A reflection on voting, protests, prayers and research from Richard Townsell, Executive Director of the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation

On June 8, 2020 Lake Behavioral Hospital opened in Waukegan with 146 beds.

What has quickly become clear is that while we could quite easily identify the need for medical supplies among the many healthcare providers here in Illinois with whom we are working, the prices we (and they) were quoted by distributors were often five to 10 times higher than they were before the COVID-19 crisis began.

News from IL Dept of Public Health
The Illinois Department of Public Health operates the Health Alert Network/SIREN system and document library serving as a single central point for finding, creating, and sharing information for the general public, medical professionals, long-term care facilities and emergency responders.

Shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are reported daily in the news. Metro IAF's efforts in dealing with this issue are reported in the links below.

Intercept story on Metro IAF's pressure on 3M
https://theintercept.com/2020/04/01/coronavirus-3m-n95-masks-price-gouging/

A team of leaders met with Governor Pritzker on crisis stabilization units and housing.

It was standing room only at the Waukegan School Board meeting where Lake County United parents, teachers and residents pressed the school district to act with urgency to establish more mental health resources in the schools. 

The board responded and made this issue a priority for the superintendent and staff. After the meeting top district staff met with LCU leaders and agree to have joint meeting with LCU and health providers before Spring Break to move forward on this issue.

Aldermanic privilege — Where’s mine? — perpetuates a pattern of scattered and unfocused work. Dealing with the issue. Op-ed by Mike Gecan, senior advisor to the Metro Industrial Areas Foundation.

We desperately need to reinvent the way we think and talk about problem-solving in America today.
Link to news item
Read the full op-ed by Michael Grecan, senior advisor to the Metro Industrial Areas Foundation.

The State of Illinois Passed It's First Capital Budget in TEN YEARS!

United Power for Action and Justice (UPAJ) took the lead joined by Lake County United (LCU), DuPage United (DU) and the Fox River Valley Initiative (FRVI) to fight for inclusion of substantial money for quality housing.