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Neighbors,
As we celebrate Puerto Rican pride and prepare to honor Juneteenth, we’re reminded that culture, care, and collective action are what make our ward strong. This past weekend, community residents proudly celebrated the Puerto Rican People's Day Parade and Fiestas Patronales. The annual event rejoices in the culture, pride, and heritage of Puerto Ricans in Chicago. It also recognizes the struggle for acceptance in American society and resistance against colonial rule. People filled the streets with joy, listening to music, eating delicious food, and dancing to performances by numerous artists and DJs.
Regrettably, the weekend witnessed three unfortunate shootings. These incidents remind us of the critical need for violence prevention efforts. Despite these challenges, we are proud to share that violence continues to decline in the 26th Ward. This progress reflects the strength and commitment of our community. We are resilient when we work together. We continue to address the root causes of crime and work with community residents most impacted by violence. We hear your concerns, and we remain fully committed to doing everything in our power to make the 26th Ward a safer place for all. Remember: We Keep Us Safe!
The neighborhood festival welcomed people from around the world to celebrate the pride and resistance of Puerto Rico. Thank you to Dynamic Productions and the Gomez Sisters for the beautiful festival and PRCC organizing another celebratory parade. The neighborhood came alive with vibrant music, flavorful food, lively dancing, and a deep, unwavering resilience to honor our cultural roots. ¡Que viva Puerto Rico libre!
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As we wrapped up a weekend filled with Puerto Rican pride and cultural celebration, we now turn to honor another powerful legacy of Black resistance and liberation on Juneteenth. This Thursday and Friday (June 19–20), our office will be closed in observance of Juneteenth. It is a day that honors Black freedom, perseverance, and the ongoing fight for justice. Juneteenth is a powerful reminder that liberation is not a one-time event, it’s a constant, collective journey. As we pause our work, we invite you to reflect, learn, and stand in solidarity with Black families and communities across our city and beyond.
The office will resume regular hours on Monday, June 23rd when I’ll be hosting a Ward Night Pop-up at Chema’s Restaurant from 5-7pm. Join me. |
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While we take time to reflect on freedom and justice, we also welcome the joy and togetherness that summer brings, starting with the opening of our local beach and pools right here in the 26th Ward. Our beloved manmade beach is back on June 21st offering Chicagoans a cool, family-friendly spot right in the neighborhood. Entry is free everyday from 11 AM to 7 PM, and lifeguards will be on duty to ensure safe swimming for all. Also Humboldt Park Pool will open on the 21st as well for more outdoor fun in the sun. Review the pool’s schedule HERE. |
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And just as our parks and pools come alive with energy, so does our office thanks to a brilliant group of college interns who are already making their mark this summer. As an amazing welcome to City Hall, our college interns got stuck in the elevator this morning! In spite of that, they have learned so much in just a week and a half of work. They will be sharing their perspectives all summer. We’d love to introduce you to our college interns! Next week, we will feature our high school interns.
Hello, my name is Joia Brewington. I am entering my senior year at the University of Illinois Urbana -Champaign and am majoring in Political Science and minoring in Creative Writing and Public Relations.
Hello, my name is Ashley Delgado Lagunas, I am a rising sophomore at Pomona College pursuing a degree in Environmental Analysis.
Hello, I am Paola Escudero. Currently I am a rising junior at Columbia College Chicago. I am majoring in Film and Television with a minor in Graphic design. Focused on screen writing and production design such as storyboarding and motion graphics. Despite my focus on arts I find how imperative it is to participate in our community.
Hello, my name is Olivia Sanchez, and I’m a recent graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in International Relations and a double minor in Law and Economics.
Hi I’m Zion Trinidad and I am a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I studied History and Latina/o Studies.
Hey, my name is Theo Damita and I am a rising third year at Northwestern University where I am studying Social Policy and Education and Latine Studies. |
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Whether you're hitting the pool, honoring Juneteenth, or meeting us at Ward Night, let’s stay connected, stay grounded, and keep pushing for the community we all deserve.
In Solidarity,
Alderperson Jessie Fuentes |
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Office Closure 6/19 & 6/20 |
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KYR Criminal Records Workshop: 6/25 |
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The San Juan 5K is hitting Humboldt Park, and I want you to run it with me! Whether you’re racing for time or just having a good time, this is a celebration of culture, community, and movement.
👟 Use code 26thwardruns for $5 off
🎯 Help us reach our goal of 1,000 runners
📍 Humboldt Park
🔗 Sign up to Run/Walk! |
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El Corillo Original de Humboldt Park |
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⛔️ Hermosa Park located at 2240 N Kilbourn is under construction and CLOSED to the public. All programming has been moved to Blackhawk Park, including day camps. For more information, call 312-746-5014.
Humboldt Park Pool and Inland Beach will open Saturday, 6/21 |
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Humboldt Park Library Open! |
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| Seating is limited but all services are open.
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| 🎬 Filming Notice for W. Cortland
A photo shoot is scheduled for Sunday, June 22 from 5 AM to 10 PM on W. Cortland between Whipple and Albany.
🚫 No parking on both sides during this time. Vehicles may be relocated by the City.
🚓 Traffic flow will be managed safely with support from the Chicago Film Office and CPD.
📞 Questions?
Will Noonan – (773) 270-3195 | willnoonanlocations@gmail.com
Chicago Film Office – (312) 744-6415 |
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Cicero Ave. Land Use Study |
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We need to hear from YOU! Please take a few minutes to complete the community survey for the Cicero Avenue Land Use Study. English and Spanish versions are available. The Department of Planning and Development, is evaluating existing conditions along Cicero Avenue between West Irving Park Road and West Grand Avenue. Encompassing 2.75 miles, the study will determine recommendations for land use improvements along the corridor that foster economic vitality, cohesion, safety and other local goals, based on input from community partners, business owners, residents and elected officials. The study area includes portions of the Portage Park and Belmont Cragin community areas. Click here to learn more. |
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| Construction season has begun! Don't forget to check out ChiStreetWork for updates on upcoming work in your neighborhood. |
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Street Sweeping Map & Schedule |
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Street Sweeping takes place between April and November. |
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Boulevard Landmark District Extension Project |
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The “Logan Square Boulevards District” is a significant part of our community's history and character. An extension of this Landmark District is currently being considered. This process typically takes 6 to 9 months and includes communication and notices throughout the process.
This project builds on decades of historic preservation work and reflects the ongoing commitment of the 26th Ward to encouraging sustainable development and maintaining the unique identity of our neighborhoods.
You can learn more about the project, review FAQs, and submit your thoughts at the26thward.org/boulevard-landmarking. |
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The 26th Ward's 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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We are currently reviewing zoning change requests for the following properties. |
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3300 W. Pierce Ave 1738 N St. Louis Ave 1631 N. Spaulding Ave 1751-53 N Spaulding Ave
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| 1701 North Kimball 1459 N. Talman Ave 2735 W North Ave
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The Wasteshed Summer Internships |
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| Are you between the ages of 15 and 22 and want to grow your skills in arts education while making a real impact in your community?
📣 The WasteShed is hiring Youth Summer Interns—learn, create, and lead with purpose this summer.
✨ Open to youth across Chicago
🔗 More info and application
This program is made possible in part by the Illinois Arts Council. |
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| 🚒 Camp Courage is here!
The Chicago Fire Department is launching a free, 3-day summer camp for youth ages 13–18 to explore careers in firefighting and emergency services. 📍 Multiple locations across the city
📅 Sessions run June 23 to July 30
👩🏽🚒 Includes hands-on training, team-building, CPR, and mentorship from CFD professionals
Sign your young person up!
📩 Contact for questions: cfdcampcourage@cityofchicago.org
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Noble School Food Pantries |
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| Noble Schools will be hosting a Summer Food Service Program at several of our campuses across Chicago. This program provides free meals to all eligible children in the community and is part of our commitment to supporting students and families beyond the school year. |
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Mayor’s Youth Commission: Deadline June 22nd |
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| 📣 Chicago youth ages 14–19: Applications are now open for the 2025–2026 Mayor’s Youth Commission!
Help shape city policy, connect with peers, and make your voice heard—plus receive a stipend for your leadership.
🗓️ Apply by June 22
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| My Block, My Hood, My City
Our third annual Downtown Day aims to bring 1,000 youth—primarily from Chicago’s South and West sides—into the heart of our cultural and business corridors for a day of exploration, belonging, and new opportunities!
Sign up to enjoy downtown! |
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Youth Summer Job Opportunities |
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| 🌟 Build Power with Palenque LSNA!
Looking for a meaningful summer job? Palenque LSNA’s Summer Youth Employment Program offers paid opportunities rooted in social justice, creativity, and community healing.
💼 Pay: $16.60/hr (June 23 – August 1)
✔️ Build your resume
✔️ Make a difference in your neighborhood
✔️ Connect with mentors and peers 📩 Contact: Arely Barrera – abarrera@palenquelsna.org
📲 Apply now!
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| New Life Community Church-East Humboldt Park located at 1651 N Kedzie is hosting a Versiti Blood Drive on Saturday, June 21st from 10am to 2pm. I was hoping you could include it in the community newsletter. You have the power to change a life.  
Blood donations support cancer patients, trauma victims, and surgical patients every single day.
Versiti is here to help—but we can’t do it without you.
 Join the fight. Make your appointment now. |
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Bally’s 2nd Annual Vendor Fair 6/25 |
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| Join an exciting opportunity to grow local businesses and make valuable connections! Wednesday, 6/25/25 10AM – 3PM Chicago Teachers Union – 1901 W Carroll Ave  Click here to RSVP today!
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LoSAH/ The Kedzie Center Fundraiser 6/26 |
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| 🎉 Celebrating 10 Years of Community Mental Health
Join us on Thursday, June 26, 2025 for a special evening honoring a decade of healing and resilience with EMHS, The Kedzie Center, and LoSAH.
📍 St. Augustine Hall, 1345 W Argyle
🕕 6 PM – 9 PM
Support the celebration by:
🎟️ Purchasing tickets: thekedziecenter.org or losahcenter.org
💌 Sponsoring or donating to our silent auction: contact development@thekedziecenter.org
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| Join us at Hairpin Arts Center for "On Being," a powerful group show exploring identity, emotion, and the human experience through layered works in various media. Curated by Ingrid TS Rodriguez and featuring artists Brianna Ortiz Van Schoyck, Cassidy Early, and TJ Kiser, this exhibition invites you to reflect, connect, and celebrate community.
Saturday, June 28 from 6–10 PM
On view: June 28 – August 2
2810 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
🔗 RSVP: eventbrite.com link
Don't miss this vibrant call to witness our inner and collective worlds through art.
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Humboldt Park Community Clean-Up 6/28 |
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| 🌿Join the Chicago Parks Foundation for a community clean-up at Humboldt Park and help us show love to the spaces that bring us joy. Bring your friends, your energy, and your commitment to care.🌿 🧹 Meet at the Boathouse: 1301 N Humboldt Dr at 10 AM to 2 PM. 🖐️ All ages welcome and supplies provided 📲 Sign up to clean the park! Let’s make this the first of many. We plan to continue clean-ups on the last Saturday of each month through September: 🗓️ May 31, June 28, July 26, August 30, and September 27 |
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City of Chicago Budget Engagement Roundtable 6/28 |
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| The City of Chicago invites you to join the City at one of three Budget Engagement Roundtables to receive an overview of the proposed budget and to share your insights and ask questions about the City’s priorities.
Sign up to participate |
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Transilience Humboldt Park Festival 7/10 |
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| 🌈 Chicago’s first-ever Trans Pride Festival is here!
Join us for Transilience on Thursday, July 10 from 6 to 8 PM at Humboldt Park (1440 N Humboldt Blvd) for an all-ages, joy-filled celebration of trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming brilliance. Expect dance, drag, circus arts, music, puppeteering, and more, all for free! Let’s uplift each other, create space, and celebrate community beyond the binary.
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Transfemicide Ordinance Community Meetings 7/10 |
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| 📣 The City of Chicago wants to hear from you. Join the Transfemicide Ordinance Community Meetings to share your experiences, uplift trans voices, and help shape a safer, more supportive city for all.
🗓️ Meetings run from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the following locations:
• July 10 – Jackson Park Fieldhouse
• July 30 – Broadway Armory Park
This is a safe space for open dialogue and community-driven solutions. Let’s build a better Chicago together. |
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Pride Community Night 7/17 |
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| Join us for PRIDE Community Night!
We're celebrating LGBTQ+ joy, connection, and community.
LoSAH Center of Hope (3555 W Armitage Ave) on Thursday, July 17 6 to 7:30 PM
Expect food, art, resources, and space to meet and connect with other queer folks. All ages and identities welcome! Free to attend—RSVP appreciated but not required. |
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| 🐾 Thinking about adopting a pet? Now’s the time!
One Tail at a Time is offering 50% off adoption fees at their Bucktown and Everyday Adoption Centers.
This initiative supports families, reduces overcrowding at Chicago Animal Care and Control, and helps build a more compassionate, no-kill Chicago.
📩 your next best friend might be waiting! |
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CEDA Utility Relief Programs |
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Free Entrepreneurial Training - Apply by 7/7 |
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🚀 Small business owners—ready to scale up?
Apply now for Scaling for Success, a free 8-week virtual cohort from the Center for Changing Lives! Get expert training on pricing, federal contracts, insurance, taxes, and more—plus a certificate of completion and a chance to join a pop-up market.
✅ No-cost training for IL entrepreneurs
🗓️ Apply by July 7: www.cclconnect.org/eec
📩 Questions? frontdesk@cclconnect.org | 773-342-6210 |
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Seniors Community Care Program |
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Call for Vendors: Pop Up Market |
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Heat Resilience Policy & Program Community Survey |
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Donate to Meals on Wheels |
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| 🍽️ Hunger Takes No Summer Vacation
Funding cuts are putting Meals on Wheels Chicago at risk—while demand keeps growing. Help us keep the doors open for homebound seniors.
💙 Start a virtual pantry drive or become a monthly Meal Maker today: www.mowc.org/donate
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NEW Illinois Immigration Info Hub |
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Cannabis Expungement Project |
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| New Leaf Cannabis Expungement Project is a network of 17 nonprofits that helps anyone ever charged with a cannabis offense anywhere in Illinois clear eligible cannabis and non-cannabis cases from their record.
Our services are free.
New Leaf is state-funded and was formed after the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act was passed in 2019. |
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Avoid Bird Alert: Protect Yourself & Your Pets |
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| 🐦 H5N1 Bird Flu: What You Need to Know 🦠 Protect yourself and your pets from H5N1 bird flu by avoiding contact with sick or dead birds and their droppings. If handling is necessary, wear protective gear like gloves, goggles, and an N95 mask. 🐾 Keep pets safe! Don’t let dogs or cats interact with wild birds or contaminated areas. If they come into contact, wash them immediately and monitor for symptoms. 🍗 Always cook poultry and eggs thoroughly to kill any potential virus. For more info, visit: Chicago Department of Public Health |
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City of Chicago - Know Your Rights Guide |
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The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) provides this Rights Card to protect you during interactions with law enforcement or immigration officials. 📞 Family Support Hotline:
Call 1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693) for assistance in English, Spanish, Korean, or Polish. ✅The right to remain silent. ✅The right to refuse answering questions without legal representation. ✅The right to contact an attorney or organization for help. Print and carry this card to assert your rights and ensure your safety in uncertain situations. For more information, visit www.icirr.org/family-support |
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Intake for People Experiencing Homelessness |
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| 🏠 24/7 Intake Location for People Experiencing Homelessness
For single adults in need of shelter, the Shelter Placement and Resource Center (SPARC) offers:
✅ Open 24/7 with a 200-person capacity
✅ Meals, showers, laundry, and shelter placement services
✅ On-site assistance and 3-1-1 shelter requests available around the clock
📍 Location: 2241 S. Halsted St. (S Halsted St. & W 23rd) |
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Court-Based Rental Assistance Program |
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Chicago Senior Risk Assessment Program |
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| The Chicago Seniors At Risk Assessment Program provides free fire/fall safety assessments for individuals ages 65 or over and those with a disability.
Chicago Fire Department members will assess the home for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as other fire and fall hazards.
Call to schedule an appointment. Phone: (312) 747-6691 |
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Chicago Rents connects landlords with tenants through various housing subsidy programs, offering guaranteed rent, vacancy filling, and personalized support. Created in response to COVID-19, it centralizes property partner relationships and helps Chicagoans in need of housing. For additional information, please visit: allchicago.org/chicagorents. If you are a landlord interested in joining the Chicago Rents program, you can click here to apply. |
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12 District Police Oversight |
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The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) has introduced a new and improved interactive calendar, which you can click here to access. One of the key features of this calendar is the inclusion of the yearly meeting calendar for both the Commission for Public Safety and your Local District Councils. By simply visiting this website, you can find the dates, times, and locations of all scheduled meetings. 14th Police District Council Join elected District Councilors every first Saturday of the month at 1pm to work for better police accountability, restorative justice, and evidence based approaches to public safety. |
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| 📣 Join us on June 28 for the Early Learning Careers & Education Pathways Expo at Malcolm X College!
Meet over 50 employers and education partners with job opportunities in teaching, family support, admin, and more.
🗓️ June 28, 2025 | ⏰ 10 AM–2 PM
📍 1900 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago
Limited space—register today!
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| OEMC currently has four job postings on the City’s website ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Salary: $50,424 Annually Job Posting:Jun 12, 2025 | Requisition ID:410015 GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT OF SPECIAL TRAFFIC SERVICES Salary: $94,992 Annually Job Posting:Jun 9, 2025 | Requisition ID:409282 TRAFFIC CONTROL AIDE-HOURLY Salary: $22.04 Job Posting:Mar 19, 2025 | Requisition ID:411598
Apply HERE |
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| Ready for a new career?
GWTP has trained over 2,000 people for good jobs with real career paths. No high school diploma or GED required, and programs are free for eligible applicants.
✔️ Short-term training
✔️ Industry certifications
✔️ Job placement support
✔️ Background friendly
✔️ Transportation and other services included
📲 Call 312-563-9570 to schedule a tour or register online today!
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| Are you a skilled and passionate healthcare professional looking to make a meaningful impact in the community? Humboldt Park Health (HPH) is seeking dedicated Physicians and Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) to join our team.
View open position HERE |
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| Click Here to view and apply for Chicago Department of Public Health jobs |
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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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Share Feedback for a Healthier & Sustainable Community |
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