Kelly's Update

This week in the Capitol was really something. As we’re deep in the heart of session now, it seems that every day we have multiple large groups in town for advocacy days. That can mean crowded hallways, challenging navigation around the capitol, and frayed nerves, especially as we’re approaching the deadline to move Senate bills out of House committees. I will say that I have greater appreciation for my resolution to stick to the stairs when the Capitol is crowded since there are way more people waiting for the elevators than tackling the 89 (I think…sometimes I count to control my breathing but I never remember) stairs from the first floor to the chamber on the 3rd floor.

Most of the week was spent sprinting between visiting with constituents in town for advocacy days and committee hearings. I was able to advance two of my bills this week: 

SB2500 updates the Community Emergency Supports and Services Act to reflect progress made on implementation. This law, sometimes referred to as a mental health first responder law, requires coordination and cooperation between entities all over the state who have been working diligently to ensure that when someone calls 911 for a mental health crisis, dispatchers are able to quickly send the appropriate responders. Updates in this bill include addressing safety and capacity concerns with regard to cases that result in a need to transport a person in crisis among other jurisdictional adjustments.

See above fact sheet for more information about SB2500.

SB1173 is an initiative of Senator Mike Simmons based on experiences assisting constituents experiencing homelessness in securing appropriate identification. Under existing law, a person may seek a waiver of the fee charged by the Secretary of State for issuing a state ID, but it requires getting a notarized Certification of Homeless Status Certification Form. This bill prohibits a notary from charging a fee for the service, which can run from $10-20 if a person is not able to identify a notary elsewhere.

The week included discussions with representatives of the Illinois Arts Alliance along with some local artists sharing their support for continued funding for the arts in Illinois. I very briefly had a cool button they brought that said “Art Is Not A Luxury,” but a student from another visiting group really liked it, so I passed it along! Sen. Celina Villanueva and I were happy to welcome advocates from Planned Parenthood Great Rivers which represents the Missouri based Planned Parenthood that has moved their operation into Southern Illinois. Sen. Villanueva and I talked about the work we’ve done to ensure the safety of patients and providers here as well as the work being done to restore access to care in Missouri. Other meetings included representatives of the Illinois Hospital Association including Lurie Children's Hospital and Swedish Covenant on concerns about cuts to Medicaid and ways to protect the most vulnerable patients at safety net hospitals, and The People’s Lobby on progressive revenue ideas. 

I have two more bills and two more resolutions I’m expecting to move next week. With the deadline for bills to advance out of committee approaching on Friday, we expect another busy week and will likely see a lot of visiting groups again. I’m excited to welcome folks from all over the state for the annual Equality Illinois Lobby Day. I’ll be presenting a (belated) resolution acknowledging Transgender Day of Visibility, as well as speaking at a press conference and the rally in the Capitol Rotunda welcoming our LGBTQ+ family to the people’s house.

May is always a bit challenging in terms of my schedule, so if there’s an event you’d like the team to cover, please reach out and let us know. I’ll be back in the saddle in June and looking forward to seeing more of my neighbors (and family…)!

Need to Know Info

Join us for a community meeting to hear about plans for a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon and other pedestrian safety improvements at Wayne and Ridge. Representatives from the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will join us to provide updates and answer questions.

This project is years in the making, encompassing work that includes a law we passed in 2023 to allow for mid-intersection pedestrian operated beacons and obtaining funding on both the City and State levels. We are excited and working hard to see this project into its final steps of implementation.

Date: Wednesday, May 7 at 6pm

Location: Chicago Filmmakers (1326 W Hollywood)

Thank you to the office of Alderwoman Leni Mana-Hoppenworth for putting this meeting together and CDOT for coming out to speak to us!

Neighborhood Shoutout

Loyola University has released its President's Report for 2024, which features some incredible milestones and feats that the University has achieved within the past year.

Some notable highlights are listed below:

In the Research Section, please note...

• Loyola has achieved carbon neutrality. They are the first Chicago university to do so.
• Their Center for Criminal Justice and its research on bail reform.

In the Leadership Section, please note...

• Dr. Reed highlights the interconnection between Loyola and Chicago at a luncheon hosted by the City Club of Chicago.

In the Education Section, please note...

• The report highlights the exceptional work of Loyola’s Arrupe College, including that 96% of Arrupe students graduated with no debt.

Also, please note the distinguished recipients of the President's Medallion Award, which can be found near the end of the report.

To view the report in its entirety, click HERE! Congratulations to Loyola University on a successful year!

District Events

The Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest (GAAF) is a much-anticipated annual tradition in the Rogers Park neighborhood, showcasing the work of over 130 artists and more than two dozen music and dance performances, as well as live arts demonstrations, an activities area for kids, and open studios. Attendees can browse and buy artwork from over 130 local and visiting artists spanning all genres, from traditional woodworking and ceramics to digital drawing and avant-garde mixed media.

This free, weekend-long community event enables attendees to experience art, music, dance, and more while enjoying food from local eateries on the cobblestone streets of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District, at the intersection of Morse and Glenwood avenues, steps from the Morse CTA Red Line stop.

You can submit your application for the fest here.

Friends of Edgewater Library and the Edgewater Branch of the Chicago Public Libraries are partnering to bring you a family origami night with guest instructor Ty Yamamoto.

Ty Yamamoto is a Chicago-based filmmaker, photographer and Japanese teacher with a passion for origami. He has taught origami lessons to people of all ages, bringing the traditional Japanese art form to people all over the world.

You can scan the QR Code above or go here to register for the event.

Tuesday May 6th at 6:30pm

Edgewater Library 6000 N Broadway

On Thursday, May 8th, The Green Goose is hosting a visible mending workshop with Nandi from Bliss Joy Bull! In the workshop, you will learn to repair rips and tears in your garments.

Thursday, May 8th

6:30pm-8:30pm

The Green Goose

5238 N Clark Street

You can register for the class here.

The Glenwood Sunday Market is hosting its Spiral Into Spring: A Flourishing Soirée on Friday, May 9th from 7 to 9 pm at The Rhapsody Theater (1328 W Morse). This soirée benefits the Glenwood Sunday Market's food access program which doubles LINK customers' dollars spent at the market! The evening will feature live music, hors d’oeuvres, and drinks!

For more information about the event and sponsorship opportunities, click HERE!

Alderwoman Maria Hadden's Office is partnering with the kindness campaign to create the Northside Fresh Foods Market! This is an opportunity for residents of the 49th ward to receive free groceries and produce on Saturday, May 10th at 11 am at Willye White Park (1610 W Howard St). Please remember to bring your own bag! The market will be open until all produce has been distributed.

The 20th District Council is hosting their monthly public meeting on Monday, May 12th from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Swedish Hospital Andersonville Pavilion (2751 W Winona). To learn more about this event, click HERE!

Paper & Pencil, your friendly neighborhood stationery shop, turns TWO on Saturday, May 17th, and you’re invited to the party! Join them as they celebrate two years of Paper & Pencil in Andersonville.

The first 25 customers of the day will receive FREE gift bags filled with stationery goodies. They’ll be passing out FREE gifts with purchase all day long, and they’ll be releasing exciting new Paper & Pencil merch including their NEW shopfront sticker and postcard, a re-release of their highly sought after baseball caps, new exclusive collabs, and more!

Saturday, May 17th

1480 W Berwyn Ave

The World Music Foundation is hosting a FREE event at the WMF Listening Room (1066 W Granville) called "Jalimusa: An Epic Tale of Black Women's Mothering" on Sunday, May 18th at 3 pm. This presentation will be a combination of performance and lecture on chapters of Dr. Amira Davis' book on Black women's mothering. She will perform songs related to Black women's mothering and read excerpts from her book. All ages and nationalities are welcomed!

To learn more about this event and to register for it, click HERE!

The Chicago Mosaic School is hosting its annual Mosaic Fest on Saturday, June 1 from 11 am to 6 pm at 1127 W Granville! This event is a perfect way to experience all that The Chicago Mosaic School has to offer while connecting with your community. Try your hand at creating a variety of mosaic projects, listen to live music, and meet your neighbors, all while enjoying food and beverages.

To learn more about this event and to purchase tickets, click HERE!

The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce has announced their annual Midsommar Fest's lineup! The fest will take place June 13-15 and will feature over 100 artists who will take over five stages for a weekend of music, dance, and community as they welcome in Chicago’s most beautiful season.

They are thrilled to welcome back returning favorites like MIIRRORS, Madame Reaper, Justice Hill, Bev Rage & the Drinks, and S@n!c Healing. Say Halla Sommar! to exciting new additions including 7000apart, Mario Abney & The Abney Effect, Manasseh Croft, Triplets of Gonzo, Yasser Tejeda, and so many more!

 They’re also dropping even more headliner news:

 Ariana DJ returns to the Summerdale Stage on Friday at 9PM.

Musical theater legend Anthony Rapp takes over Summerdale on Sunday at 6PM!

To learn more about this event, click HERE!

As the community partner to the Chicago Park District's Osterman Beach Natural Area, Edgewater Environmental Coalition volunteers restore and maintain natural dune and open sand habitats. These spaces allow beach-goers to discover and appreciate the beauty of nature in its many forms.

Volunteer Workdays take place on Sundays and are led by trained Community Stewards. Activities differ by site and time of year, and can include tasks such as litter pickup, trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, native plant installation, as well as nature-based activities like birding and plant identification walks.

There are accessible places off paved pathways to sit; with water, bike racks, and restrooms right by the meeting place. The activities take place in mostly flat and sandy areas that may be difficult to traverse for people with mobility challenges.

Parking in the area is very limited to what you can find on nearby streets. Biking, walking, carpooling, or public transit is recommended.

Contact volunteer Community Stewards Renee and Jim at ostermanbeachnaturalarea@gmail.com with questions.

Follow along through their Facebook page.

Sign up for the Osterman Beach stewardship volunteer mailing list on this form.

Interested in helping with watering trees? You can sign up here

To learn more about this opportunity, click HERE!

Theatre

Curious Theatre Branch is proud to present the world premiere of The Infinity Play, written by Paul William Brennan and directed by Brennan and Maya Odim, April 25 – May 18, at Jarvis Square Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave.

In ten interconnecting scenes of different times, places and proportions, a pair of players take turns to clean up the mess the preceding players made, but end up making a bigger mess for the players after them. 

The performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. The running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets for The Infinity Play are on sale at CuriousTheatreBranch.com. Tickets are priced on a “pay what you can” scale, with a suggested price of $20. 

The Story Theatre is back at the Raven Theatre with a reimagining of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Governing Ensemble member Terry Guest, directed by Mikael Burke.

Courtney Berringers would like to welcome you to her wake! But—make no mistake—this ain’t your grandma’s funeral. Loosely based on the life and death of playwright Terry Guest’s Uncle Anthony, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen is a one-act, two-hander play set in 2004 that centers Blackness, southern queerness, and the fine art of drag. From African gods and goddesses to Trina and Whitney Houston, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen thoughtfully uses storytelling, drama and drag to explore identity, illness, and the narratives we construct for ourselves. Come party at the wake. Bring your own heels!

Running until May 11th at Raven Theatre

6157 N Clark St

You can find tickets here.

Raven Theatre's Season 42 ends with a stunning world premiere, GORGEOUS by Keiko Green! This funny, complicated, and one-of-a-kind production- directed by Kirsten Fitzgerald- is a hilarious and charming show you do not want to miss.

Jenny has a simple life; she takes care of the elderly and shows dogs professionally. When her just-a-little-bit-older boyfriend Bill dies suddenly, all Jenny wants is to get rid of his stuff and continue to show his champion Bulldog, GORGEOUS. Enter Bernie, a tornado of a woman. Amid the boxes of things that made up Bill’s life, Jenny and Bernie must find a way forward for themselves and the dog.

Gorgeous runs May 1-June 7th, at Raven Theatre

6157 N Clark St

You can get tickets here.

Now in its 36th year, the Rhinoceros Theater Festival returns to Chicago from September 4 until September 28, providing production and exhibition opportunities for local and national artists alike. Submissions for the festival will be open from May 1st-22nd.

This year, they are calling for work that in some way advances or responds to the idea of resistance, in whatever meaning that has for each artist. In times when prospects are cast grim, our imaginations are called upon to resist the gloom and doom, to resist cruel indifference, by populating our stages and our imaginations with gatherings and our persistent constructive presence. This year, of all years, the Rhinofest encourages affordable DIY production within our nest of venues and community and support for works of the imagination in resistance and in performance.

Performances will be held at Facility Theatre in Humboldt Park, Jarvis Square Theatre in Rogers Park, and Labyrinth Club in Avondale

For more information about the festival and how to apply go to their website.

The Spot on Theatre company will be showing a new play called "The Cuckoo Clock" from May 1st to May 31st at the Berger Park Coach House (6205 N Sheridan Rd).

Play Description from the Theatre's website:

When a young girl moves in with her seemingly ancient Aunts, she discovers a magical house in Victorian England where the charming cuckoo clock comes to life and reveals a world of enchantment and adventure. Travel along with our heroine as she learns ever so much about kindness, friendship, and the sustaining power of love. Who knew that growing up and being at home could be such fun. 

​For children, families, adults, and all those young at heart! This performance is best suited for children 8 and above. The show will run for about 2 hours, including a ten minute intermission.  

To purchase tickets and to learn about show times, click HERE!

Youth & Teen

Click image above for full flyer with more information

Chicago Builds is a hands-on, citywide construction training program for rising 11th and 12th grade CPS and charter students interested in the building trades.

Program Highlights:

Earn up to 5 high school credits

Gain technical and industry certifications

Union exam prep, paid summer internships, dual credit options

Specialized training in carpentry or electricity (Level II)

Program site: Dunbar Vocational Career Academy

🗓️ Application Deadline: June 2025

📍 Info sessions (in-person & virtual): Now through May 7

👉 Apply & learn more: CPS.edu/ChicagoBuilds

Refugee Education & Adventure Challenge (REACH) is pleased to open up registration for their 2025 Summer Adventure Camp. Eligible youth are refugee and asylum-seeking youth (boys and girls) between the ages of 10 and 18, who primarily live in Chicago's north side neighborhoods (Rogers Park, West Ridge, Albany Park, Edgewater) or nearby suburbs. This year, they will offer four weeks of day camps, two overnight camping trips, and a multi-night extended sleepaway camp. Youths can register for one week of day camp or more. Registration will close once they reach capacity (30 youth slots per weekly session) or on June 13th. 

Summer Adventure Day Camp Sessions:  They will offer four weekly day camp sessions (Mon-Thurs, 10 am - 4 pm) during which REACH participants will engage in adventure sports and place-based education activities such as archery, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, nature hikes, fishing, forest restoration, and river clean-ups. [REACH will coordinate bus or van transportation based on enrollees' residential neighborhoods. In some cases, participants may need to get transport to the pick-up location.]

Session One: July 7 - July 10

Session Two: July 14 - July 17

Session Three: August 4 - August 7

Session Four: August 11 - August 14

Summer Adventure Overnight Camping Trips:  They will offer two overnight (1 night / 2-days) tent camping trips (one girls only, one boys only) and one extended sleep-away camp (3 nights/4 days) including team building activities (scavenger hunts, improv skits), nature education (macroinvertebrate investigations, outdoor cooking, habitat assessments), adventure sports (kayaking, climbing, hiking), and leadership development (problem solving, cooperative learning). [REACH will transport all participating youth via van or charter bus rentals.] 

Co-Ed Sleep-Away Camp: Sunday - Wednesday, July 27 - July 30, 2025

Girls' Only Camping Trip: Fri-Sat, July 11-12, 2025

Boys' Only Camping Trip: Fri-Sat: August 8-9, 2025

Family Picnic & Award Ceremony: This is an end-of-summer celebration for all participating youth and their family members. 

Family Picnic: Sunday, August 24, 12-3 PM

If you have eligible refugee or asylum-seeking youth who may want to participate, please fill out the preliminary registration form here - REACH Summer 2025 Pre-Registration Form, and they will schedule home visits with each family to complete the registration interview process.

Remember: all camps are FREE, but registration will be limited to 30 youth per weekly session. Registration closes on June 13, 2025 or when camps reach capacity. 

Specific questions about summer camp registration can be directed to Shana Wills at swills@reachinchicago.org or Ellie Hease at ehease@reachinchicago.org.

Are you looking to explore something new for your child in 2025? Karate has many benefits such as increased focus, balance, agility, coordination, flexibility, emotional regulation, standing up for yourself/others and conflict resolution are just a few of the mental and physical benefits of karate classes. 

The Karate Beginners Special includes two months of classes (up to 3x/week) *and* uniform for only $250. Monthly payment option available as well. Schedule a FREE TRIAL CLASS to get started. Admission is rolling, but space is limited.

Classes are always LGBTQIA+ affirming and neurodivergent-friendly. Culture of Safety is a queer owned business. As always, classes are body-positive, trans-affirming, trauma-aware, and neurodivergent-friendly!

You can sign up here.

Job Openings

The Waterfront Cafe is now hiring for the summer season. Waterfront Café is a hidden sanctuary in the heart of Berger Park and diagonally adjacent to the Berger Park Cultural Center. They offer a variety of summer salads, sausages and seafood rolls, along with beer, wine, and tropical beverages. Enjoy the cool summer breezes on their lakefront garden patio, surrounded by stunning lake and city skyline views.

You can visit their website to apply and schedule an interview.

If you are searching for a job, consider visiting the American Job Center at Truman College! You can receive career coaching, assistance with building your resume, and many other useful services! They are hosting an orientation event on May 20th at the center (1145 W Wilson) which you can register for by clicking HERE! To learn more about the center, click HERE!

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office is now accepting applications for its third-annual summer job program!

Approximately 150 positions are available for college, trade school, graduate school students, law students, or graduating high school students who are enrolled in college or trade school in the fall.

Available positions include working in Secretary of State offices in Chicago, surrounding suburbs, Springfield and downstate facility locations. Under the program, college and trade school students earn $17 per hour and specific contractual intern positions for graduate and law school students earn $25 per hour. Job offerings include working in one of the 25 departments in the Secretary of State’s office or at a DMV.

Interested applicants can apply at www.ilsos.gov/summerjobs and must submit a resume, application, and cover letter explaining their interest in working at the Secretary of State’s office. Please reach out to publicengagement@ilsos.gov with any questions.

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

The Department of Children and Family Services is hosting a job fair on Thursday, May 15th, from 10 am to 2 pm at The Smith Park Fieldhouse (2526 W Grand)! The event is free to attend and will feature numerous recruiters and hiring managers who are hiring for full-time, part-time, and internship positions. Opportunities to take professional headshots are also available. This is a great opportunity to network with other job seekers!

To register for this event, click HERE! 

Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy

State Representative, 14th District



Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

1507 W. Morse Ave

Chicago IL 60626