Dear Neighbors,

So far, about 48% of our Ward has answered the census - not nearly enough. After you look at Mayor Lightfoot's video about what to do at home, click here and answer the census.

If you are a college student, or have college students currently at home with you, be sure to be counted. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, students living away from home should be counted at their usual on-campus or off-campus college address, even if coronavirus has closed the campus. Here are the details.

The Census controls many things: our representation in Congress, Aldermanic boundaries, and most important, our access to federal funding for many critical items. Please take a moment to fill it in.

SBA Loans Town Hall Q&A

For Non-Profit and Community Organizations

TODAY, Wednesday, April 15

12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Register Below

The SBA loans under the federal CARES Act can be used by non-profit and community organizations as well as small businesses. Join Commissioner Bridget Gainer and Robert Steiner, the District Director for the Illinois District U.S. Small Business Administration for a Town Hall regarding available federal loans.

Please register for the webinar here .

Mental Health Webinar

TODAY, Wednesday, April 15th

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Zoom Meeting

RSVP Required

Our State Representatives have put together a virtual mental health forum to discuss strategies for staying healthy and well during this unprecedented and challenging time. They will be joined by various experts in the field of mental health, child psychology and tele-heatlh.

To join this Zoom event, please RSVP using the Google Form linked   here. There is space on the RSVP form for you to submit questions for the mental health experts. Submissions can be acknowledged by first name, or can remain anonymous.

Old Town Virtual Art Fair

After 70 consecutive years, the Old Town Art Fair has sadly been cancelled for 2020. To help support the 250 fine artists who would have lined our streets this year, OTTA is kicking off its first #VirtualArtFair ! New artists will be showcased each day with links to their websites.

Follow the Old Town Art Fair on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram , and share with family and friends. We hope they will join you in supporting these incredible artists!

If you have any questions - please reach out to Anna at  [email protected]  

Go Fund Me: Making

Face Shields for Medical Workers

Healthcare workers are in dire need of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). 43rd Ward residents Shalina Sharma, Radha Parekh, and Rajeev Bahri's have already surpassed their original goal to produce 10,000 Face Shields in 10 days. Demand continues to grow, so they are raising money to make more shields to donate for hospital and non-hospital usage. Please visit their Gofundme page to donate. You can also view their Vimeo site to see how your donated funds are put to work.

Users Guide to Face Masks

Wearing a mask every day is not something we are accustomed to, so I wanted to share this New York Times article on the Do's and Dont's of face coverings.

You can also watch this video on how to make your own mask using a T-Shirt and a paper towel.

#43 Wears Masks

As we said, the great Oz has spoken. and we are happy to report that Dorothy and the Scarecrow are wearing masks. You should be, too. Send more photos of you in your masks and post with the hashtag #43wearsmasks.

Take care of yourself and wear your mask,

#43WearsMasks

Coronavirus Resources :

www.chicago.gov/coronavirus

If you have any additional questions, please email:  [email protected]  or call 312-746-4835

The Doctor Is In: Ask Dr. Arwady. Live-stream by Chicago Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., daily at 11:00 am on  Twitter and  Facebook Live.

Sign up to receive the latest updates on Coronavirus:  https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/VwvbSW5/coronavirus

 

State of Illinois

https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/

 

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus