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On Wednesday, I chaired the Subcommittee on Youth Employment to discuss teen trends, as inspired by Dr. Almethia C. Franklin. So much gratitude for the courage of each of our subject matter experts! In my tenure as your alderperson, I have never seen a young person serve as an expert during a City Council meeting. My colleagues, our experts, and I agree that this should happen more regularly – young people, this City Council is yours!
The three hour meeting included numerous gems:
"Youth need to be at the table. They need to be at the board meetings, their voice needs to be heard," Jahmal Cole with My Block, My Hood, My City said. - ABC7 Chicago “I think the problem is generally that some Chicago neighborhoods on the West and South Side have been neglected for decades, and you finally see the product of that neglect from young people. You see young people coming outside. You see young people gathering, but we don’t look deep into what’s in that community. I know communities that don’t have a sports gym or don’t have a movie theater or nothing for the youth to do,” hearing attendee Demarion Spann said. - WGN9 "When people ask why teenagers attend teen gatherings or teen trends, the answer is simple: we want somewhere to go," said Deja Williams, youth peacekeeper with GoodKids MadCity, who is from West Englewood. - CBS News “The teens that were here today, we were labeled as ‘good kids,’ representing the ‘bad kids’ for our community, and that makes me feel unheard. We are just kids … We are a reflection of our city. That means we get what the city pours into us,” Romya Simone said. “If the city is pouring into guns and disinvestments, then that’s what we’re going to represent.” - WBEZ Chicago “I think it’s important for youth specifically to attend these hearings because ultimately we are the future of this city. Eventually all of the adults that are in City Hall, they’re getting older, they’re not going to be here. We deserve a city that we have a part in. We can’t live somewhere where we have no say in anything that happens; that’s not democratic.” - MyChiMyFuture
Fabo Walker, Deja Williams, Jailyn Mendez, Damarrion Spann, and Romya Simone: be proud of your testimony and the many ways your words are going to transform City Council chambers. Dr. Franklin and Jahmal, thank you for doing the research and meeting the challenges with solutions. And Deputy Mayors Andre and Humphries, we have so many amazing ideas from the hearing; let’s keep building. |
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26th Ward Infrastructure and Business Investments
As you may have noticed, Space to Grow has broken ground on Moos Elementary’s playground. Check out the newest rendering – all elements involved student engagement and selection. Construction is scheduled to wrap up in November 2026, and we cannot wait to celebrate this community asset. |
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West Town Bikes and Ciclo Urbano are getting an upgrade!
We all heard our young people loud and clear and know that investing in spaces that empower our community to be self-determined and their authentic selves, and WTB/Ciclo Urbano rise to this standard.
Through an incredibly competitive grant cycle, West Town Bikes and Ciclo Urbano were awarded the Neighborhood Development Project grant. With this renovation, they will be able to build out their facilities to include a larger bike shop, more classroom space, an event space, a metal fabrication workshop, rooftop access, and so much more. Like Moos’ playground, investment in spaces like these are for the entire community. Our young people deserve it. |
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Goulart Travel is one of 11 businesses awarded the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grants. Goulart Travel is located in a developing commercial corridor, and I am excited to see the final product of their rehabilitation. |
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Frank De León
This weekend, the 26th Ward celebrates a man who turned a $3,000 court settlement and a priest’s advice into nearly four decades of community. Honorary Francisco “Frank” De León Way will be unveiled tomorrow at Wabansia Ave. between California and Francisco honoring a man who, alongside his wife Felicia, opened “El Recuerdo” in 1970, the corner store generations of Humboldt Park residents simply called “Frank’s Store.”
For 36 years, Frank’s Store was where neighbors gathered and leaned on each other. Where Frank fed people who were hungry, gave returning community members a second chance to work, and opened his doors to new Puerto Rican arrivals extending credit to families knowing he may never get it back. He did this all while facing loan blockages due to redlining and an arson attempt at his home at the height of White Flight. Frank passed away in 2009 at the age of 72 but his story is a very Humboldt Park Puerto Rican one. One of resilience, generosity, and community in the face of displacement, inequality and racism. |
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| Playdate in Humboldt Park
This Saturday, June 27, Chicago’s Largest Playdate lands at the Humboldt Park fieldhouse from 10 AM to 1 PM, and it is for our tiniest neighbors. Thank you to the Mayor’s Office and DFSS for choosing our very backyard to host this citywide celebration. The event is for children up to 5 years old and their families, with coloring stations, crafts, games, and so much more. On-site registration is free.
The Chicago Care Van will also be on site. Get your child up to date with their immunizations. Vaccines are safe, effective, and at no-cost. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged but not required. Walk-ins are also welcome. If possible, please bring your child's vaccine records. |
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Logan Square Farmer’s Market in Humboldt Park This Weekend! This Sunday, June 28, the Logan Square Farmers Market will pop up in Humboldt Park at the Erie Teen & Young Adult Health Center parking lot, 2418 W. Division St. The market will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. While Logan Square plaza hosts the Logan Square Arts Fest, this pop up will allow vendors and farmers to continue operating rather than closing for the week. This continuity is important for farmers, who depend on weekly markets to sell their crops and avoid unnecessary food waste. With more than 70 vendors, including three from Humboldt Park, the market hopes to bring fresh, organic foods to the neighborhood while also encouraging visitors to spend time at the cafés, restaurants, and small businesses along Division Street. I hope you will stop by, support local vendors, and enjoy everything our neighborhood has to offer. |
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Block Party
We are well into Block Party season and the 26th Ward has a full calendar of parties lined up. As we create community and celebrate together, here’s a reminder of clean up and recycling post-fun. A little planning goes a long way to keeping our community clean! |
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| 🏳️🌈 Catch Me This Sunday on the PRCC Float! This Pride weekend, I'll be riding with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center on their float at the Chicago Pride Parade, on Sunday, June 28, starting at 11am. Come find us on the route, I would love to celebrate with you!
Pride is a year round commitment. Our LGBTQ+ neighbors deserve more than a celebration in June, they deserve housing, health care, mental health support, and a community that shows up for them in December too.
Let’s lift up the on-the-ground support of our local LGBTQ+ organizations:
🏳️🌈 VIDA/SIDA & PRCC 🏳️🌈 La Casa Norte + Howard Brown 🏳️🌈 Center on Halsted 🏳️🌈 Affinity Community Services 🏳️🌈 AIDS Foundation Chicago 🏳️🌈 Brave Space Alliance 🏳️🌈 Chicago Therapy Collective 🏳️🌈 El Rescate 🏳️🌈 Calor 🏳️🌈 Trans Empowerment Center 🏳️🌈 Life is Work Resources Center 🏳️🌈 Project VIDA
These organizations house folks who need it, provide mental health care that affirms who people are, and build community spaces where our LGBTQ+ neighbors can just exist safely and with dignity. Happy Pride, 26th Ward. See you Sunday. 🏳️🌈 |
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Closed July 3rd/ Early Trash Pick-up
Finally, the office will be closed Friday, July 3rd for the 4th of July. Please leave your garbage bins out and accessible starting Monday, June 29th as our Streets and Sanitation teams are shifting pick up to start earlier for everyone. |
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| | In Solidarity,
Alderperson Jessie Fuentes |
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| Immigration Rights Resources |
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| | | Construction season has begun! Don't forget to check out our construction projects for updates on upcoming work in your neighborhood. |
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| | The 26th Ward's community-led zoning process requires anyone requesting a zoning change to first complete a zoning intake form. After review, they present their request to the Zoning Advisory Committee and answer questions. In some cases, they may also present at a community input meeting. |
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| If you know someone looking for reproductive justice resources in Chicago, they can go to this Department of Public Health resource page to use the City’s digital community resource directory. There is also a free talkline (1-888-493-0092) where operators are available to share information on various reproductive justice options. |
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| | | | | If you need assistance with a city service, let us know! You can submit your request through our website, by giving us a call, or submitting a request directly to 311.chicago.gov. Our team is here to provide the support you need and ensure our community thrives. |
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