South End Citizen 3-27-2019

Citizen

Chicago Citizen Newspaper endorsement for Mayor of the City of Chicago — Page 3 Week of March 27, 2019

| Vol. 52 | No. 7 | www.thechicagocitizen.com

SOUTH END

SOUTH SIDE TEEN NAMED YOUTH OF THE YEAR

BY BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF CHICAGO

BUSINESS

Synchrony Car Care Credit Card Expands Acceptance Categories to Cover Even More AutoRelated Needs PAGE 4

One Chicago teen, Joshua Houston from Beverly, was recently awarded the title of Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. The Youth of the Year award is the highest local honor and recognizes a student’s outstanding leadership skills, commitment to service, and academic standing.

Illinois Medicaid officials vow to improve services PAGE 5

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FASHION

Outerknown Launches Women’s Collection PAGE 6

Joshua Houston (pictured) was recently named the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago Youth of the Year for 2019.

Photo Credit: Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago

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NEWS briefly EDUCATION

HBCU STUDENT INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE Students at the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions of Higher Education can apply to participate in a 10-week paid summer internship within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The internships may be at one of the state historic sites, N.C. Symphony, N.C. Art Museum, State Park, N.C. Aquarium, State Capitol, N.C. Zoo, or another state attraction. Essential components include professional development, leadership training and networking opportunities. The program is a partnership with the state’s HBCUs and the Minority Institution of Higher Education.

Rising juniors, seniors and graduate students may apply. Interested candidates should submit an application, resume, cover letter and transcript to employment@ncdcr.gov. Applications must be received by Mar. 30.

For additional information contact Internship Program Coordinator Charles Graves at Charles.

Graves@ncdcr.gov or visit https://www.ncdcr.gov/ hbcumihe-summer-internship-program.

HEALTH

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS BREAKS GROUND ON $150 MILLION MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CENTER The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is constructing a 200-bed mental health and general medicine treatment center in Joliet. This facility will provide the most intensive level of care for incarcerated men and women with mental illness or who require long-term skilled nursing care.

The 180,000-square foot Inpatient Treatment Center will be located in Joliet, Illinois on the same grounds as the existing Joliet Treatment Center. The $150 million facility will provide services to both male and female patients. More than 400 people will work at the facility including physicians, nurse practitioners, licensed psychologists, and correctional treatment officers.

This new Inpatient Treatment Center will ensure IDOC meets its obligation to provide inpatient beds and programming space for seriously mentally ill offenders, as outlined in the Rasho v Baldwin settlement agreement.

Construction of the Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center is expected to be completed in 2021.

LAW & POLITICS

HAHN LOESER & PARKS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF BIOMETRIC PRIVACY PRACTICE GROUP IN CHICAGO Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP recently announced it has established a new practice group—the Biometric Privacy Practice Group—to better support clients’ needs in the areas of privacy and data protection.

The new group will focus on claims relating to the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and the emergence of biometric privacy issues across the country. Fisher and Gillian G. Lindsay will represent employers, timekeeping technology companies, and other clients using and implementing biometric data with BIPA and privacy compliance and class-action defense.

Hahn Loeser provides the full spectrum of legal services in one firm. With six offices and more than 115 attorneys, the firm represents large corporations, privately-held businesses, non-profit institutions, governmental entities and individuals across the country and around the world.

South Side Teen Named Youth Of The Year By Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago Continued from page 1

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

One Chicago teen, Joshua Houston from Beverly, was recently awarded the title of Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. The Youth of the Year award is the highest local honor and recognizes a student’s outstanding leadership skills, commitment to service, and academic standing.

“The Youth of the Year is a national program that was formed a number of years ago by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and it is part of the core offerings of the Boys and Girls Clubs where we really focus on character development and leadership development. This Youth of the Year initiative is an offshoot of that,” said Mimi LeClair, president & chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.

There are 23 individual clubs that are part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago network and for the Youth of the Year initiative each club is tasked with naming their

own Youth of the Year who then competes to become one of the six finalists that get to share their story at the Annual Youth of the Year Competition for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago.

“I wanted to do this because I just wanted to tell my story and get people to understand my point of view because I don’t get to talk to the people that were there that night on a regular basis. Being able to share my story with people was the main reason why I wanted to compete,” said Houston.

Houston is an 18-year-old high school senior who at a young age took on a lot of responsibility at home when his father became ill. As a way of coping with the pressure of his new responsibilities, Houston began writing poetry as an outlet for his emotions and through that, he was able to find his voice and begin to share his story.

During his moving presentation, Houston shared that he is dedicated to helping others find their voices like he was able to do. He said that many of his peers struggle

with expressing their feelings and especially young men who think that sharing their true thoughts will compromise their masculinity. Houston said that he wants to work to change the misconceptions about masculinity and emotional expression to show people that they can always feel free to express themselves no matter their gender, skin color, sexuality, age, or interests.

“When I found out I had won, I was really excited and nervous at the same time.

I was excited because we had been working on this since November. After all that time of putting together my speech and competing in front of different people then finally getting to win, I was very excited. I was also nervous because now I will have to go on the stage and give my speech again so it’s like the process never ends, even if you win.

There is still work to do,” said Houston.

After accepting his award as the Chicago Youth of the Year, Houston now will go on to participate in Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s Illinois State competition.

State Representative Hosts Community Healing Fair On The South Side

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Illinois State Representative Sonya Harper (6th) recently hosted an inaugural Community Healing Fair in collaboration with several community partners throughout her district that includes parts of Englewood and West Englewood.

The Community Healing Fair was held at The Port Ministries, 5017 S. Hermitage, and included several healing workshops and a youth panel discussion.

Since taking office, Rep. Harper has been operating a Violence Reduction and Trauma Response Team in the 6th district which not only includes Englewood but also parts of Canaryville, Back of the Yards, and other south side communities that are currently experiencing violence and suffering from trauma.

The Violence Reduction and Trauma Response Team helps Harper create ideas for new policies related to violence and trauma prevention, community healing, and how to address the root causes of violence and trauma in the 6th District.

“This event is kind of an offshoot from my Violence Reduction and Trauma Re-

Illinois Representative Sonya Harper (pictured) recently hosted her first Community Healing Fair to connect community members with resources that will help them address and resolve trauma caused by violence in their neighborhoods. Photo Credit: Representative Sonya Harper

sponse Team,” said Harper.

“My vision for the team was for it to be a living and breathing team that goes out into the community and responds to certain geographic areas right after a traumatic incident to provide resources for those that are affected and connect them with educational information, mental health information, and maybe even youth programs.”

The Community Healing Fair is an extension of Harper’s original vision in the sense that it brings together all of the

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resources that the Violence Reduction and Trauma Response Team can provide on the street and puts them in one place where people can come and begin to heal from the trauma they have experienced.

“The Healing Fair kind of combines all the elements that we want the physical response team to be and puts it into a one-stop-shop event that folks can come to. The day will consist of a series of workshops, activities, and seminars that are all designed and all centered

around healing trauma, healing the effects of it, and meeting people where they are with what they need,” said Harper.

The various healing workshops that took place during the event focused on meditation, yoga, women’s defense, LGBTQ healing, art therapy, and mental health. Several community organizations partnered with Harper to host the Community Healing Fair including the Resident Association of Greater Englewood, the Chicago torture Justice Center, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, UChicago Medicine, and several others.

Finally, there was a youth panel featuring the voices of young community members who Harper said are often the ones that have to navigate the issues of violence on a daily basis and are the most knowledgeable about how to address and remedy the current trauma that exists.

“After a violent shooting or violent crime happens in the community, our response is usually to put up some teddy bears and then just wait for the next thing to happen. What we want to do is come up with a better response to that,” said Harper.

CITIZEN | South End | Week of March 27, 2019

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NEWS

Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Yvette Clarke Reintroduce Legislation to Commission Statue Honoring U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) reintroduced a bill directing Congress to commission a statue of former U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm to be displayed in the United States Capitol.

Currently, there are four statues and busts in the United State Capitol representing African-Americans, including Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Sojourner Truth.

Companion legislation was also introduced recently in the House of Representatives by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY).

“For the first time in history, there are more than 20 Black women serving in the United State Congress—and we all stand on the shoulders of Shirley Chisholm,” said Senator Harris. “Shirley’s legacy inspires us to continue our fight to give a voice to the voiceless and pursue justice and equality for every American.

Her legacy deserves to stand tall in the United States Capitol.”

“Shirley Chisholm used the authority of her experience to create nutrition assistance programs, expand health care services for parents and children, increase the minimum wage, support the veterans of our Armed Forces, and provide opportunities for women in college, graduate school, and collegiate and professional sports with the enactment of Title IX,” said Congresswoman Clarke. “For this and countless other reasons, Congress should honor Chisholm’s life and living legacy and

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) (left) reintroduced a bill directing Congress to commission a statue of former U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm to be displayed in the United States Capitol. Companion legislation was also introduced recently in the House of Representatives by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) (right).

her contribution to advancing civil and human rights by among other defining figures in our nation’s history.”

A native of New York, Chisholm served in the New York State Assembly before she was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm was also a

founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first Black woman to seek a major party’s nomination for president.

In addition to Harris, the bill is cosponsored

by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DNY) and Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE),

Citizen Newspaper Endorses Toni Preckwinkle For Mayor Of Chicago The next Mayor of Chicago will make history as the first African American woman to hold the office, that much we know. After watching the pool of candidates dwindle from roughly 20 to now just two highly qualified women, we at the Chicago Citizen Newspaper are endorsing Toni Preckwinkle for Mayor of the City of Chicago.

If you have ever heard Preckwinkle speak, you know that she is proud to have begun her career as a high school history teacher where she was able to impact the lives of countless young people.

She also served as Alderman of the 4th Ward for two decades before being elected to serve as the Cook County Board President in 2010. It is her life-long commitment to public service that motivates us to endorse Preckwinkle for Mayor.

As a result of Preckwinkle’s

time as Cook County Board President, an office that she still holds today, over 350,000 more residents have access to healthcare through a local Medicaid expansion known as CountyCare.

Additionally, under Preckwinkle’s leadership as Board President, the daily population of inmates at the Cook County Jail has decreased by 30 percent. If elected as Mayor, Preckwinkle has said that she will continue to fight for the rights of the city’s most vulnerable residents across the city and continue to be a champion for improved access to healthcare and criminal justice reform.

At the Citizen we are endorsing Toni Preckwinkle as the best candidate to be the next Mayor of Chicago but more than that we encourage everyone, no matter who you favor, to vote on April 2nd and have your voices be heard in this historic election.

Toni Preckwinkle

www.thechicagocitizen.com

Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Patty Murray (D-WA).

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BUSINESS Synchrony Car Care Credit Card Expands Acceptance Categories to Cover Even More Auto-Related Needs Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a consumer financial services company, recently announced that Synchrony Car CareTM has increased its acceptance network of merchants more than tenfold to include more auto-related categories and locations. Cardholders will now have the ability to use this all-inone solution at more than 500,000 locations across 25 categories including gas, auto parts and service, car washes, parking, ride sharing and more.

Introduced in 2017, Synchrony Car Care is a no annual-fee credit card that meets the needs of drivers by offering a dedicated payment solution for both planned and unexpected car expenses. In addition to greater acceptance, the card now offers six-months promotional financing on purchases of $199 or more at more than 500,000 automotive service and parts locations across the country.

Gas station purchases are not eligible for promotional financing.

“Synchrony Car Care continues to be a financial resource for consumers who want to manage their family’s

Photo credit: Synchrony

auto spending needs with one convenient payment method.

With this expansion in acceptance and financing opportunities, our cardholders have security in knowing the card is there for them when they need it,” said Neeraj Mehta, chief executive officer, Payment Solutions, Synchrony. “The new enhancements are part of our ongoing commitment to help our cardholders reach every destination.”

Synchrony is partnering with Discover® Global Network®. For cardholders, this means increased nationwide acceptance in more locations outside Synchrony Car Care’s

Photo credit: Synchrony

traditional parts and service categories.

Synchrony is constantly innovating to enhance digital customer experiences, according to a press release. Synchrony Car Care delivers with a dedicated mobile app, available for free for iOS devices and Android devices.

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Technology is Changing the Way Female Advisors Serve Clients, According to Edward Jones Survey A recent survey of female financial advisors taken at Edward Jones’ Annual Women’s Conference shows that, rather than looking at new disruptive technology as a challenge to their practice, financial advisors are increasingly embracing technology to better serve clients and scale their businesses.

Only 1 in 10 (11%) of polled financial advisors cited disruptive technologies—which include advances in artificial intelligence and roboadvisors—as the biggest challenge to the financial advisory industry in 2019.

This is despite the substantiated growth in assets under management for robo-advisors which is expected to reach between $2.2 trillion to $3.7 trillion by 2020 according to many analysts.

On the contrary, financial advisors are using technology as a way to complement and enhance the services they offer to the clients they already serve. When asked how they see their practice changing in the next five years, over half (57%) responded that they will offer a broader range of services to fewer clients, while 60% stated that technology will enable them to have more data and tools available to personalize advice based on their clients’ life goals.

“While new and disruptive technology has put pressure on the financial services industry, it has also enabled financial advisors to better determine appropriate solutions for clients’ increasingly complex needs,” said Katherine Mauzy, principal of financial advisor talent acquisition at Edward Jones. “Financial Advisors are able to speed up cumbersome and tedious processes while creating a clearer path for more personalized, goals-based planning.”

Financial Advisors are using a multitude of technological advances to enhance the way they interact with their clients. Over two-thirds (66%) of respondents say they now employ client relationship management (CRM) software to keep track of leads, prospects and clients.

Another 60% also use web-based meeting tools to hold client meetings.

In this new digital age, online resources and even social media are increasingly becoming popular ways for financial advisors to interface with clients. 38% of respondents said they are increasingly using online resources to educate clients on investment offerings and strategies.

Another 28% are utilizing social media to interact with clients, signaling their willingness to attract and retain a younger generation of investors who are increasingly more internet-savvy.

“As a firm, we are seeing on a daily basis how financial advisors are leveraging new tools to anticipate

clients’ current and future needs, making client-centricity a reality,” said Ken Cella, principal of the client strategies group at Edward Jones.

“This client centricity allows advisors to deeply understand the clients they serve and empowers clients to engage on their own terms, enabling both parties to make better decisions and to operate with more ease and speed.”

Ongoing training and coaching required to keep up with needs To keep up with constant changes in technology and client needs, financial advisors benefit from constant training and coaching. Eight in ten (80%) of the women advisors polled believed that ongoing training and coaching is the most important thing their firm can provide to help financial advisors grow their practice and almost half (43%) say the biggest piece of advice for women looking to find success in the financial services industry is through mentoring and coaching.

Another 42% think that support designed for women financial advisors is essential, while 45% agree that opportunities to grow through leadership skills are important.

They’re not alone. According to the World Economic Forum, while 35% of the skills demanded for jobs across industries will change by 2020, at least 1 in 4 workers are already reporting a skills mismatch with regards to the skills demanded by their current jobs.

Thus, enabling and empowering financial advisors to transform and update their skills through tailored training, coaching and leadership opportunities will better prepare them to meet the needs of more demanding clients and ever-evolving technology.

“It is important that the financial services industry as a whole continues to invest in programs and opportunities that build and support the development of female financial advisors,” added Mauzy. “At Edward Jones we take a vested interest in building the careers of our financial advisors from day one through best-inclass training, technological support, and programs like WINGS, our firmwide network for female advisors.”

Methodology: The survey of 107 top-earning financial advisors was conducted on the grounds of Edward Jones’ 2019 annual Women’s Conference, which took place at the firm’s St. Louis headquarters from February 21-22, 2019.

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CITIZEN | South End | Week of March 27, 2019

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NEWS

Illinois Medicaid officials vow to improve services Governor’s budget request depends on new tobacco and other taxes

BY PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com

SPRINGFIELD – Officials in charge of managing the Illinois Medicaid program told state lawmakers they are focused on improving services and reducing the program’s cost to taxpayers, but that will depend on whether lawmakers are willing to impose a new tax on insurance companies.

“This budget proposal has been referred to technically as a maintenance budget, but to us that means far from business as usual,” Theresa Eagleson, the new director at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, told a Senate appropriations committee Tuesday. “The governor has vowed to preserve Medicaid funding, and under this budget not a single person will see their health coverage or their child support assistance reduced in any way.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is proposing a total operating budget for DHFS of $25.1 billion, or about $900 million more than the current year’s budget.

The vast majority of that is for the state Medicaid program, which is jointly funded with state and federal money to provide health coverage to more than 3 million low- and moderate-income people in Illinois.

However, under Pritzker’s proposal, the cost to Illinois taxpayers would actually be about $700 million less than it is this year. That’s because within the Medicaid program, Pritzker is proposing to levy a host of new taxes that would go into a special fund used to reimburse health care providers while at the same time drawing down additional federal matching funds.

Those new taxes include an assessment on certain insurance companies known as managed care organizations, or MCOs, which are the type of companies that now ad-

minister most of the state’s Medicaid program. Pritzker is also seeking a 32-cent per-pack increase in the state’s cigarette tax as well as new taxes on e-cigarettes.

Among the things the new money would pay for would be the hiring of 59 additional staff members to coordinate physical and behavioral health care for Medicaid patients.

That new “managed care” system, however, has been the subject of intense criticism since it was implemented statewide in 2015. Known as “Health Choice Illinois,” it was intended to improve health outcomes and bring down costs by coordinating each individual’s care between their primary care provider and various therapists and specialists.

Sen. Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat who chairs the committee, was among the group of lawmakers who pushed for shifting to a managed-care model for Medicaid. But she said Tuesday that there have been signs the new model isn’t working as planned, and that the MCOs have actually been controlling costs by denying claims.

“The history we’ve had with the MCOs has been much more (about) denials, not providing care,” she said.

Eagleson, a former executive director of the Office of Medicaid Innovation at the University of Illinois system, acknowledged earlier in her testimony the agency was “deeply aware” of concerns about denial rates, late payments and other issues in the program. But she also said there are indications managed care is achieving some of its goals.

A photo of the front door to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services building in Springfield.

Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock

“… We’re seeing anecdotally things like increased assessments of behavioral health needs, decreased hospital admissions, decreased (emergency room) utilization,” she said. “So we do think that the statistics are going in the right direction in most cases, but we’d like to bring more transparency to you around those issues as well.”

Sen. Laura Murphy, a Democrat from Des Plaines, meanwhile, said there were concerns that go beyond the managed care system, and that’s the difficulty people have getting recertified for Medicaid in order to continue their benefits after their initial period of approval expires.

“I’m sure my office is not unlike most other districts’ offices, where 90 percent of my staff ’s time is spent on

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trying to get people recertified,” she said, calling the process “the most consumer-unfriendly thing we could possibly do.”

“And the amount of frustration that my constituents, and I’m sure everyone’s experienced, it is beyond unacceptable,” Murphy said.

Eagleson said the agency was working “across the board” to find solutions to that problem, including hiring and training new staff at local offices where Medicaid applications are processed. She said the agency was also looking into a more streamlined process for the frail elderly and people with chronic disabilities whose medical conditions that qualify them for Medicaid are unlikely to change.

Sen. Dale Righter, a Republican

from Mattoon, said his major concern about the budget request was the reliance on new taxes, which the General Assembly has not yet approved. He asked how the agency would make up the difference if lawmakers decline to enact those new taxes.

“We would have to explore other funding options for the budget, senator, whether that would be (general revenue funds) or other resources,” said Mike Casey, DHFS finance director. “We would have an issue of funding our budget, to the tune of approximately $400 million, net.”

The committee took no action Tuesday, but will continue discussing the proposed Medicaid budget as lawmakers work toward passing a final budget later in the session.

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FASHION Adore Me Featured In The Final Season Of Project Runway: All Stars Adore Me, a disruptive e-commerce lingerie startup ranked #36 on Crain’s 2018 Fast 50 list of fastest-growing companies in NYC, recently announced its participation in the seventh season of Project Runway: All Stars.

Adore Me was featured on Project Runway: All Star’s fourth episode of season 7. The challenge, introduced

Outerknown, the sustainable lifestyle brand, moves into spring 2019 with the launch of its first-ever women’s collection. (L to R) Raychel Roberts, Candace Reels, Lauren Singer

Outerknown Launches Women’s Collection

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uterknown, the sustainable lifestyle brand founded by Kelly Slater and John Moore, moves into spring 2019 with the launch of its first-ever women’s collection.

In 2015, professional surfer Kelly Slater and creative director John Moore set out to create a brand that would disrupt the fashion landscape by making a true connection between sustainability and style.

Since then, Outerknown has succeeded in building brand affinity within the conscious lifestyle and menswear markets by offering quality products, made with the best partners, and most importantly, with the highest regard for People and Planet.

“We started Outerknown to prove that we could make great clothes using fair labor practices and materials that are not harmful to the environment,” says Slater. “Our growing business shows us that people want to make conscious choices about their clothes—you don’t have to harm people or the planet for the sake of fashion.”

Inspired by and designed for the women who

are making change – in their respective fields and in their communities all over the world – Outerknown women’s seeks to reach those whose style is led by their intelligence.

The debut collection of 17 styles includes a variation of tops, dresses and bottoms in various color ways that all work together to create a versatile wardrobe of effortless, everyday essentials that come with a clean conscience. Incredibly, the entire collection is made of 100% benefit fibers (organic, recycled, and/or regenerated) with prices ranging from $48 - $268.

John Moore adds that over the years, they noticed that Outerknown’s customer base was growing beyond just men. “Women were always ‘borrowing from the boys’ and have continuously showed their support of our ethos, quality and style. We thought it was time to give them pieces they could call their own.”

Some of these pieces include the Canyon Dress, Bee Shirt, Sunrose Top and Pacific Kimono, all made of 100% Organic Cotton and

produced in collaboration with Piece & Co, an organization working to empower women around the world through textile manufacturing.

It is an organization that is near to Outerknown as it parallels the brand’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

Outerknown women’s debut campaign features environmental activist and Trash is for Tossers blogger Lauren Singer, activist and founder of Female Collective, Candace Reels, and model and founder of Chasseresse, Raychel Roberts. “It was important for us to look to women with an authentic connection to People and Planet,” says Moore. “Lauren, Candace and Raychel each embody the intelligence, enthusiasm, and drive to leave this planet better than they entered it, and more importantly, are sharing their knowledge to inspire change.”

Outerknown launched in 2015 and is sold at outerknown.com and at select premium retailers worldwide. For more information about Outerknown, its products, and sustainability efforts, please visit www.Outerknown.com.

BRIEFLY

Women Grow Strong and Black PR Wire host a Fashion Webinar with I Am CHIC Women Grow Strong and Black PR Wire recently encouraged women to stay in style during Women’s History Month and all year round! The organizations partnered up with Christie Grays,

the Commander-In-Chic of I Am Chic, and held a fashion forward webinar on March 26, 2019 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM (ET). The webinar, entitled “Be CHIC on Purpose: Style Tips and Spring Trends” was

presented by Grays.

During the webinar, Grays discussed: l How to dress for success, finding your style while being authentically you www.thechicagocitizen.com

l How to add flair to your basic wardrobe l Hot fashion tips and spring trends found on the runway that can translate into your wardrobe, among other topics.

by Adore Me’s head designer, Helen Mears, was for the designers to create a fashion corset that can be worn as an outfit.

The winning designer would win $1,000 and the winning design would be available to purchase on AdoreMe. com. Christina Exie, former winner of Project Runway Australia, won the challenge with her white, structured corset and dress.

Adore Me’s corset challenge episode of Project Runway: All Stars aired January 23, 2019. The winning Project Runway corset is now available on AdoreMe.com.

Christina Exie, winner of the Project Runway: All Stars, Adore Me Corset Challenge said, “My thought process behind the design was based purely around the corset being the female armour. Since our challenge was to make the corset as outerwear, I decided to create a dress where the entire garment is the corset. As the true corset uses many techniques and materials in its internal construction, I thought it would be interesting to use some of these elements, such as the boning channels and interlinings as external design features. Without making the garment too avant-garde through the deconstructed concept, I made this design completely in ivory to give it a feminine and luxurious appeal that looks sexy and almost like a second skin.”

About Adore Me Adore Me is a lingerie e-commerce company based in NYC with over 200 employees across the U.S. and Europe. The company was started

by Morgan Hermand-Waiche in his days as an MBA student at Harvard Business School. Adore Me offers designer, fast-fashion, affordable and inclusive intimates. The company has established a strong customer base of over 11M women, predominately urban millennials, and 80% of its traffic comes from mobile.

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CLASSIFIEDS SERVICE

SERVICE

Get More Bang for Your Buck With These Spring Home Improvements (StatePoint) The warmer weather means it’s time to start thinking about home improvement projects. Whether you’re getting your home in tip-top shape for your own enjoyment, or getting it ready to put on the market, not all home improvement projects are created equal when it comes to return on investment (ROI). Here are top areas on which to focus:

Interiors The kitchen is the heart of the home and it’s one of the best areas to renovate in terms of ROI, according to Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report, which puts the price tag of the average minor kitchen remodel at $22,507, with 80.5 percent of the cost recouped upon resale.

To give the kitchen an updated appearance, replace the flooring, countertops, sink and faucet. A fresh coat of paint in a trendy shade, such as Living Coral, Pantone’s Color of the Year, can add a vibrant pop of color to energize any kitchen. Not looking to go that bold?

Consider an accent wall, or stick to a classic palate of gray and white in terms of cabinets and countertops. White on white is also a popular new style for kitchens and bathrooms.

Other features home buyers are paying close attention to are laundry rooms and such energy-saving elements as Energy Star appliances and windows, according to the survey “What Home Buyers Want in 2019” by the National Association of Home Builders.

Curb Appeal

The popularity of outdoor projects remains strong and it’s for a good reason. According to the Cost vs. Value Report, the biggest bang for your buck in 2019 will come from replacing a garage door. The report says the average price is $3,611, and 97.5 percent of it is recouped when the house is sold. ______________________________________

Darrell Garth

President /Publisher

Janice Garth

Sales Manager General Manager

Editorial

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Display Advertising advertising@thechicagocitizen.com or jgarth@thechicagocitizen.com

Classified Advertising call us at

(773) 783-1251

Display Advertising call us at

(773) 783-1251

Coverage Areas: CHATHAM-SOUTHEAST

Chatham, Avalon Park, Park Manor, Greater Grand Crossing, Burnside, Chesterfield, West Chersterfield, South Shore,and Calumet Heitghts.

SOUTH END

Washington Heights, Roseland, Rosemoor, Englewood, West Englewood, Auburn-Gresham, Morgan Park, Maple Park, Mt. Vernon, Fernwood, Bellevue, Beverly, Pullman, West Pullman, West Pullman, Riverdale, Jeffrey Manor and Hegewisch.

SOUTH SUBURBAN Serves communities in Harvey, Markham, Phoenix, Robbins, Dixmoor, Calumet Park, Blue Island, South Holland, and Dolton. Shopping- their favorite pastime!

HYDE PARK

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CHICAGO WEEKEND

Chicago Westside Communities, Austin and Garfield Park

SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY

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This space can be yours.

Place your ad today. Call us at (773) 783-1251.

Bloom Township, Chicago Heights, Flossmoor, Ford Heights, Glenwood, Homewood, Lansing ,Lynwood, Olympia Fileds, Park Forest, Sauk Village, South Chicago and Steger

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HOME

Advertising In The Classified Section Can Be Easy As 123.

Here’s where you can sell your professional services, your home, used auto, gently used appearel, rent a apartment or sell your used house hold goods. You can place your ad for a reasonable price. Call for a quote today: (773) 783-1251.

Citizen Newspaper Group Inc., (CNGI), Publisher of the Chatham-Southeast, South End, Chicago Weekend, South Suburban and Hyde Park Citizen and Citizen Suburban Times Weekly. Our weekly publications are published on Wednesday’s (publishing 52 issues annually). Written permission is required to reproduce contents in whole or in part from the publisher. Citizen Newspaper Group, Inc. does not assume the responsibility for nor are we able to return unsolicited materials, therefore they become property of the newspaper and can or will be discarded or used at the newspapers disgratation. Deadlines for advertising is every Friday at noon. Deadlines for press releases are Thursdays at 10 am prior to the next week’s edition. Please send information for the calendar at least three weeks prior to the event.

Send to: editorial@thechicagocitizen.com. For more information on subscriptions or advertising, call us at (773) 783-1251 or fax (872) 208-8793. Our offices are located at 8741 South Greenwood Suite# 107, Chicago, Illinois 60619.

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www.thechicagocitizen.com Publisher Of The: * Chatham-Southeast Citizen * Hyde Park Citizen

* South End Citizen * South Suburban Citizen

* Chicago Weekend Citizen * Citizen Suburban Times Weekly

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