Dear neighbor,

As the seasons change, many folks may face new challenges with staying warm, or may start looking for more ways to get involved in the policymaking decisions that impact their community. I am happy to share resources with you all that provide some financial assistance – including a guaranteed income pilot through Cook County—as well as information on how you can connect with my office to make your voice heard on important issues, such as violence prevention, environmental concerns, and education.

As always, feel free reach out to my office for assistance by calling 773-278-2020, sending a text message to 773-207-7838, or sending us a note at www.senatorpacionezayas.com/contact-us.

Sincerely,

State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas | 20th District

Policy Roundtable Kickoff

The people closest to the problems are the ones who often have the best solutions. Unfortunately, those who end up living with policy decisions set by government rarely have a seat at the table. My Senate office is committed to creating spaces for the people of the 20th legislative district to be at the table--and have been able to do so with our Policy Roundtable program.

Our Policy Roundtables--a group of constituents who meet to define policy priorities and even co-author legislation—began meeting again this month via Zoom. If you have ideas for future government policies regarding violence prevention, the environment, housing, education, health, or small business and the workforce, I encourage you to attend. For more information, click here.

Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot

The Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot will provide $500 monthly cash payments to 3,250 Cook County residents for 24 months.

You are eligible to apply if:

* You are aged 18 or older;

* A resident of Cook County;

* Your household income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level or less; and

* Neither you nor anyone else in your household are receiving funds from another guaranteed income pilot. This includes the City of Chicago’s Resilient Communities pilot.

You are eligible to apply regardless of immigration status, housing status, or employment status.

The deadline to apply is October 21^st! For more information, visit http://www.engagecookcounty.com/promise for more information.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

As the weather gets cooler it is important that families have the help they need. #LIHEAP is offering energy bill assistance to families that may qualify from September 1-May 31, 2023. Find out if you are eligible and apply today by visiting helpillinoisfamilies.com

Job Opportunities in and around the 20^th District

Check out my webpage featuring a list of job opportunities in Chicago and the 20^th District. There, you can find links to jobs with the State of Illinois, Chicago Public Schools, local organizations and more.

Upcoming Events

• Khepri Café’s Halloween Bash – October 29 at 11 AM
• Fall Health Fair – November 5th from 9 AM - 12 PM, Kosciuszko (Thadeuz) Park
• Early Childhood Resource Fair – November 12 from 11 AM - 2 PM, McCormick YMCA

What I’ve Been Up To

Check out what I’ve been up to in the district recently – including honoring the contributions of Gertrud Kolmar at the rededication of a local park, securing reproductive justice by raising funds for with the Chicago Abortion Fund and writing postcards to send to neighboring states, activating the The Puerto Rican Agenda’s campaign, 3Rs for Puerto Rico: Rescue, Relief, Rebuild to address immediate impact of Hurricane Fiona and long term issues with Puerto Rico’s colonial status, hosting a Town Hall with Sen. Aquino on the SAFE-T Act, and welcoming neighbors into my District Office at our open house!

Click here for more information: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorPacioneZayas/posts/488139743326669

Estimado vecino,

Con el cambio de estación, muchas personas pueden tener dificultad para no pasar frio, o pueden comenzar a buscar formas para involucrarse en las decisiones para elaborar políticas públicas que impactan a su comunidad. Por ello, me alegra compartir recursos que ofrecen asistencia financiera -incluyendo el programa piloto de ingreso garantizado a través del Condado de Cook- así como información sobre cómo contactar a mi oficina para expresar su voz en asuntos importantes como prevención de la violencia, temas ambientales y educación.

Como siempre, siéntase en libertad de contactar mi oficina llamando al 773-278-2020, mandando un mensaje de texto a 773-207-7838, o enviándonos una nota a www.senatorpacionezayas.com/contact-us.

Sinceramente,

Senadora Estatal Cristina Pacione-Zayas | Distrito 20

Inicio de la Mesa de Trabajo sobre Políticas Públicas

Las personas que están más cerca de los problemas son quienes con frecuencia tienen las mejores soluciones. Desafortunadamente, quienes tienen que vivir bajo los efectos de políticas públicas decididas por el gobierno raramente tienen un asiento en la mesa de negociación. Mi oficina del Senado está determinada a crear los espacios para que la gente del Distrito 20 esté en la mesa—a través de nuestro programa Mesa de Trabajo sobre Políticas Públicas.

Nuestras Mesas de Trabajo –conformadas por un grupo de residentes del distrito que se reúnen para definir las prioridades sobre políticas públicas e incluso ser coautores de legislación —comenzarán a reunirse nuevamente a través de Zoom. Si usted tiene ideas sobre las políticas gubernamentales, prevención de la violencia, el medio ambiente, vivienda, educación, salud, o negocios pequeños y la fuerza laboral, lo invito a asistir. Para más información dé clic aquí.

Programa Piloto de Ingreso Garantizado del Condado de Cook

El Programa de Ingreso Garantizado del Condado de Cook ofrecerá $500 en pagos mensuales en efectivo a 3,250 residentes del condado por 24 meses.

Es elegible para solicitar, si usted:

* Es mayor de 18 años;

* Es residente del condado Cook;

* El ingreso de su hogar está 250% por debajo del nivel federal de la pobreza, y 

* Que usted u otra persona en su hogar reciba fondos de otro programa piloto de ingreso garantizado. Esto incluye al programa piloto de Comunidades Resilientes de la Ciudad de Chicago.

Usted puede ser elegible independientemente de su estatus migratorio, de vivienda o empleo.  

¡La fecha límite para solicitar es el 21 de octubre! Para más información visite http://www.engagecookcounty.com/promise

Programa de Asistencia a Cuentas de Energía para Hogares de Bajos Recursos (LIHEAP)

Conforme el clima es más frio es importante que las familias cuenten con la ayuda que necesitan. #LIHEAP ofrece asistencia con el pago de cuentas de energía del 1 de septiembre al 31 de mayo a las familias que califiquen. Vea si usted es elegible visitando helpillinoisfamilies.com

Oportunidades de empleo en y al rededor del Distrito 20

Revise mi página de internet con la lista de oportunidades de trabajo en Chicago y en el Distrito 20. Ahí, encontrará enlaces a empleos con el Estado de Illinois, las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago, organizaciones locales y más.

Próximos Eventos

• Khepri Café’s Halloween Bash – 29 de octubre a las 11 AM
• Feria de Salud De Otoño – 5 de Noviembre de 9 AM - 12 PM en Kosciuszko (Thadeuz) Park
• Feria de Recursos a la Educación Temprana – 12 de Noviembre de 11 AM - 2 PM en McCormick YMCA

¿Qué he estado haciendo?

Vea lo que he estado haciendo recientemente en el distrito – incluyendo las contribuciones honorificas de Gertrud Kolmar sobre dedicar un parque local, mi lucha para garantizar la seguridad reproductiva recaudando fondos para el Chicago Abortion Fund, y escribiendo tarjetas para enviarlas a estados vecinos, poniendo en acción la campaña 3Rs para el Rescate, Alivio y Reconstrucción de Puerto Rico de The Puerto Rican Agenda para atender las necesidades luego del impacto del huracán Fiona, y los problemas de largo plazo del estatus colonial de la isla; conducir una junta comunitaria con el Senador Omar Aquino sobre la legislación SAFE-T Act, y di la bienvenida a los vecinos en mi oficina distrital en nuestro evento de Puertas Abiertas.

Dé clic aquí para más información: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorPacioneZayas/posts/488139743326669

CHICAGO –To explain how the SAFE-T Act works to make the criminal legal system more equitable, State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) and State Senator Omar Aquino (D—Chicago) are holding a virtual town hall on Monday, Oct. 3.

“Before this law, the criminal legal system disproportionately favored folks with more money—which is not ’justice’ at all,” Pacione-Zayas said. “The SAFE-T Act will make sure offenders of serious crimes are not able to walk free just because they can afford bail, keeping our communities safer and creating more accountability for serious crimes.”

The SAFE-T Act Town Hall will be held Monday, October 3 from 6-7:30 p.m. over Zoom. To pre-register for the virtual town hall, click here.

Under current law, people who commit serious crimes, such as murder, rape, sex offenses or gun crimes, can use cash to pay for their release, while people charged with minor offenses who cannot afford cash bail have to sit in jail awaiting trial. This unfairly allows people with more financial resources to evade the consequences of their actions, while keeping people with less financial resources from going to work and caring for their families by holding them in jail.

To address these issues, the SAFE-T Act gives the judge the power to determine if a person charged with a crime will be held or released. When the Act goes into effect, judges will be able to hold someone they deem as “too dangerous” regardless of their ability to pay for bail. This change will make sure those accused of serious crimes are kept out of the community, no matter how much money they have, and people who are charged with minor offenses can be released if they do not pose a risk to others.

Additionally, this law takes the first steps to rectify the disproportionate negative impact of the current criminal legal system on people with low income. Under a cash bail system, people living in poverty who are charged with nonviolent crimes are held in jail before being convicted of the crime they were charged with. This means that people who are arrested and found innocent after a trial have to miss work, school, or other obligations that can negatively impact their financial status. Many may end up losing their jobs or living situations because of the money lost in this time period. Dissolving the cash bail system will give people who are accused of committing a nonviolent crime the opportunity to continue to earn money and support their family between the time of their arrest and their trial date, preventing folks from slipping further into poverty if they were unable to afford bail.    

"People deemed to be a danger to others or themselves will remain in jail if a judge decides so," Senator Aquino said. "The SAFE-T Act is not a tool for impunity, but it's a venue to stop the historical unfairness of keeping poor people in jail for not being able to "buy out" their freedom as wealthy people do in the current system. Senator Pacione-Zayas and I will happily explain this and any other concerns to our constituents in our virtual town hall meeting." 

CHICAGO –State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) is excited to open the doors to her District Office to members of her community for an open house on Oct. 7.

“The foundation of my work as a public servant is connecting with members of my community, and making sure their needs are represented in government,” Pacione-Zayas said. “I am ecstatic to meet with my constituents and hear about their concerns, as well as providing any assistance we can regarding issues with state agencies.”

Senator Pacione-Zayas’ open house will be held from 3-6 p.m at her district office, located at 3140 W. Montrose Ave.

The open house will provide members of the community with the opportunity to speak with the Senator about important government issues. Staff members will be available to help residents with issues they are having connecting with state agencies, or receiving state benefits such as unemployment. They will also have the chance to tour where the Senator and her staff get to work for their district, as well as make connections with other folks in the community who are passionate about government issues.

The event is co-sponsored by the Spanish Coalition for Housing, which is providing assistance with Universal Basic Income applications. This new program under the Cook County Pilot program may grant $500 monthly payments for two years to qualifying applicants. Senator Pacione-Zayas encourages her constituents to apply, and to attend the open house if they have questions.

“Spanish Coalition for Housing (SCH) values our collaboration with Senator Pacione-Zayas,” Joseph Lopez, SCH Executive Director said. “Our team is prepared to assist individuals and families throughout the district to learn about and apply to Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot Program.”