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Y’all. It’s cold. Like everyone else, I’ve spent the last few days adding layers, dripping faucets, cuddling with pets and sitting as close to my fireplace as possible at all times. I don’t regret moving here, but I do wonder if 1991 me thought she’d still be here begging the dog to wait till the temperature hit double digits before our morning walk.
Once again, our Mobile DMV/City Key event with the offices of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Gianoullias and City Clerk Anna Valencia was a huge hit. All told the Secretary of State's Office was able to complete appointments for 21 Real Drivers Licenses, 16 Real IDs, 2 Vehicle Registrations, 1 Standard Drivers License and 2 Standard IDs for constituents. The City Clerk's office was able to print off more than 20 City Keys for us and I made sure to pick one up! The handy City Key ID allows residents to carry a single card that not only serves as a government issued photo ID, but also acts as a Chicago Public Library Card, a Ventra card for the CTA, and gives you access to special deals at stores and restaurants across the city.
Last week, our team joined with Senator Simmons’ staff for an all day training on Mental Health First Aid. This is something I’ve wanted to do for years since the national group made an informational presentation to us in Springfield years ago. The principle is simple: we take CPR and first aid training to make sure we’re equipped to handle an emergency, but we don’t equip ourselves with the tools to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis. Through a combination of self-directed work and a four hour in person training, we learned some very basic steps to provide care and support while protecting the safety of everyone involved. Our instructor from Cicero Family Services gave real world examples of how best to communicate with someone in crisis, strategies for providing support, and resources for helping people access care. We talked a fair bit about the rather unique nature of the work of a local elected’s office and the similarity to front line social work and case management roles, when most of the folks working in these roles do not come from a behavioral health background. I’m excited to share our experience with my colleagues and encourage them to access these resources for their teams as well.
This is the last newsletter of the year, barring any need for emergency communication. I’m excited that starting tonight I’ll have a house full of kids again and am already planning out all the meals and goodies I’ll make for the boys while they’re home. We had latkes last night with our dear friends, but I’m sure I’ll be frying some up at some point soon too - they’re just too good!
We’ve updated the list of volunteer opportunities and donation links for folks looking for a place to celebrate the season and help their neighbors at the same time. The office will be closed from Monday the 22nd until January 5th to allow our team to celebrate with family and recharge before heading into session. We’ll keep an eye on the email and phone messages for emergencies, but the office will not be open for walk-ins.
Wishing everyone peaceful holidays and a happy new year!
| Staff from the ILSOS and the City Clerk office set up for our Mobile DMV + City Key event! | Rep. Cassidy gets her City Key! | | Our office and Senator Simmons' office participating in a Mental Health First Aid Training! | | Our office will be closed from December 22nd until January 2nd. Our first day back in office will be Monday January 5th. If you need to contact us please reach out to our inbox info@repcassidy.com or you can leave us a voicemail at 773 784 2002. Our inbox and voicemail will be lightly monitored for emergencies, otherwise we will reach out when we return to the office in January. | | Update About SNAP Program Work Requirements | | |
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.
| | Volunteer & Give This Holiday Season! | | |
This holiday season one way you can give to your neighbors is by volunteering, click any of the links below to sign up to volunteer at a local organization:
You can also donate directly to organizations here:
| | Watch Repair Service in Rogers Park | | Our neighbor, Brett Neumann, is a certified watchmaker in Rogers Park! Need your watch repaired? Have an old watch that's stopped working that you've been dreaming of wearing again? Call or text him at (312) 395-0758! | | Applications Open for 2026 Illinois Supportive Housing Institute | | |
The Supportive Housing Institute (the Institute) is an accelerated training and technical assistance program designed to help participants navigate the often-complex process of supportive housing development, from financing and service coordination to operations and long-term property management. The Institute begins in March 2026, and selected teams will participate in 10 sessions, eight in-person in Springfield and two virtual, over a four-month period.
If you are interested in creating additional supportive housing for the most vulnerable in your community, or know of individuals or organizations interested in this work, the Institute would be a great start.
This initiative is a partnership between IHDA and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH). Ideal teams applying to the Institute should include a developer, property manager, and supportive services partner. Teams are also encouraged to include a person with lived experience to help shape designs that better support tenant well-being and long-term housing stability.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. (CST) on Friday, January 30, 2026. Interested applicants are also encouraged to attend an upcoming informational webinar to learn more about the program and application process:
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ComEd made two announcements this month:
1) ComEd announced the January 1, 2026 launch of the Low-Income Discount (LID) program. The LID program will provide percentage-based discounts to monthly ComEd bills for income eligible customers.
You can learn more about their new program here.
2) More than $803 million dollars will be returned to customers under the framework established in Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which requires nuclear plants to pay customers when prices are high. Residential and commercial customers will benefit from this funding in the form of bill credits, over the first five months of 2026.
You can read a press release about it here.
| | Gathering for Sergio Maya at South of the Border, and Fundraiser for Services. | | |
Sergio Alejandro Maya Godinez, 34, of Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood passed away December 12, 2025. There will be a gathering tonight December 15th from 5:00pm-10:00pm to celebrate the life of our Rogers Park friend and neighbor.
What follows is from his obituary including a link where people can donate to help cover funeral expenses and transportation of his remains.
Sergio Maya chased beauty and depth. He sought beauty in his friends, and in the world. His life was filled with adventure. He always made plans for the next great adventure including his upcoming move to New York. He didn't waste time with the details, he focused on the experiences he would have, the relationships he would build, and the marrow he would suck out of life.
Jack Kerouac's quote from his novel On the Road suite's Sergio's energy: "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars."
The accident that took his life followed an evening with friends. All that knew Maya can say that he was deeply loved and that he fully extracted everything he could from his time on this planet.
Beloved son of Maria Teresa Godinez. Loving brother of Karen Godinez Maya.
He will be deeply missed by his colleagues and friends at South of The Border Restaurant & Bar - Rogers Park. The community at Rogers Park Social has also lost a friendly patron.
We need your help to raise funds to help cover transportation costs for his remains and his service, https://www.spotfund.com/story/3c274d16-f315-4aac-9952-ba9983874432
Please help us remember Maya in a way that is befitting of his time with us and his forever time in our hearts.
Arrangements by Inclusive Funeral Care, 773-318-1305 or www.InclusiveFuneralCare.com
| | Cookies, Crafts and the Grinch | | |
Presented by the Friends of the Edgewater Library, warm up at the library with cookies, crafts and cocoa. The whole family can visit craft tables to make holiday cards, winter ornaments and decorative snowflakes. Afterwards there will be a visit from everyone's favorite holiday book character--the Grinch!
For kids 6 to 13.
Edgewater Library
6000 N Broadway
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
6:30PM – 7:30PM
For more information and to register you can go here.
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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 17th from 6:30pm-8:30pm
| | 48th Ward Delivery Robot Survey | | You may have seen Delivery Robots, aka Personal Delivery Devices (PDDs), roving around the neighborhood. These bots are fully autonomous but have a remote human operator on standby. Robot delivery companies are eager to expand their services into the 48th Ward and throughout the city. PDD companies are app-based and the devices travel on sidewalks/crosswalks at a maximum speed of 4mph. Please take a moment to share your thoughts about PDDs with Alderwoman Leni's Office by filling out their survey here. | | Tesla Training Center Sock Drive! | | Tesla Training Center (6910 N Clark St) is hosting a sock drive to help keep our unhoused neighbors warm this winter. Please consider donating a new pair of socks at their center anytime from December 1 to December 20. Socks are one of the most requested items for people in need. A single pair can make a meaningful difference in someone’s comfort and warmth. | | Clark Street Trading Post Holiday Pop-Up | | |
Visit the Holiday Pop-Up at the Clark Street Trading Post for it's last weekend! Shop incredible pieces from local vendors, makers, and artists for the holiday season. Discover unique gifts, handmade goods, and creative finds!
You can see a list of vendors and hours here.
| | Burke's Last Minute Market | | |
Always scrambling for those last minute holiday gifts? Don't worry, Burke's Public House has got you covered! On December 17th and 20th, they are bringing you a Last Minute Market, showcasing amazing artists and artisans that call Chicago home. So if you're looking for last minute gifts, jewelry, treats, tchotchkes, or anything else to make the holidays complete, look no further than your favorite place in Edgewater!
Burke's Public House
5401 N Broadway
Wednesday, December 17 (6-8pm)
Saturday, December 20 (2-5pm)
| | Cocoa With Santa at Willye B. White Park | | |
Ho! Ho! Ho! Join the Chicago Park District for a cup of hot cocoa with Santa at Willye B. White Park. The free event is a wonderful opportunity for children to visit with jolly Santa, take a selfie and share their holiday wishes.
Thanks to our ongoing partnership with 024 CAPS. Adult must be accompanied by a child. Free cocoa while supplies last.
Saturday December 20th
10:00am-11:30am
Willye B. White Park
1610 N Howard st.
| | The CTA Will be Free for New Year's Eve | | |
As reported in Block Club:
The Molson Coors Corporation will cover all CTA rides for New Year’s Eve night into the next morning.
In what has become an annual affair since 2012, the promotion makes trips free for all riders 10 p.m. Dec. 31-4 a.m. Jan. 1. This year’s campaign is presented by the beer company’s Miller High Life brand.
“CTA is an integral part of how Chicago stays connected, and we’re proud to partner with them once again to help people get home safely this New Year’s Eve,” said Alison Hanrahan, the community affairs manager at Molson Coors.
| | Theatre Above the Law Presents Black Comedy, a Farce by Peter Shafer | | |
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.
| | Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol | | |
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.
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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.
| | Hershel & the Hanukkah Goblins | | |
The beloved Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins returns for its 9th year at Strawdog Theatre Company! Celebrate the holiday season with the whole family with this adaptation of the classic book by Eric Kimmel.
When Hershel and her troupe find themselves in a town that has forgotten the importance of Hanukkah, they must tell the story of her grandfather, the legendary Hershel of Ostropol, as he takes it upon himself to outwit the goblins once and for all. The troupe tells Hershel’s story through music and puppets, sharing the spirit of Hanukkah with bravery, joy, and a lot of latkes. Come sing songs, outsmart spooky goblins, and light the candles with Hershel and friends!
Running until December 28th.
Raven Theatre
6157 N Clark St.
For more information, showtimes, and tickets go to their website here.
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If you're looking for a way to get out of the house this winter and don't want to travel too far, you can check out Lost Arts Show, a variety show located at Lost Hours Coffee Shop on Broadway and Berwyn every 3rd Thursday of the month. Their next show is this Thursday, December 18th at 7 pm. Enjoy a variety of Chicago comedians, magicians, clowns and musicians. Show is BYOB.
Lost Hours Coffee Shop
5256 N Broadway
7pm
| | American Job Center at Truman College | | |
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
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773-784-2002 (phone)
Info@repcassidy.com
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