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.

Economic Relief Resources Click each tab below to explore and learn more about programs that can provide some financial relief to eligible households. Not finding what you're looking for? You can also visit 211metrochicago.org or dial 2-1-1 to connect with a variety of resources. 2-1-1 is an information and referral resource, helping connect people to food, housing, utility payment assistance, health care, transportation, childcare, employment, mental health, disaster information and assistance, and more Food & Nutrition Health Care Utilities Food & Nutrition A Just Harvest Located at 7649 N. Paulina Street in the 49th Ward, A Just Harvest offers a community meal to go daily between 12-2 pm. They also host a food pantry every Wednesday between 3-5 pm. For more information, visit their website . Care For Real Care for Real distributes free, fresh, nutritious food to neighbors in Rogers Park every Thursday from 3-6 pm at the United Church of Rogers Park located at 1545 W. Morse. For more information, visit Care For Real's website . Ignatian Mission Center Located at 1735 W. Greenleaf, the Ignatian Mission Center's food pantry is open Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and midday Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone who lives in the area bounded by Granville Avenue on the south, Howard Street on the north, Lake Michigan on the east and Western Avenue on the west can receive food from the pantry once a month, as long as they meet income levels. For more information, click her e. Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) SNAP/LINK Cards help individuals and families purchase groceries. By providing money for groceries, SNAP frees up household income for other necessities, like medicine or utilities. In Illinois, the SNAP/LINK Card Program is overseen by the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS). There are eligibility requirements for income, employment, and citizenship. You can apply in person, over the phone, or online. For more information, visit wegotyouillinois.org/snap . Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - better known as the WIC program - serves to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care. You can learn more and access the pre-screening tool found here to determine your eligibility. The Child and Adult Care Food Program(CACFP) CACFP partially reimburses participating agencies providing healthy meals and snacks at Adult Day Service Centers under the Community Care Program. For more information about the CACFP program, visit the website here or contact: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) One Natural Resources Way, #100 Springfield, IL 62702-1271 Phone: (217) 782-2407 or 1-800-252-8966 Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program These services include both home-delivered meals (such as Meals on Wheels) and healthy meals served in group settings, such as senior centers and faith-based locations. In addition, the programs provide a range of services including nutrition screening, assessment, education, and counseling. Nutrition services also provide an important link to other supportive in-home and community-based supports such as homemaker and home-health aide services, transportation, physical activity and chronic disease self-management programs, home repair and modification, and falls prevention programs. More information on this program can be found here . Your local nutrition site can be found using the website and you can also call 1-800-677-1116. Health Care Get Covered Illinois In 2026, Illinois moved from HealthCare.gov to a state-based marketplace. This marketplace allows Illinois residents to compare health plans, enroll in a plan, and get financial help to lower the monthly costs of coverage. To learn more, visit getcovered.illinois.gov . Medicaid Medicaid is a jointly funded state and Federal government program that pays for medical assistance services. Medicaid pays for medical assistance for eligible children, parents, and caretakers of children, pregnant women, persons who are disabled, blind, or 65 years of age or older, those who were formerly in foster care services, and adults aged 19-64 who are not receiving Medicare coverage and who are not the parent or caretaker relative of a minor child. You can discover if you are eligible here . For information on Illinois Medicaid, visit the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services website here . Medicare Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people aged 65 or older, people under the age of 65 with certain disabilities, people of any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). More information about Medicare in Illinois can be found here . In order to apply for Medicare benefits, plan participants are instructed to contact their local SSA office or call 1-800-772-1213. Plan participants may also sign up for Medicare Part A via the SSA website at www.socialsecurity.gov . To ensure that benefits are coordinated appropriately and to prevent financial liabilities with healthcare claims, plan participants must notify the State of Illinois CMS Medicare COB Unit when they become eligible for Medicare. The Medicare COB Unit can be reached by calling 1-800-442-1300 or (217) 782-7007. CDPH Mental Health Centers The Chicago Department of Public Health Mental Health Centers offer care that provides support for emotional, traumatic, or behavioral difficulties. All Mental Health Centers provide outpatient mental health services for adults, children and adolescents including intake/screening, individual therapy, group therapy, case management, and medication management (same-day medication appointments).Support is based on needs identified by the consumer, including goals, objectives, and specific mental health services. These services are provided free of charge to all Chicagoans who are unable to pay. For more information and locations, click here . National Alliance on Mental Health The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI runs educational programs and a toll-free NAMI help line . You can find your local NAMI office in Illinois by using the website. You can also visit the NAMI Illinois website directly for more information. You can call the NAMI National Help Line at 800-950-6264, Monday through Friday, 9 am-9 pm CST. Or in a crisis, text “NAMI” to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling. The Illinois NAMI office can be contacted via: 1603 Orrington Avenue, Suite 600 Evanston, IL 60201 Office: 217-522-1403 nami@namiillinois.org Utilities Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay for home energy services (primarily heating during winter months). Illinois residents with a household income that does not exceed an amount determined annually by the Department of Commerce are eligible. Annual eligibility levels are determined based on available funding and may not exceed 60% of the state median income. See How to Apply for more information. For a complete list of LIHEAP application agencies based on county, see Where to Apply . For additional program information check out the Frequently Asked Questions . Or call Help Illinois Families call center at 1-833-711-0374. ComEd Payment Assistance ComEd offers a variety of programs, from their Low Income Discount (LID) program to payment programs, visit ComEd's website to learn more and see which programs you are eligible for. Peoples Gas Peoples Gas offers energy assessments and rebates for residential and business uses. Learn more about Peoples Gas's utility assistance programs by clicking here . Utility Billing Relief Program Utility Billing Relief (UBR) provides low-income City of Chicago residents with a reduced rate on their water, sewer, and water-sewer tax as well as debt relief for those who demonstrate they can manage the reduced rate bills for one year. Learn more and apply on the City of Chicago's website . CEDA CEDA’s LIHEAP programs offer heating and electricity assistance through the DVP program to income-eligible households. DVP issues a one-time benefit applied directly to your utility accounts. Assistance is available to help households with their heating (natural gas, oil, or propane) and/or electric bills. Cash payments are also available to eligible renters who do not have heating bills because their energy costs are included in the rent. The LIHEAP program begins on October 1 and runs until August 15, or until funds are exhausted. To help the most vulnerable populations within communities, there will be one priority month. To learn more, click here . Chicago Connected Chicago Connected was a groundbreaking program that provided no-cost, high-speed internet service to CPS students and their families. This first-of-its-kind program was one of the largest efforts by any city to provide internet access for students. Through partnerships with businesses, community groups, governments, and philanthropic organizations, Chicago Connected responded to an opportunity to eliminate a barrier to digital learning that disproportionately hurt the city’s low‐income families and students of color. To learn more, click here . Lifeline Lifeline is a federal program that helps people with low incomes get discounted telephone or internet service. Learn about eligibility, applying, and getting help with your service by clicking here .

Meet the Team! Maria Hadden (she/her/hers) ALDERWOMAN OF THE 49TH WARD CHAIRWOMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION & ENERGY Leslie Perkins (she/her/hers) CHIEF OF STAFF & POLICY DIRECTOR CONTACT FOR: Scheduling requests, media inquiries, policy information Shenicka Hohenkirk (she/her/hers) WARD DIRECTOR email: shenicka@49thward.org CONTACT FOR: Scheduling requests, ward office inquiries Clarissa Steinbrecher (she/her/hers) DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES email: clarissa@49thward.org CONTACT FOR: Constituent inquiries, landlord/tenant disputes, disabled parking permits, internships Tony Sandifer (he/him/his) MANAGER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT email: tony@49thwar d.org CONTACT FOR: Community partnerships, participatory budgeting, block parties, other community events Zach Joseph (he/him/his) INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR email: zach@49thwar d.org CONTACT FOR: Zoning & development inquiries, community partnerships, newsletter items Caleb DeBerry (he/him/his) COORDINATOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES email: caleb@49thwar d.org CONTACT FOR: Constituent inquiries Brenna Regan (she/her/hers) COORDINATOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES email: brenna@49thward.org CONTACT FOR: Constituent inquiries Madeline Walbridge (she/her/hers) COORDINATOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES email: madeline@49thward.org CONTACT FOR: Constituent inquiries Gina Parra-Hughes (she/her/hers) DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF POLICY & OUTREACH TO THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENERGY CONTACT FOR: Legislative and Committee matters Ashley Parks Adam "Pepe" Woznicki (she/her/hers) COMMUNITY AND COMMUNICATIONS OUTREACH COORDINATOR TO THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENERGY CONTACT FOR: Leadership Councils, Social Media, and Outreach Opportunities (he/him/his) WARD SUPERINTENDENT CONTACT FOR: Streets & Sanitation matters

Chicago's 49th Ward Chicago's 49th Ward encompasses Rogers Park and parts of West Ridge. Bordered by Evanston to the north and Edgewater to the south, Chicago's 49th Ward is made up of rich diversity. See if you live in Chicago's 49th Ward by opening the map below in Google Maps and entering your address. Click the brackets on the upper right-hand corner of the map or click here to open in Google Maps.

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Liquor Moratorium Process The 49th Ward has several existing liquor moratorium zones. On streets with existing liquor moratoriums, liquor licenses cannot be requested, sold, or transferred except under limited circumstances (e.g., inheritance of the business by a family member). The moratoriums, in essence, prevent the opening of new liquor-licensed businesses and most transfers or changes of ownership and/or plans of operation for existing liquor-licensed businesses within the moratorium zone. Lifting of a moratorium zone requires legislative action. Businesses may request a moratorium amendment, either for the sale of an existing business to request a liquor license at a new business, by filling out this form . Lifting of a moratorium does not guarantee the issuance of a liquor license. If a moratorium is lifted or amended, businesses must still apply for a liquor license and go through the city's public notification and comment process. The 49th Ward Office will flyer the specific areas within the moratorium boundary to ensure that those that live and work within the boundary are notified. Businesses and residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the Alderwoman's office on any request to lift the liquor moratorium. Alderwoman Hadden will review feedback within two weeks from the initial public notice date. From there, she will make a decision on the request, which may include further community engagement in some cases. Request Form Feedback Form

Glenwood Commuter Safety Glenwood Commuter Safety Feedback Results On March 9, the 49th Ward office hosted a town hall meeting where we discussed a proposal to modify the traffic to flow one-way northbound on Glenwood between Pratt and Devon. A recording of that meeting is available to view by clicking here . Since Alderwoman Hadden first entered office in 2019, residents have consistently reached out with concerns about this particular stretch of Glenwood. The street is nestled in a dense area with many pedestrians. The heavy foot traffic combined with the existing bike lanes and two-way vehicular traffic on a narrow residential street has created unsafe conditions. In 2021, our office convened a community meeting with neighbors and residents to discuss the issue further. The objective of the meeting was to take a broader look at this stretch of Glenwood and see how we can improve safety for all users (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians). After soliciting feedback from area residents, CDOT conducted a traffic study for this stretch of Glenwood. Upon the conclusion of that study, they recommended modifying traffic to flow one-way northbound on Glenwood between Pratt and Devon. The northbound direction was determined by conversations with first responders who indicated that they needed it to remain northbound for their vehicles in the event of an emergency. Additionally, the proposal calls to keep the existing bike lanes, which connect to a greenway both north and south of this stretch. The proposal calls for no elimination of parking. A copy of the traffic study is available to review by clicking here . After our community meeting, we asked commuters of all types to share their feedback and ideas on how to improve commuter safety along this stretch of Glenwood. For the open-ended questions, a plurality (48.9%) of respondents expressed they liked the proposal in its current form and didn't have additional feedback to provide. Of the 331 respondents, only 8% responded that the proposal shouldn't be pursued and that no changes should be made to adjacent streets. 9% of respondents said they had no feedback to offer or didn't respond at all to the open-ended questions. Others made recommendations to enhance pedestrian and bike safety, with suggestions ranging from raised crosswalks to closing streets to vehicular traffic. Respondents also made suggestions on what traffic safety measures and signage can be installed on adjacent blocks to improve safety and help motorists navigate the area. PDF of Infographic View Traffic Study Infografía en Español Estudio de Tráfico en Español Share Your Feedback on the Proposal to Improve Commuter Safety on Glenwood Avenue On March 9, the 49th Ward office hosted a town hall meeting where we discussed a proposal to modify the traffic to flow one-way northbound on Glenwood between Pratt and Devon. A recording of that meeting is available to view by clicking here . Since Alderwoman Hadden first entered office in 2019, residents have consistently reached out with concerns about this particular stretch of Glenwood. The street is nestled in a dense area with many pedestrians. The heavy foot traffic combined with the existing bike lanes and two-way vehicular traffic on a narrow residential street has created unsafe conditions. In 2021, our office convened a community meeting with neighbors and residents to discuss the issue further. The objective of the meeting was to take a broader look at this stretch of Glenwood and see how we can improve safety for all users (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians). After soliciting feedback from area residents, CDOT conducted a traffic study for this stretch of Glenwood. Upon the conclusion of that study, they recommended modifying traffic to flow one-way northbound on Glenwood between Pratt and Devon. The northbound direction was determined by conversations with first responders who indicated that they needed it to remain northbound for their vehicles in the event of an emergency. Additionally, the proposal calls to keep the existing bike lanes, which connect to a greenway both north and south of this stretch. The proposal calls for no elimination of parking. Our office is seeking feedback and suggestions on the plans. Please take a moment to complete a short online survey to share your experiences and ideas. The survey can be completed at bit.ly/GlenwoodFeedback . The feedback form will close on March 20. 49th Ward Town Hall March 9 Join Alderwoman Hadden and the 49th Ward team for the monthly virtual town hall on Wednesday, March 9, at 6 pm. Attendees will hear important updates for the ward and the city including updates on the CDOT review of resident requests to turn Glenwood between Devon and Pratt, into a one-way northbound street. We will also have guests, Jessica Trejo and Sandra Arellano, from Illinois Masonic Medical Center join us to discuss early breast cancer detection. These meetings now take place on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 pm. Register to attend the meeting by visiting bit.ly/2022TownHalls . Spanish translation will be available. Community Meeting on Glenwood Avenue Traffic Safety Join Alderwoman Hadden and representatives from the Chicago Department of Transportation to share ideas on what traffic safety improvements you'd like to see on Glenwood from Devon to Pratt. The meeting will take place on Monday, July 26, at 5 pm. Those interested in joining should meet near the parking lot at the corner of Glenwood and Arthur.

Resources for Seniors We are here to help, from public safety to consumer fraud concerns, from county tax issues to federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. Our Ward Service Office will always go beyond city issues to be your local resource for all government services. We work closely with Cook County Commissioners to help guide senior citizens on receiving applicable property tax exemptions. You can find your Cook County Commissioner by accessing the Chicago Board of Elections’ website . You can also download property tax exemption forms on the Cook County Assessor’s website . Senior Well-Being Check Department of Family Support Services Chicago Department on Aging Senior Sewer Exemption & Rebate Property Tax Exemption

Lead Service Line Replacement Program The City of Chicago has a new program that will replace lead service lines completely free for homeowners who qualify. You may be eligible for the Equity Lead Service Line Replacement Program if you: Live in a two-flat or house that you own. Have a household income of $74,550 or less for a family of four. Have children 18 or under living with you OR have elevated lead levels in your drinking water as determined by testing done by the Chicago Department of Water Management. If you have questions about the program or would like to apply, call 312.742.2406 or visit www.LeadSafeChicago.org . Water Test Kit If you are concerned about the potential of elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested. The test kit consists of three bottles, a mailing box, and instructions. Follow the instructions included in your kit for collecting water samples in your home, put the bottles in the shipping box and place it in a location (such as the entryway or front door) for pick up by Department of Water Management (DWM) staff. If you would prefer to schedule a time for a DWM representative to come to your home to take water samples, keep in mind that this appointment must be scheduled for a time when you are home and you have not used your water for over 6 hours. Please call 311 or fill out the form online and a representative will reach out to you to schedule a visit. More information on water test kits is available on the Department of Water Management’s website . Additional information: Flushing The Water in Your Home DWM’s Water Quality FAQ Department of Public Health's Lead Poisoning Protection Page

Chicago Noise Ordinance Quiet time is generally designated between 10 PM and 8 AM in any area within 600 feet of a residential district. Activities involving loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, garbage cans, dumpsters or similar objects must not be done in a manner as to cause a noise disturbance between 10 PM and 7 AM. Motorized equipment (e.g. at construction sites) are not allowed to operate between 8 PM and 8 AM. Note that City of Chicago work (e.g. water & sewer mains, road construction etc.) and emergency private utility work are exempt from the City’s noise ordinance. If you feel a particular situation requires emergency attention, you can call 9-1-1.

The Future of the Fields: Community Process The Fields Community Process: Next Steps & Recommendations On Tuesday, October 27, our office hosted the final meeting in the Fields Schools community process. During the meeting, we reviewed the process, which was launched in December 2019, to date. We also shared the results of the final visioning survey, which are available by clicking the button below. View the Results During the meeting, the 49th Ward office shared information from Chicago Public Schools that we received in August for school communities seeking to pursue a school action. In that meeting, we learned that CPS has created a robust process for recommending school actions. This process includes establishing a steering committee that is representative of the school community, including a student representative. The steering committee would be required to follow specific outreach and engagement procedures, including recording participants and attendance throughout. Based on the level of engagement throughout the community process, the requirements CPS has established for recommending school actions, and the history between the two schools, our office will be making the following recommendations to CPS: We will push again for CPS to reconsider the student-based budgeting model that is bad for our neighborhood schools; We will ask CPS to reconsider the SQRP rating model and address the concerns around equity as it pertains to this rating system; We will ask for additional support from CPS to create robust articulation between the two schools, including more opportunities for students at both schools to engage with each other and the administrations; We will advocate for additional resources for Eugene Field so they can more effectively market the school to neighborhood families, especially prospective parents who are just beginning to look into schools for their children; and We will continue to engage with the two schools with activities and actions to bring healing to the two communities. Our office launched this process in December 2019 in response to a grassroots effort from the Unite the Fields organization. Our office took on a community process to ensure transparency and accountability in our ward's decision-making process. What became clear throughout the process is that our community deeply cares for our students and wants to provide them with strong neighborhood schools. When seeking schools for their students, parents want continuity, stability, and cohesion. Our office will continue to work with our local school communities and CPS to advocate for the resources and services they need to be first-choice schools. We know that this topic is extremely personal to many, so thank you for engaging with our office around it. While we plan on making these recommendations to CPS at this juncture, it doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t support other proposals or community actions in the future. We would support the formation of a steering committee that can explore potential community actions that follow CPS’s requirements. Thank you again to everyone who participated in this process over the past year. The Fields Community Meeting October 27 Our office will host our final meeting for the Fields Schools Community Process on Tuesday, October 27, from 6-7:30 pm. People interested in attending the virtual meeting can pre-register at bit.ly/fieldszoom . During the final meeting, our office will share the results of the last survey we asked people to complete. We will also share some of the feedback we received during the last two meetings. Finally, we will share the recommendations and feedback that we will be presenting to CPS. The Fields Community Meeting September 29 Our office will host a meeting for the community process around the Fields schools on Tuesday, September 29, from 6-7:30 pm. To join the meeting, go to bit.ly/fieldszoom . During our meeting on September 23, we began the process of evaluating the proposals and ideas that have been submitted through the community process to date. September 29 will be a continuation of that work. You can view the notes from the September 23 meeting by clicking here . Participants will also have the opportunity on September 29 to submit any additional ideas that were not previously identified. We are still asking that stakeholders complete the Fields Schools Visioning Survey online (en español aquí ) to share their feedback and ideas. This will help inform any final recommendations made to CPS. The survey will close on Friday, October 9, at 5 pm. Our office will host a final meeting after the survey closes to share the results of the survey and community feedback with the Fields' communities. We will then present the information to Chicago Public Schools so we can make recommendations that will create strong and sustainable neighborhood schools in the 49th Ward. The Fields Community Meeting September 23 In December 2019, the 49th Ward office undertook a community process to help vision and brainstorm ideas for the Fields Schools (i.e., Eugene Field and New Field). During the process, we identified strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities that these schools face. With a slight pause in the spring due to the COVID-19 crisis, the process resumed in August with an adjusted timeline. During the process, stakeholders submitted ideas and proposals to help support these schools. During the next community meeting, we will review the ideas that were generated during the community process. Participants will also have the opportunity to submit any additional ideas that were not previously identified during the meeting. We will then present this information to Chicago Public Schools so we can make recommendations that will create strong and sustainable neighborhood schools in the 49th Ward. To join the virtual community meeting at 6 pm on September 23, go to bit.ly/fieldszoom . Those who are unable to attend the meeting on September 23 may still complete the Fields Schools Visioning Survey online (en español aquí ) to share their feedback. For an overview of the community process to date, please visit the 49th Ward website . The Fields Community Process Update On August 19, our office hosted a meeting to resume the community process around the Fields schools. During the meeting, Principal Dobbins shared some of the matriculation work Eugene Field is partnering with New Field on to have a seamless and cohesive transition for students entering the fifth grade. We also heard from the Fields communities and Rogers Park residents regarding some of their concerns they have around our neighborhood schools, including the student-based budgeting model and the decrease of school-aged children in the neighborhood. Our office is finalizing the date for the next community meeting, where folks will have the opportunity to bring recommendations for consideration. Please keep your eye on this space, where we will announce the next meeting date. Additionally, we will share a Google Form for folks who are unable to attend the meeting but would still like the opportunity to share an idea or recommendation. Finally, please note that the infographics we previously shared in our newsletter inadvertently had switched out the "strengths" section for the schools. A corrected version of those SWOT analyses is available below. The Fields Community Process Resumes August 19 The 49th Ward office is resuming the community process on the future of the Fields schools. In March, the community process was forced to take an abrupt hiatus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to thank community members who were engaged with us on this issue previously and who provided the necessary space for our office to respond to the emergency of the global pandemic. However, knowing that this community process continues to remain a priority for our parents, we are looking to pick it back up. As a reminder, during the last meeting, our office asked participants to complete SWOT analyses of both of the schools. The results of those analyses are below: Since having to halt the community process, our office has contacted Chicago Public Schools to discuss resuming it. During our meeting on August 19, we will discuss the revised timeline for the community process and review the engagement to date. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 19 at 6 pm via Zoom. Online preregistration is required at bit.ly/THEFIELDS . Complete a SWOT Analysis As we continue in the community process to vision solutions to support our Fields schools, we have asked residents to take a moment to complete a SWOT analysis for each school. This includes identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each school. These can be internal or external factors. Please make sure to complete a SWOT analysis for each school. These analyses will help continue the process of identifying and visioning solutions to create strong, first-choice neighborhood schools. Feedback Overview During the second community meeting, the 49th Ward office asked stakeholders to complete a feedback form (a digital version of this was also made available). Below you will find a breakdown of the responses we received on that feedback form and some common themes that we identified. Our office ran into some issues with getting these sent home in kids' take-home packets through CPS. We are currently working with them to find ways to increase the number of respondents to help inform this process. Attend the Community Meeting The 49th Ward will host its third community meeting to continue the discussion on New Field and Eugene Field. During the meeting, we will go over responses to the feedback form from the previous meeting. We will also begin brainstorming and visioning ideas during the third meeting based on the feedback we've received so far. The next meeting will take place on Monday, January 27, at 5:30 pm at Eugene Field Elementary, 7019 N. Ashland . As we continue in the community process, meetings will alternate between Eugene Field and New Field. Spanish translation and childcare services will be available during the meeting. Submit Your Feedback In December, the 49th Ward office hosted its second community meeting on the future of the Fields Schools. During the meeting, we outlined the process and goals we'd like to see from this community-driven dialogue. Beginning in January, we will ask stakeholders to vision and brainstorm ideas. This will help build the foundation to identify solutions to support these two schools and the challenges they face in February and March. Beginning in April, we will present the community with proposal presentations and an opportunity to complete a survey before submitting a final report to CPS. At the December meeting, we asked participants to complete a feedback form to begin to identify their relationship to the schools, the reasons they want to be a part of this community process, the challenges their school(s) face, and things they would like to change at their school(s). The feedback form has now closed, but we will be going over the responses during the January 27 meeting.

Participatory Budgeting Cycle 15 (2025) Cycle 14 (2023-2024) Cycle 12 (2021) Cycle 11 (2020-2021) Cycle 13 (2022) Cycle 10 (2019) Mission The mission of PB is to open up civic participation to people who have never before been involved. The goals of implementing PB in Chicago wards are equity, inclusion, community building, and to make government spending more effective . Participatory Budgeting in Chicago Every year, each alderman is allocated $1.3 million in aldermanic menu funds – yes, there is literally a menu to spend on infrastructure—that is, street and sidewalk repaving, curb replacement, bike lanes, street light replacement, and other capital projects. In most wards, this money is allocated by the alderman, with varying degrees of input from city departments, staff, and residents. Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. The process was first developed in Brazil in 1989, and there are now over 1,500 participatory budgets around the world, mostly at the municipal level. The first PB process in the US was launched here in Chicago in 2009 by former 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. Often, residents are very familiar with their neighborhoods and might have unconventional ideas that can improve their daily commute, parks, schools, and more. Participatory budgeting is a tool that taps into that resident genius and allows it an incubator space. Since taking office in 2019, Alderwoman Hadden has continued the legacy of participatory budgeting in the 49th Ward by making available $1 million of the discretionary capital funds (“menu money”) to the community to decide how to spend through the participatory budgeting (PB) process. How it Works in the 49th Ward In the 49th Ward in Chicago, the process starts with idea-collection. We collect ideas by hosting neighborhood assemblies, sharing an online submission form, and posting flyers throughout the ward prompting people to share their ideas with the office. In the 11th cycle, Alderwoman Hadden asked a broad, open-ended question to encourage residents to re-think how we can approach government with a partcipatory mindset. This question was: "if you could change one thing about our community that would make life better for you, what would it be?" Once people have submitted their ideas during the idea collection phase, they are then sent to committees made up of volunteers. Those volunteers vet the projects and conduct research on feasibility and cost. They then develop the projects so they may be placed on the ballot. In the fall, the projects proposed for the ballot are presented to the community at project expos, explaining how those projects came about and answering questions from the community. During the 11th cycle of participatory budgeting in the 49th Ward, Alderwoman Hadden implemented a new component to the process. PB49 added a new committee for policies and programs. The ballot items from this committee are not eligible for the traditional $1 million in capital infrastructure funding, but will instead help Alderwoman Hadden develop an agenda to pursue in the 49th Ward and citywide. Residents will be able to vote on different policies and programs that were submitted during the idea-collection phase during the participatory budgeting voting phase. After projects are shared with the community, all ward residents 14 and older are invited to vote on projects. Residents can either vote online or in-person during a voting event. Once the votes are tabulated and the winning projects are announced, the 49th Ward office works closely with city departments to implement them. This exciting process puts transparency into how the city spends our tax dollars and gives residents a real voice – by offering ideas and voting for specific projects – into how that money is spent in our ward. Who knows better what is needed in our ward than us?