Kelly's Update

Y’all, this has been a helluva last few weeks. In a nutshell, I do not recommend traveling multiple times while procrastinating Covid and flu shots. If anyone has seen the Lysol “Flunorococo” commercial, that’s a tiny glimpse into my home for the last several weeks. With the exception of a few days in the middle, I’ve basically been down for the count since the second week of November. Thanks to the amazing Team 14 for holding things together on the days I was of no use to anyone and thanks to everyone for your patience - we’re gonna try and get caught up asap, even though we’re rapidly approaching the “let’s see about this after the first of the year” cliff.

Ten years ago, I sponsored legislation that made Illinois the first state in the country to provide recourse to victims of licensed mental health professionals who offer or provide the service sometimes referred to as “conversion therapy” to minors. This abusive practice has been definitively shown to increase the risk of suicide and serious mental health outcomes in people who have been subjected to it. While four states had passed bans prior to our bill’s passage, ours was the first to use the power of the Consumer Fraud Act to give survivors real tools to hold their abusers accountable. 

In 2023, The Trevor Project released a report on their work identifying practitioners of the abusive approach, citing that they had found roughly 40 providers still active in Illinois. This week, they released a report outlining their work providing guidance to survivors and advocates on how to pursue justice. Thank you to The Trevor Project, the National Association of Social Workers - Illinois, the American Bar Association’s SOGI Commission, Equality Illinois, the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association, and the National Center for LGBTQ Rights for continuing the important work of protecting the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community from the harms of conversion abuse.

With the recent news that folks without a REAL ID or passport would be charged a fee at the airport, our upcoming Mobile DMV with Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is more timely than we anticipated when we originally scheduled it. While all Mobile DMV appointments are booked, we still have spaces open for City Key IDs. For more information, see below or call our office. For those still needing Real IDs, you can sign up online for appointments at a nearby facility and ensure you have the right documents at the Secretary of State's website. Last week, Secretary Giannoulias and Clerk Monica Gordon announced that they are working together to ensure folks have the proper documentation to obtain a REAL ID, such as birth certificates and marriage licenses. There will be designated cashiers at each Clerk’s office location for REAL ID-related requests. The Clerk’s office also has a dedicated helpline and email at 312-603-6278 and Clerk.RealID@cookcountyil.gov for REAL ID-related inquiries. They encourage making appointments in advance. 

Additionally, the REAL ID walk-in supercenter, located at 191 N. Clark, will be extended until the end of the year. The Secretary of State’s Office has also established a dedicated hotline at 800-252-8980 to help folks ensure they have the right documentation to obtain a REAL ID. 

This week, our team will also participate in a Mental Health First Aid Training with Senator Simmons’ Office. Legislative offices serve a lot of functions, and one of the most critical is providing support for constituents seeking help accessing government services. Usually by the time someone realizes we might be able to help them, they’ve followed a long and frustrating path, often in search of help accessing basic services like housing, health care, or benefits. In some cases, interacting with constituents in mental health crises can be well beyond the skills it’s reasonable to expect our front line team to have. District office staff frequently are early in their careers and often come out of public policy or similar disciplines. The all day training on Friday is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. We’ll do our best to keep up with emergencies on Friday, but will not be available for most of the day.

Next week’s email will be our last regular one for the year. If you have an event to promote, a local performance you want to recommend, a community holiday gathering, or a volunteer opportunity to promote, please get us details asap! We’ll do our best to find as many opportunities to connect with neighbors and enjoy all of the things that make this area such a great place.

Need to Know Info

Thank you everyone so much for your interest in our Mobile DMV + City Key Event! Excitingly, we have hit our capacity for Mobile DMV appointments. Unfortunately, that does mean that we will not be able to schedule anymore ID/Real ID appointments.

If you did not get an appointment, you can still access DMV services by visiting the REAL ID Supercenter located at 191 N. Clark or their Flagship Center located at 125 W. Monroe. Be sure to check each location's webpage ahead of time to make sure they have the services you are looking for.

We do still have plenty of appointments available to get a Chicago City Key!

From the Chicago CityKey website:

The Chicago CityKey is an optional, valid, government-issued ID card offered to all Chicago residents that will unlock many of the great things our City has to offer.  

No registration or pre-qualification is needed, and every Chicagoan is eligible regardless of age, insurance, income, health, or immigration status.



This has always been a very popular event and each office requires an appointment. Please reach out to District Office Manager Rauly Luna by email at rauly@repcassidy.com or by phone at (773) 784 2002 to schedule an appointment.

Click here to see a list of necessary documents for City Key.

Full December SNAP benefits will be issued as normally scheduled.

The USDA Secretary made statements on December 2 about SNAP funding for states. At this time there is no threat to customer SNAP benefits as a result of these comments. IDHS will keep the public updated on any developments.

New SNAP ABAWD Work Requirements

Prior to the Trump Administration's budget bill, Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) were defined as adults ages 18-54 with no "dependent" children under 18 and no disabilities.

But now, people in the following categories will also be forced to meet the new work requirements:

Veterans

Individuals who are 55-64 years old

Homeless individuals

ABAWDs whose at-home children are 14 years old or older

Starting February 1, 2026, ABAWDs who do not meet work requirements or qualify for an exemption may only receive benefits for three months during a three-year period.

All current and new ABAWDs have received both a courtesy and formal notice of these federal changes, along with a copy of the form to self-attest to being exempt.

Based on the new federal law and the current status in the courts, individuals not meeting the new requirements could lose benefits starting May 1, 2026.

IDHS will continue to provide updates on: snapfederalimpact.illinois.gov 

New SNAP Noncitizen Eligibility Changes

At this time, IDHS is not implementing new federal changes to SNAP eligibility for noncitizens. The current federal guidance does not provide sufficient clarity or direction to implement the changes that were intended to begin on December 1 and at the time of re-determinations. Additionally, Illinois has joined a group of other states suing to halt any changes to noncitizen eligibility for SNAP. IDHS will continue to provide any updates on the lawsuit, federal guidance, and the implementation of federal changes impacting noncitizens on its website. 

Noncitizens who are concerned about the status of their SNAP benefits can call the IDHS Customer Help Line at 1-800-843-6154.

Senator Simmons’ office is still accepting donations of non-perishable food, reusable grocery bags, new toiletries/diapers/cleaning supplies. Drop off donations Monday-Friday from 10am-3pm at 1040 W Bryn Mawr through the month of December. For questions, email senatormikesimmons@gmail.com or call 773-769-1717.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Chicago's most unique and beloved holiday tradition is here: The Allstate CTA Holiday Fleet. Now in its 34th year of operation, the CTA is excited to be delivering holiday cheer throughout Chicago's neighborhoods and welcome you aboard their decked-out and dazzling Allstate CTA Holiday Train and the popular Allstate CTA Holiday Bus!

You can view the schedule here to see when the Holiday Bus & Train are near you!

Neighborhood Shoutout

Very exciting news for Roger's Park movie lovers! As reported in Block Club Chicago:

The New 400 Theaters, once the city’s oldest continuously running movie house, is reopening after being obtained by the operator of several historical movie theaters.

The closed movie theater at 6746 N. Sheridan Road is being leased to Jordan Stancil, the operator of movie houses in Michigan, Stancil confirmed to Block Club. Stancil will rebrand the movie house as The 400 Theater and restore operations at the Rogers Park institution, which closed two years ago, he said.

There is not an opening date scheduled yet, but you can follow along at their new Facebook page for updates.

District Events

Support your favorite local businesses this holiday season! Now through December 31, 2025, collect receipts from at least four independently-owned Rogers Park businesses and earn up to $75 back.

This year, it is starting three weeks earlier to help local shops thrive and yes, your Small Business Saturday and Mercadito purchases count toward your rebate!

Don’t wait! Shop early, save your receipts and get rewarded for supporting the vibrant Rogers Park community.

Click here for more information.

H.O.M.E. is searching for guest chefs! Cook and serve a meal (with dessert, if possible) for 10- 16 seniors and join dinner. You can either bring food that you have already prepared, cook it from scratch or bring purchased meals. The essential is that the seniors have something nice to eat for dinner. They like hearty dishes, preferably with meat, and they love chocolate.

You don't need to clean up afterwards. When the seniors have left the table, you are done and can pat yourself on the back and are free to leave or engage in conversations! But most of all have fun! Enjoy and benefit from your time with the seniors. If you need financial assistance, H.O.M.E. can provide ingredients. 

Pat Crowley House

1537 W Rosemont Ave

Saturdays and Sundays

4:30 pm

Nathalie Salmon House

7820 N Sheridan Rd

Saturdays and Sundays

5:00 pm

Join the Loyola Park Advisory Council for their next meeting on Monday, December 8. At this meeting, they’ll be selecting the theme for the 2026 Artists of the Wall (AOTW) festival.

You can cast your vote for the next theme here.

Your ideas and input are an important part of shaping this beloved community event, and they’d love to have you there as they discuss options and make the final choice.

Meeting Details

📅 Monday, December 8

🕒 6:30- 7:30PM

📍 Loyola Park Fieldhouse, 1230 W. Greenleaf

Vivent Health + TPAN will be hosting a vaccine pop-up event today, Monday, December 8th, from 4:30-6:30 pm. This event is being produced in partnership with CDPH and Rush. They will provide MPOX, Flu and Covid vaccines at no cost. Vaccines are available to clients and the general public. A additional date for those receiving MPOX will be scheduled for second doses.

Join the Berger Park Advisory Council for some fun this winter. Bring your voices, bring your instruments, bring your cookies, and bring your friends to sing together at Cocoa Cookies & Carols!

The Berger Park Cultural Center

6205 N Sheridan Road

December 13th from 11am-1pm

December 17th from 6:30pm-8:30pm

Join Lifeline Theatre for a festive tasting tour through the Glenwood Ave Arts District! Sample from a curated selection of more than 60 unique spirits—perfect for gifting, stocking your holiday bar, or simply savoring something new. This progressive tasting experience begins at Lifeline Theatre, continues to Rogers Park Social, and concludes at Rogers Park Provisions.

There will be two sessions on Saturday, December 13th, the first at 3:00 pm and the second beginning at 5:00pm. Each session is 1 1/2 hours of tasting spirits to help you gift, set your holiday bar up, or simply just enjoy!

Tickets can be purchased here.

Theatre

The Neo-Futurists bring The Infinite Wrench to the historic United Church of Rogers Park for a special one-night-only performance. This space is ADA-accessible and all tickets are pay-what-you can!

The Infinite Wrench is the Neo-Futurists' long-running, ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes. Each play offers something different--funny, profound, radical, gross, bizarre--and all of them are true, grounded in the lived experiences of the performers.

Monday, December 8th at 8pm

United Church of Rogers Park

Enjoy two hour long solo performances from local creatives, comics, and performers at Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan.. There will be a short intermission between shows. You can learn more here.

Theatre Above the Law presents Black Comedy, a farce by Peter Schafer.

Struggling sculptor Brindsley Miller and his fiancé Carol are having a party with the aim of impressing Carol's bombastic father, Colonel Melkett, and millionaire Georg Bamberger. They hope the two men might purchase some of Brindsley's sculptures. Without permission, they have borrowed the furniture of their fussy neighbor, Harold, to make their own flat more presentable. Just before the guests arrive, the main fuse blows, plunging the flat into darkness. What follows is a frantic romp with unexpected visitors, mistaken identities, and surprises lurking in every dark corner. Only we, the audience, can see the action that ensues in the dark. As you might expect, the results are chaotic, disastrous and downright hysterical.

Jarvis Square Theater

1439 W. Jarvis

November 21-December 21.

Tickets can be purchased here.

1 actor, 19 characters! In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Scrooge gets a chance to amend his ways, but what happened to his partner Jacob Marley? Find out in the return of Lifeline Theatre’s acclaimed production of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, written by Goodman Theatre’s own Scrooge, Tom Mula, featuring a Jeff-nominated performance by longtime Chicago actor and Lifeline ensemble member, Phil Timberlake.

Runs November 28 – December 21, 2025

Lifeline Theatre

6912 N Glenwood Ave

You can check here for tickets and times.

All aboard the magic train! Where should we go? Who shall we visit? The conductors are on a search for treasure in this play specifically designed for very young children. Join them as they explore community and connection along the railroad lines! ​Featuring live music and playful audience participation, The Conductors is a silly, joyful, and engaging first theatre experience for children ages 2-6 and their families.

December 6–21, 2025

Saturdays & Sundays at 9:30am & 11:00am

Produced in partnership with Kerfuffle

Co-created with The Connecting Routes Project

Directed by Ashley Laverty

Tickets and more information can be found here.

That’s Weird, Grandma: Holiday Party! features adaptations of stories written during Playmakers Laboratory’s creative writing residencies in Chicago elementary schools. PML’s ensemble of professional actors, comedians and musicians bring the young authors’ stories to life as raucous sketches, songs and movement pieces, performing first for students in their schools and then for the public. These stories – from hilarious dialogues between unlikely characters to poignant pleas for social change, along with holiday-inspired stories that resonate with adults while celebrating the imaginations of young people.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Saturday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.

LOCATION

Neo Futurist Theater

5153 N Ashland Ave

Click here for tickets and more information.

Hiring

Visit an American Job Center to access employment resources, information about job training and more. Each center has knowledgeable staff that provides assistance to people who need career assistance. Assistance is available to youth and adults. All services are free.

Please call in advance to get information about hours, orientation, and workshop details.

1145 West Wilson Avenue

Room 1917

Chicago, IL 60640

(773) 831-5221

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.

Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy

State Representative, 14th District



Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

1507 W. Morse Ave

Chicago IL 60626