Dear Terra,

When a family is in crisis, children desperately need support, stability, and love.

That's why grandparents and other relatives are often the first choice to serve as foster families when a child goes into the care of the Department of Children and Family Services.

Unfortunately, these kinds of placements have often been hampered by outdated rules and standards. So I'm very pleased that, this week, Governor Pritzker signed HB4781, the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act, allowing DCFS to develop more flexible standards to certify relatives who are able to safely care for youth in DCFS care.

The KIND Act provides responsible, commonsense updates to DCFS practice that will make it easier for family members to step up and provide stable, caring homes for children in crisis. When we support these family caregivers and provide the foster care benefits these families need and deserve, we can help to put these children on a path to happier, healthier adult lives.

We're collecting cleaning products for DuPagePads and newly housed people

When someone is making the transition out of homelessness, the cost of cleaning products can be insurmountable. To help people who need basic housekeeping supplies, my office is hosting a cleaning products donation drive to support DuPagePads.



From now through Feb. 28, we'll be collecting laundry detergent pods, dish soap, hand soap, sponges, dryer sheets, and wipes.

DuPagePads' mission is to end homelessness in DuPage County. Their year-round programs feed and shelter individuals and families who are homeless and connect them to case management and other services that can address the underlying causes of their homelessness. To learn more about their work, you can click here.

To schedule a drop-off time or porch pick up, you can email us at reptch42@gmail.com or call 630-812-9292. You can also donate through our Amazon Wish List and have the donations delivered directly to our office.

Black History Month Spotlight: Mary Richardson Jones, Illinois philanthropist

Black History Month gives all of us an opportunity to celebrate our nation's rich legacy of changemakers, pioneers, activists, and creators. This month, we begin our celebration with a spotlight on the life of Chicago philanthropist and activist Mary Richardson Jones.

Born in Tennessee in 1820, Mary Richardson Jones came to Illinois with her family when she was still a teenager. After her marriage to John Jones, the young family moved to Chicago, where they became prominent advocates for the abolition of slavery and every citizen's right to vote. During the Civil War, Mary Jones served as president of the Colored Ladies’ Freedmen’s Aid Society of Chicago, collecting donations for the families of Black soldiers.

John Jones, who gained fame as a dynamic and effective advocate for voting rights in Illinois, built a successful clothing business and also made substantial investments in real estate. After his death in 1879, Mary continued her philanthropic work and was renowned as one of Chicago's social leaders. She was a generous supporter of Hull House, Provident Hospital, and many other important social service organizations.

Today, the site of her Chicago home is a landmark, and Jones Park on Chicago's Near South Side was named in her honor in 2005.

Capture visions of nature for Downers Grove's Environmental Sustainability Plan

Do you love taking photographs of nature? Would you like to share your images with your community?

The Village of Downers Grove is looking for photos to include in their first-ever Environmental Sustainability Plan. The plan is a central component of Guiding DG, a series of strategic plans that are intended to serve as a roadmap for the future growth and sustainability of the Village over the next two decades. 

To be included in the plan, photos should be of places and subjects in Downers Grove. Images should speak to the community about environmental sustainability and should be appropriate for all ages. 

To learn more and find the submission form, you can click here.

Thinking about a career in government? Apply for a summer internship with us!

Do you know somebody who has a passion for public service or who is thinking about a career in government?

My office is accepting applications for summer internships at my district office in Lombard. It's a great opportunity for someone who is interested in spending the summer working to support our communities – and getting paid for it!

You'll need excellent writing, communication, and organizational skills, as well as experience with social media and working in Google Docs.

Duties will include:

• Constituent casework
• Policy research
• Engaging with constituents through canvassing
• Social media content creation
• Attending off-site events and meetings
• Event planning



If you're interested, you can email your resume to Reptch42@gmail.com.

Sip, stroll, and nibble at Wheaton's Winter Wine & Cheese Walk SATURDAY

You can add some extra fun to a chilly afternoon this Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Downtown Wheaton Association Winter Wine & Cheese Walk, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. in downtown Wheaton.

Your ticket will include 12 one-ounce wine tastes at participating downtown businesses and unlimited samples of expertly curated artisan cheeses. At the end of the event, you can take home your own souvenir wine glass.

Tickets are $40 per person. For more information and to buy tickets, you can visit here.

Glen Ellyn offers a sweet time with its Wonka Walk in Glen Ellyn SATURDAY

Would you like to spend a wintry afternoon with Timothée Chalamet? You can! (Sort of.)

Downtown Glen Ellyn is offering a free showing of the movie Wonka, which stars Chalamet as the title character, as part of its Wonka Walk festivities this Saturday, Feb. 8.

The Wonka Walk also will include a Golden Ticket treasure hunt. If you find Willy Wonka himself, you can take a selfie to win a sweet treat. (Editor: We assume this actually means a life-sized photo of Willie Wonka, but we have our fingers crossed.)



If you're one of the first five people to make a purchase of $25 or more at one of the 30 participating stores, you'll receive a free Wonka Bar by Chocolaterie Stam. The bars also will be available for sale Chocolaterie Stam. To learn more, you can click here.

Share your heart with Tri-Town YMCA and enjoy Valentine pizzas and piñatas

Would you like to break (or slice) a few hearts on Valentine's Day? Then don't miss Tri-Town YMCA's Share Your Heart fundraiser, which is selling heart-shaped pizzas and mini chocolate piñatas to support their scholarship programs.

You can choose pepperoni, sausage, or cheese pizzas. The mini chocolate piñata hearts are filled with Valentine M&Ms – and three of them contain a $100 cash prize. Orders must be placed by noon on Monday, Feb. 10, with pick-up on Friday, Feb. 14, at Tri-Town YMCA at St. Alexander School in Villa Park. To order, please click here.

You can also support Tri-Town by bidding on silent auction packages. You can click here to view the auction, which closes on Thursday, Feb. 13.

Donate (virtually) to People’s Resource Center's Souper Bowl virtual soup drive

With just a couple of clicks, you could provide some warm, nutritious soup for a family in need.

From now through Monday, Feb. 10, People's Resource Center is hosting a virtual soup drive through their Target Wish List. You just make your purchase online, and canned soups will be delivered directly to PRC's Food Pantry.

If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party, you can help even more by encouraging your guests to donate on their phones by visiting peoplesrc.org. It's easy, and it will help families in need throughout DuPage County. To look at the wish list and make a donation, just click here.

Feeling hot cocoa-deficient? Head Lombard's Winter Fest SATURDAY

Don’t let cabin fever give you the winter blues. All ages can enjoy an afternoon of wintry fun at the Lombard Park District's Winter Fest on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Sunset Knoll Recreation Center, 820 Finely Road in Lombard.

This indoor/outdoor event will offer hot chocolate, games, crafts, and demonstrations of dog sledding and ice carving, plus visits from some special guests. For more information, you can click here.

Support GEYFCS and enjoy a free Jazz Night at St. Mark's Church in Glen Ellyn

You can enjoy a free night of jazz and support a good cause when St. Mark’s Episcopal Church hosts Jazz Night, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 393 North Main St. in Glen Ellyn.

The event, featuring music from the Geneva Jazz Ensemble, will support Glen Ellyn Youth and Family Counseling Services (GEYFCS), which offers counseling to individuals, families, or couples who are financially unable to access other professional counseling services.

Admission is free; participants are asked to donate to GEYFCS. To learn more, you can click here.

Do you know someone amazing? Vote now for the 2025 Glen Ellyn Community Awards

Each year, the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce asks for our help in recognizing the exceptional businesses, teachers, volunteers, and other neighbors who make Glen Ellyn a wonderful place to live, learn, work, dine, shop, and play.

There are individual awards for excellence in a wide range of categories, including public servants, teachers, employees, local businesses, and volunteers. To vote, you can click here, now through Feb. 11.

Vote for the new (or old?) Illinois State Flag

After reviewing more than 4,800 entries for the Illinois state flag redesign contest (including some wacky ones), the Illinois Flag Commission is asking the public to vote for their favorites, now through Feb. 14.

In addition to the new flag designs, you can opt to retain the existing state flag or bring back the 1918 centennial flag or the 1968 sesquicentennial flag.

You can vote once a day. Once the public voting period has ended, the votes will be counted and the results will be sent to the Illinois General Assembly. Your input during this period will help to guide our decision on the future of our state’s flag later this year. To vote, you can click here.

Upcoming Events

We have lots of events coming up, so please take a look and mark your calendars today!

Feb. 18: Glen Ellyn Community Blood Drive, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center, 800 St. Charles Road

Feb. 21: Illuminated Concert Series, Cinematic and Show Hits, at 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 493 Forest Ave. in Glen Ellyn

Feb. 23: YAMATO – The Drummers of Japan, at 7 p.m. at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn

Feb. 25: Glen Ellyn Park District’s Winter Family Fun in the Neighborhood, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Spring Avenue Recreation Center, 185 Spring Ave.

Feb. 28: Summer Job Fair, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Main Street Recreation Center, 501 Hill Ave. in Glen Ellyn

Mar. 1: District 88 Foundation Pickleball Fundraiser, from 9 a.m. to noon at Willowbrook High School, 1250 S. Ardmore Ave. in Villa Park.

If you have any questions about pending legislation or other issues related to your state government, please don't hesitate to contact my office at 630-812-9292 or RepTCH42@gmail.com.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay strong,

Terra Costa Howard

State Representative 

42nd District

913 S. Main St.

Lombard, IL 60148

(630) 812-9292