9:00pm - 4:00pm at 855-805-9200.

Neighborhood Shoutout

We are so excited to be able to announce the recipients of our 14th District Small Business Security Infrastructure Grant! Each of our recipients were sent letters alerting them of their grant approval this month! Thank you to Rogers Park Business Alliance for being our partner in helping these small businesses secure these funds from the State, and also thank you to Officers Michael Specht and Roger Heath Jr for completing all of the security assessments for these businesses!

District Events

Raise awareness and funds for refugees by cycling in Syrian Community Network’s Ride for Refugees challenge through September 21st! You can participate from anywhere. Just set your goal for the number of miles you aim to ride in the month and a monetary goal for donations raised. All funds will go to support programs for immigrants and refugees at Syrian Community Network! In 2025, they worked with 1,500+ individuals from more than 40 countries through their Case Management, Education, and Immigration Legal Services.

Reach out to their Director of Development, Lauren, with any questions at lauren@syriancommunitynetwork.org or 312-532-6692. 

Friends of the Edgewater Library is accepting gently used books through Sept. 14th. Books may be dropped off in bags or boxes inside the Edgewater Branch library at the bin near the circulation desk. Book donations will become a part of the Edgewater Library's Annual Used Book Sale in October. All proceeds support materials and programming at the branch.

August 11- September 14th

Edgewater Library

6000 N Broadway

In recognition of their 35th Anniversary, Friends of the Edgewater Library kicked off a special book fund called Befriend A Book. Now they are inviting YOU to join in the fun!

Just donate $35—or whatever feels right—to help boost the library’s collection. Every dollar goes straight to the book fund and helps add awesome new titles to the shelves for children, teens, and adults.

And here’s the best part: Books bought through Befriend A Book will feature a special bookplate showing that you helped bring it to life. Talk about leaving your mark on the library! 

Want a little extra sparkle with your gift? You can even dedicate your donation in honor of, in celebration of or in memory of someone, or for a special or meaningful occasion. Just leave them a note in the message box when donating!

You can read more about the program and donate here.

Join Loyola's Office of Neighborhood Initiatives for their campus plan town hall. This meeting is directed to stakeholders in the Roger's Park and Edgewater neighborhoods.

Register here.

Thursday, September 4

6:00-7:00 pm

Flanner Hall

1068 W Sheridan Rd

Get ready for the first street festival in Edgewater since 2019! Between Thorndale and Ardmore, enjoy over 30 musical performances and vendors lined up all weekend.

You can check out updates and line up here.

You can sign up to volunteer here.

The Indo-American Center is hosting a free Immigration Law Open House from 4 PM - 7PM on select upcoming days. The Immigration open house, located at 6328 N California Ave, will provide consultations only and are limited to 30 minutes. Walk-ins are also welcome.

You can register online here.

Saturday September 6th from 9:00am-4:00pm the Lakewood Balmoral Resident's Council is hosting their annual yard sale. Between Foster and Bryn Mawr on Magnolia, Lakewood, and Wayne.

Theatre

Curious Theatre Branch and Prop Thtr are pleased to announce the dates for the 36th Annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival, Chicago’s longest running theatre festival. The 2025 Rhino Fest returns September 4 - 28 ​​at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. in Humboldt Park, Labyrinth Arts Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Ave. in Avondale and Jarvis Square Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave. in Rogers Park. For more than three decades, Rhino Fest has endeavored to welcome as many theater and performance companies and artists from Chicago and across the nation. Tickets to the 2025 Rhinoceros Theater Festival are offered at pay-what-you-can pricing, with a $20 suggested price and are on sale at RhinoFest.com.

To see a full listing of shows playing at the Jarvis Square Theatre as a part of Rhino Fest 2025, Click here.

In the pursuit of joy, does method matter? Two siblings - opposites and estranged - take one last shot at putting grief behind them to create the joy they both seek. But their daring project can only succeed if they can accept each other's special magic. A world premiere original play by Chicago playwright Kimberly Dixon-Mays, Rabbits In Their Pockets began in Lifeline’s 2024 BIPOC Developmental Workshop.

Running September - October

Weekly Markets

The Edgewater Monday market is Chicago's only Monday farmers market featuring a diverse lineup of more than 40 vendors, including food, activities and more!

The market is every Monday from 3pm - 7pm through the month of September in the Broadway Armory parking lot (5917 N. Broadway).

Check out a list of vendors here.

The Andersonville Farmers Market is back at a brand new location at 1500 W Winona! The market will be there every Wednesday through October 22nd from 3pm to 7pm featuring over 40 local vendors!

Click here for a list of vendors and pop up vendors!

Glenwood Sunday Market (GSM) is a farmers market in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, devoted to providing local, sustainably grown, and produced foods that are also organic whenever possible. Composed entirely of farmers and food artisans who work in a local food shed, their mission is to make sustainable, regionally produced foods accessible to the whole community. 

You can learn more about vendors and food access programs here!

Situated just outside the district, the Argyle Night Market is an annual event that features food from local Argyle restaurants plus live cultural and musical performances on Thursday evenings each summer. This free outdoor event draws an average of 5,000 visitors each week and continues to grow in popularity. Part market, part street festival, this vibrant and award-winning event is located on Argyle, the city’s first shared street.

The LAST Night Market of the season, Thursday, August 28th!

5:00pm-9:00pm

Argyle between Kenmore and Sheridan

To see vendors and entertainment schedule, visit their website here.

Youth & Teen

Beginning September 6th, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago will launch the second year of their Water Works Youth Workforce Development and Career Exploration Program at the Lake View YMCA (3333 N Marshfield Ave).

Water Works is a paid, 11-week program for youth ages 16 to 24, combining swim instruction with career exploration in aquatic professions such as lifeguarding, swim instruction, and other water-related fields. Participants earn a stipend while gaining critical water safety education and building job readiness skills.

Their mission is to reach under-resourced communities that have historically faced barriers to water safety education and career pathways.

Program Details:

Dates: September 6 – November 22, 2025

Schedule: Tuesday–Friday, 4–7 PM; every other Saturday, 9 AM–3 PM

Location: Lake View YMCA – 3333 N Marshfield Ave

Eligibility: Ages 16–24 (additional qualifications discussed during interviews)

Compensation: $16.60/hour stipend

Apply Here: 2025 Water Works Application

Calling all school-aged youth! Join the Chicago Public Library's 81 Club! With the 81 card, you gain access to electronic databases, homework help, ebooks and audio books, and are eligible to take home 5 library items. Already a CPS student? Just ask a librarian about the card at your local branch!

Illinois now offers students more lunchtime choices, including new plant-based meals. Besides being packed with all the daily fiber, protein and nutrients students need to learn, grow and lead healthy lives, and fully aligning with USDA nutrition requirements, plant-based lunches have additional health benefits for your student!

Asking your public school to serve your child a plant-based meal comes at no extra cost. You can use this form to request plant-based meals.

Hiring

It’s that time again, Illinois! IDOT is hiring 1,600+ temporary Winter Highway Maintainers across the state for the 2025–2026 snow and ice season. Help maintain and repair roads, bridges, and more — and keep Illinois moving safely this winter.

Requirements:

✔️ HS diploma or equivalent

✔️ CDL B with N or X (Class A by year 3)

✔️ 1 year clean driving record

You can apply here!

Compassionate caretakers wanted! Join Misericordia, Heart of Mercy and be part of a community where every day is about connection and empowerment. As a Direct Support Professional, you’ll work with residents with disabilities, helping them achieve goals and thrive. If you’re seeking purpose-filled work, click here to learn more and get started.

The MWRD is an award-winning wastewater and stormwater management agency. They have been protecting Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and other local waterways from pollution for over 130 years. Also, for 20 years they have been leading efforts to reduce flooding throughout the Chicago region. They have contributed to technological advances that have changed how the world treats wastewater and how communities manage stormwater and flooding.

If you are looking for new career opportunities, consider the MWRD. You can visit their online employment center to apply and learn more about employment opportunities and the selection process. 

Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy

State Representative, 14th District



Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

1507 W. Morse Ave

Chicago IL 60626