Community Aid Opportunities Pro Bono Therapy for Immigrant & Refugee Communities A local Chicago student, Kaiyen Arana, recently founded Healing Without Fear, an initiative to provide compassionate, trauma-informed mental health care to individuals and families affected by the current immigration, detention and deportation crisis here in Chicago. Healing Without Fear is a confidential network of mental health clinicians who volunteer their time and talent to offer pro bono therapy sessions. These sessions are available to children, adolescents, and adults experiencing stress, trauma, or other mental health challenges related to the current immigration, detention, and deportation threats. HWF is for individuals and families affected by immigration-related stress or concerns about deportation, and consists of at least five therapy sessions (with the possibility of extension), provided by licensed clinicians at no cost. Spanish-speaking therapists are available but in limited quantities. If you or someone you know may benefit from these services, you can contact Healing Without Fear by filling out this form . Once a referral form is received, it will be reviewed and forwarded to a volunteer clinician to initiate services. State Sen. Mike Simmons Mutual Aid Food Drive Senator Mike Simmons’ office is accepting donations of non-perishable food, reusable grocery bags, and new toiletries/diapers/cleaning supplies. Drop off donations Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. -3 p.m. at 1040 W Bryn Mawr. For questions, email senatormikesimmons@gmail.com or call 773-769-1717. Salvation Army GORRC Program Are you 55 or older and caring for a child under 18 or a loved one (19-59) with a disability? The Salvation Army offers a Grandparents and Older Adults Raising Children (GORRC) program for grandparents 55 years old and older who are raising their grandchildren. Through the GORRC program, they offer support group meetings and financial assistance with tangible needs to seniors, for children whose grandparents are caring for them. Find out more by emailing aging@cityofchicago.org . Loyola University ICE Map Tracker Live! The Loyola Phoenix, the official student newspaper of Loyola University Chicago, has launched an ICE tracker where constituents can report ICE sightings in the ward. You can access the map here and read more about using the map here . Protecting Chicago Resources Available! As part of Mayor Johnson's Executive Order 2025-6 Establishing the Protecting Chicago Initiative, the Mayor's Office has launched the Protecting Chicago website, which can be found at: chicago.gov/protect. Protecting Chicago aims to make available information and resources that allow every resident—regardless of background, immigration status, or neighborhood—to live with safety, dignity, and peace of mind. This initiative is Chicago’s commitment to promote the well-being of our communities and to safeguard the rights of all Chicagoans.

49 Expressions 49 Expressions is a virtual community art gallery created by the young emerging leaders of the 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council. Featuring over 70 pieces by local artists, this gallery highlights the artistic talent and character of Rogers Park. Featured artists range in age from 6 years old to 68 and include both traditional and nontraditional mediums. We thank and appreciate everyone who submitted art, and are excited to share it with the community. You can view the submissions and artist statements below, as well as the gallery's premiere presentation. Youth & Adult Submissions Erika Iris To make people happy with fun pop art Julie Ann Ausbrook Many of my experiences living in the 49th Ward center around viewing the neighborhood from my daughter’s eyes. My daughter’s life in the 49th Ward includes swimming at beaches, riding trains downtown, sampling food from different cultures, being surrounded by art, music, and theater, and attending school with children from diverse and rich backgrounds. One day, as we walked home from the playground, I decided to paint the wonderment seen in my daughter's eyes as she took in the beauty of our neighborhood. This piece, titled “Bait”, shows a figure sitting on a dock using a heart as fishing bait. It was inspired from the memory of dangling feet in the lake on warm days and being carefree with love. “STOP!” is an geometric abstract of urban landscape. It is also a call to action to stop, rather to stop the violence or to stop and notice beauty in the world. Yvette Wesley lewis lain lewis lain is narrative visual artist and illustrator residing in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. His work focuses on storytelling, simple aesthetic, and recycled "resonant" material. He favors re-claimed windows and found-glass as canvas combined with cardboard and acrylic to create multi-dimensional paintings punctuated by saturated color and bold linework. www.lewislain.com Melanie Johnson As a studio artist, I work with all materials. I create based on whimsy and pull most ideas from a library of sketchbooks I have filled throughout the years. Nicholas Hayes Frolicking rabbits seem to be everywhere in our neighborhood. Friends have told me it is hard to believe something so delightful can be an infestation. I have tried to play with our complicated relation with rabbits in these ceramic pieces. Charlotte Cox This artwork is inspired by the piece “Time Transfixed” by Renè Magritte, an earlier example of surrealism. I used a random, everyday space, a bowling alley, as the base, similar to Magritte’s use of a simple fireplace mantle. From here, I used surrealism to bring color, excitement, and allure to the piece through random but interesting elements like mountains, skylines, and waves. Aviva Gladstein This piece is called A Full Moons Night. It was done with colored pencils. It is a scene of blue mountains under a dark night sky with a full moon. Mark Cleveland Living in, breathing in, and walking the streets and along the lakeshore in Roger's Park, cannot but influence the art work I make. Each piece I begin starts me on a path of discovery that through many twists and turns – requiring conscious and not-so-conscious decisions – leads me to my ultimate destination: a completed piece. The hope is that the work will transport viewers, however briefly, to that other place. Tim Newell In addition to being an actor in theatre, I’m an abstract expressionist painter; working with acrylics on canvas, and sometimes wood. My work has been influenced by the Abstract Expressionists of the 1940s, 50s, and 1960s. Two of my inspirations: Helen Frankenthaler and Richard Diebenkorn; both specialists in the Colourfield movement. Whether I express myself with my voice, or apply vivid colours and metallics to a canvas, I love expressing myself in the here and now. Terry Gant I paint to decompress just as much as I paint to express a thought or feeling. Sometimes we try and work through our issues consciously but I have found that painting helps me resolve an inner issue by coming at it from different angles. I also challenge my self by setting time goals so that whatever it is I need to work though, It's going to be done in a particular time frame. I may be decompressing but I don't have forever. Michael Pollard My work explores the intersections of my past and present. Influenced by daily life, Americana, modern art, loud music, and comic books. I use paint, found objects, canvas, discarded materials, and recurring marks to create a language and visual exploration reflecting my journey. Maureen McCarthy I have lived in Rogers Park since 1992. The beauty of the lakefront and the vibrancy of the neighborhood has made it a wonderful place to live. One of the beauties of this area is the ability to feel a vast space in such a crowded city. Any time of year, the lake is a precious part of the 49th ward. The lakefront can make you feel transported to a completely different world. Mandie Nufer Sam Bender This work, created over the last year, reflects my struggle to feel connected to a community while forced to be apart from it. Depicting many different visual styles and themes converging in space to become one whole, the divisions between them disappear the more closely they’re examined. *the piece is 44”Wx32”H* Lightning Goose - In these dark times, one goose steps forth. With lightning in her breath and love of community in her heart, Lighting Goose protects the 49th Ward. HONK! COVID-19 - At the start of the pandemic last year, I decided to paint what frightened me. While initially unsettling, it was comforting to have this terrible disease captured in some way. It has hung on my wall since April, a reminder to remain vigilant during this crisis. Crow on a Fencepost - The crows grow smarter every day, and we would do well to appease them. This crow looks out over the 49th Ward, its current home but future dominion. Rowan Hartfield The blue ball is Giant Ocean Planet, and the red ball is the nearest star. The mushroom creatures are toads protecting Giant Ocean Planet from the other creatures--a Spike Ship and Anti-missile that are trying to invade Giant Ocean Planet. This is a picture of a Goomba from Mario World. Aariyan Aga This is a pencil drawing of a typical foot bridge over a small brook in a village in the Kashmir Valley. Village women collect grass feed for their livestock. There are chinar trees in the background. A Sufi Shrine in the mountains of the Kashmir Valley. Raza Aga Rex Cassidy Rex is a non-binary artist living in Rogers Park, Chicago. They are graduating with their Master's in Art Education May 2021. Junior Submissions Abolaji O., Grade 2 Adrian D., Grade 1 Ana F., Grade 1 Daniel R., Grade 3 Jacqueline W., Grade 2 Jeremy H., Grade 4 Alfonso C., Grade 3 Antoine B., Grade 3 Daniela A., Grade 2 Jailyn J., Grade 1 Joel X., Grade 3 Jose A., Grade 4 Julian G., Grade 3 Leianne O., Grade 2 Nurbek A., Grade 4 Rebecca L., Grade 4 Serifat S., Grade 2 Simone L., Grade 4 Nusair Z., Grade 3 Rosemary S., Grade 4 Sheena C., Grade 4 Sophia N., Kindergarten Venus T., Grade 4

Business & Development Our office is dedicated to promoting new business and development in the 49th Ward. Please see click on one of the projects listed below for specific information pertaining to that business or development. If you have any questions, our staff can always be reached by emailing office@49thWard.org or calling (773) 338-5796 . Current Development Proposals Past Development Decisions Building Permits Liquor Moratorium Process Loading/Standing Zones Public Way Use & Sidewalk Cafes Rogers Park Business Alliance Zoning Changes

Block Parties Block Parties allow neighbors to close residential streets that they live on to hold community-building and recreational events with their immediate neighbors. Organizations looking to host events or those looking to close arterial streets should apply for an outdoor special event permit instead. In order to host a block party, you must obtain a permit from the Department of Transportation to close your street. Street closures can occur from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the day of your event. Applications can be obtained from our office. Once the application is completed. please return it to our office for processing. If this is your first time applying for a block party, our office asks that you communicate with your neighbors for support of the event. A house meeting to discuss dates & times is also highly recommended. We encourage you to submit your application at least 30 days in advance. Please be advised that neighbors are responsible for providing their own barricades for their events and must maintain a 10-foot minimum lane at all times to ensure emergency vehicles have clear access. The 49th Ward office is happy to provide non-enforceable "No Parking" signs to block party organizers. These signs must be hung up at least 48-hours in advance of the event. Since the signs are not enforceable, vehicles that remain parked will not be ticketed. CDOT Rules Regarding Block Party Permits Block Party Forms & Applications

Leadership Councils In January 2025, the Alderwoman and staff held three orientations informing folks about the Environmental Leadership Council and Community Leadership Council that would start out in February. Throughout this year, 49th Ward residents have been meeting about once a month to engage with one another to pinpoint priorities and work on solutions to make the 49th Ward a better place. In January 2026, the two councils combined into one Advisory Leadership Council that will meet quarterly throughout the year. 2025 Co-Chairs From Left to Right: Jordan Brown (CLC), Imeña Valdes (ELC), Viral Mistry (ELC), Karen Schauwecker (ELC), Sam Young (CLC), Jim Ginderske (CLC), Greg Wangerin (CLC) Committee Staffer: Gina Parra-Hughes 49th Ward Staffer: Tony Sandifer Want to learn more? Click the buttons below to learn about each of the Leadership Councils! Environmental Leadership Council Community Leadership Council

Pratt Avenue Resurfacing Winter '24 - Spring '25 Timeline Neighbors, we have exciting news to share. This week, our office received notification from CDOT & contractors that Pratt Avenue from N. Western Ave. to N. Sheridan Rd. will be resurfaced beginning this year (during the winter of 2024), with a majority of the work scheduled for next year, spring 2025. Crews are tentatively scheduled to break ground beginning the week of November 25th, weather permitting. The work scheduled for this winter includes pavement patching, ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement as needed for ADA and drainage compliance. To be clear, Pratt Avenue will not be ground and resurfaced this year. Only the above improvements will be made in winter 2025. The rest of the work including milling and paving the existing asphalt pavement, concrete bus pads, bike medians, and striping will be completed next spring. During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours for the completion of the work. The first phase of work (concrete work, ADA installation, and pothole filling) on Pratt Avenue is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2024. We are looking forward to this stretch of Pratt receiving some much-needed attention. Last week, Alderwoman Hadden met with CDOT representatives for a walk-through of Pratt Avenue to bring to crews' attention specific potholes and areas in need of fixing. Our office has been assured by CDOT that they will prioritize these locations per Alderwoman Hadden's instruction. If you have any questions about the scope or duration of this project, please reach out to the office via email at office@49thward.org or call 773-33-5796.

Student Internship Opportunities Our Summer 2026 application cycle is now CLOSED due to a high volume of responses and interest. Please reach out if you are interested in semesterly opportunities. -- The 49th Ward Service Office offers two different internship opportunities for students: One paid, full-time summer position Multiple UNPAID, part-time positions in the fall & spring All fifty aldermanic offices receive funding in their budget to support one full-time, paid summer intern as part of a City-wide program. Our office offers multiple unpaid, semester-long internships for those seeking fall and spring opportunities. All internships can count towards class credit. To apply, please email our Director of Constituent Services, Ms. Clarissa Steinbrecher (she/her/hers) at clarissa@49thward.org . In your email, please include your resume and a short statement of interest in the position (250-300 words). We accept either a cover letter or a statement in the body text of the email. Interested applicants should view the internship job description below for more information. For questions or more information, please email Clarissa Steinbrecher at clarissa@49thward.org View the internship job description here

New FEMA Floodplain Maps to be Issued in 2020 FEMA recently released the future mapping of floodplains along the Lake Michigan shoreline. On September 24, FEMA gave a presentation on the map update in Winnetka. You can view that presentation on the Great Lakes Coasts website . It is expected that the final maps will be issued around September 2020, with their effective date around March 2021. We are encouraging residents to secure flood insurance policies as we approach the final maps being issued. It may be possible to reduce flood insurance premiums if policies are secured before the new floodplain maps are effective. FEMA has created a website to help communities and residents understand the mapping and their impact. The preliminary maps are available on the FEMA Map Service Center under "Search All Products", "Illinois", "Cook County", "Chicago" and "Preliminary Products". Panels 17031C258K, 266K, 268K, 407K, and 417K show the lakefront north of the loop. FEMA has put together some fact sheets to help residents understand the various insurance programs available through their agency. These are linked below: National Flood Insurance Program Fact Sheet NFIP: Floodplain Management Fact Sheet NFIP: Why Do I Need Flood Insurance? NFIP: Map Changes and Flood Insurance Floodsmart Preferred Risk Policy HMA general brochure The Mitigation Division of FEMA houses the National Flood Insurance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs among other disaster resilience-leaning programs to prepare for, protect against, and prevent damages from natural disasters in order to strengthen community capabilities to respond and recover from events. In Illinois, the grantee for FEMA's HMA grants is the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

City Council Committees The role of an alderperson is primarily legislative. That is, aldermen are elected to pass laws to improve the quality of life for the residents of Chicago. Committees are a critical step in the democratic process where members of the City Council can focus their attention on specific issues facing the city. They provide a space where important hearings can be held to hold city departments and sister agencies accountable or to gain better insight into how the City is responding to a specific issue. Committees are tasked with drafting, reviewing, and revising legislation that comes before them before taking a vote to advance the legislation to the full City Council. Before any piece of legislation goes before the full City Council, it must first pass its respective committee. Alderwoman Hadden's other committee appointments are as follows: Committee on the Budget and Government Operations Committee on Committees and Rules Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy (Chair) Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight (Vice Chair) Committee on Health and Human Relations Committee on Housing and Real Estate Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee on Public Safety The Chicago City Council meets once a month, except in August, to pass legislation after it has been through committee. The calendar for City Council meetings is available on the City Clerk's website . Residents may also learn how to sign up for public comment, attend, and live stream City Council meetings on the City Clerk's website .

Services Our office provides a wide range of city services. For more information, please visit one of the links below. If you have any questions, we can always be reached via email at office@49thward.org or by calling (773) 338-5796 . Block Parties CityKey ID Electronics Recycling Garage & Yard Sale Permit Heating Repair Program Lead Service Line Testing & Replacement Noise Complaints Office of the Inspector General Outdoor Special Events Parking Service Request Street Sweeping

Public Way Use & Sidewalk Cafes PUBLIC WAY USE PERMITS Businesses that have a sign, canopy, awning, bench, or anything else that extends over, under, or is on the public way require a Public Way Use Permit . These permits are issued by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) – Public Way Use (PWU) Unit. The permit process does require City Council approval. Business identifiers including signs, awning, canopies, and banners are also required to obtain a Department of Buildings sign construction permit in addition to the public way use permit. Only a licensed sign contractor can apply for the sign construction permit. The city does provide a list of approved contractors from which business owners can choose for the sign construction permit. Learn More & Apply SIDEWALK CAFES Sidewalk cafes are another use of the public way that requires a public way use application. Dining in a sidewalk cafe is a great way to enjoy a delicious meal in warm weather. The sidewalk cafe season runs from March 1 to December 1. To take advantage of those occasional warm days in March, it would be beneficial to submit your application in January. A Sidewalk Cafe Permit has a 9-month term, and must be applied for, and issued, every year. Businesses with an approved Sidewalk Cafe Permit must conspicuously display the permit and the approved plan on the exterior window or wall of the main entrance of the licensed retail food establishment during all hours of operation., and approved plan, must be conspicuously displayed on the exterior wall or window of the main entrance of the licensed retail food establishment during all hours of operation. Learn More & Apply

Emotional Support & Mental Health Hotlines NATIONAL RESOURCES National Suicide Hotline Phone (English): 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Phone (Spanish): 1-800-628-9454 TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) Online Chat: suicidepreventionlifeline.org National Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 National Sexual Assault Hotline Phone: 1-800-656-HOPE Online Chat: rainn.org National Domestic Violence Hotline Phone (200+ languages): 1-800-799-7233 TTY: 1-800-787-3224 Video Phone (for Deaf users): 1-855-812-1001 Online Chat: thehotline.org Trevor Project Hotline (LGBTQ youth) Phone: 1-866-488-7386 Online Chat: thetrevorproject.org Text Support: text START to 678678 Trans Lifeline (Phone, 9a-3p CT): 1-877-565-8860 Veterans Crisis Line Phone: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) & press “1” Online Chat: veteranscrisisline.net CHICAGO RESOURCES Trilogy Behavioral Health offers a first-response Alternative Crisis Team (FACT) provides urgent mobile response and interventions, as well as follow-up support, for individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Fact operates in Rogers Park, Edgewater, West Ridge, Uptown, Skokie, and Evanston. Call 800-FACT-400 if you or someone is experiencing a mental health crisis to have someone respond in real-time. Between Friends Helpline (Domestic Violence): 1-800-603-HELP (4357) Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline: 1-888-293-2080 Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago Referral Line: 1-800-209-8114 NAMI Chicago has a helpline to help connect Chicagoans to mental health resources, food, and emergency assistance. NAMI Chicago is also offering virtual support groups during this time, for people to connect with others experiencing mental health symptoms. There are support groups for health care professionals working on the front lines. For information about how to join, click here. The helpline can be reached at 833-NAMI CHI (833-626-4244) and is open to take calls from 9a-8p Monday-Friday, and 9a-5p on weekends. Governor Pritzker announced the launch of Call4Calm, a new hotline from the State of Illinois that connects residents to mental health and other resources. During these extraordinary times, it’s more important than ever to seek the emotional support you need to deal with the stress and anxiety of the pandemic. Those seeking emotional support can text “TALK” or “HABLAR” to 552020, and a mental health professional will call you back to speak with you in either English or Spanish. In addition to providing Illinoisans with emotional support, residents can text other keywords, including ” UNEMPLOYMENT,” “FOOD,” or “SHELTER” to get access to additional resources.