September 7 - 13, 2020

September 7 - 13, 2020 Vol. 28 No. 35

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Arts & (Home) Entertainment

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SportsWise

The city is beginning to open back up, but most Chicago events and gatherings are cancelled until further notice. We are replacing our usual calendar with recommendations from StreetWise vendors, readers and staff to keep you entertained at home!

The SportsWise Team discusses what the NFL could look like during the pandemic.

Cover Story: Remote Learning

CPS starts off the school year remotely, which could have a harsh effect on students facing homelessness.

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From the Streets

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Inside StreetWise

Advocates seek $100 million for affordable housing in the wake of a memorial service for Aaron Curry, a 58-year-old homeless man who was stabbed to death in Grant Park.

Poetry from StreetWise Vendor Lady David.

The Playground

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher

dhamilton@streetwise.org

StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief

suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs

ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, CEO

jyoungquist@streetwise.org

Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616

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ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time.

To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of what to do at home and why you love them to: Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org

Free Comics!

Free Comic Book Day Free Comic Book Day is the comic book industry’s largest annual promotion event. It is traditionally scheduled on the first Saturday of May each year. Due to COVID-19, the event was reorganized and has been taking place on Wednesdays throughout the summer. The last Free Comic Book Day will take place on September 9. In order to find your nearest comic book store, feel free to visit https://www.comicshoplocator.com/

Be the Change!

(HOME) ENTERTAINMENT

Climate Responsibility and Judaism The critical nature of climate change hasn't paused amid the pandemic and efforts to address long standing social inequities. In many ways, these issues are linked.

Join Spertus Institute for ViewPoints Online as two experts on religion and the environment delve into what Judaism teaches about our accountability to the natural world.

Dr. Rachel Havrelock is founder and director of the UIC Freshwater Lab, a humanities-based initiative focused on research, teaching, and public awareness about the Great Lakes. She is a University of Illinois at Chicago and Spertus Institute faculty member.

Rabbi Dr. Rachel Mikva (pictured) is the Herman E. Schaalman chair and associate professor of Jewish Studies, and senior faculty fellow of the InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary. Her work focuses on biblical interpretations across time and place, and how they shape and reflect the societies in which they unfold.

The program will be held on Zoom at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 10. Tickets are $8 for students and Spertus alumni, $10 for Spertus members and $18 for the public at spertus.edu

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Sounds of the World!

Virtual World Music Festival Chicago The reimagined “Virtual World Music Festival Chicago” will offer a series of free concerts featuring artists from across the globe on Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. Highlights include: • “People of Rhythm; Afro-Diáspora y Folklore” (September 13) recorded and co-curated with Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center; • the Chicago-based traditional Irish supergroup Anam Mór (September 20) recorded at and co-curated with Martyrs’; • and the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra (September 27) recorded at Epiphany Center for the Arts and coconducted by Fareed Haque and Wanees Zarour.

For the complete lineup and details, visit WorldMusicFestivalChicago.org.

The virtual concert series will air on YouTube.com/ChicagoDCASE

-Compiled by Dave Hamilton, Suzanne Hanney, & Nina Rothschild

#BuildBackBetter

Metropolitan Planning Council’s #BuildBackBetter Metropolitan Planning Council honors one of its foremost corporate citizens, John Rogers of Ariel Investments, with the Champion Fighter Award. John’s extraordinary contributions as a corporate and civic leader have had a transformative impact on countless institutions. John’s passion for investing began at age 12 when his father began buying him stocks as Christmas and birthday gifts. In 1983, John founded Ariel Investments to focus on patient, value investing within small- and medium-sized companies. John will be in conversation with Melody Spann Cooper, chairman of Midway Broadcasting Corporation. FREE. Registration by September 14 for the September 15 event is required at metroplanning.org

Learn Swedish!

Swedish Language Classes The Swedish American Museum is offering Swedish language classes via Zoom. The classes are 14 weeks long starting on September 10 or September 15. The starting date is based on your language level. Four different levels are offered and the classes are 90 minutes long. The tuition is $210 for Museum members and $250 for non-Museum members.

Additionally, the Museum has several events scheduled that are being held in small groups to abide by social distancing requirements. http:// swedishamericanmuseum.org/2.0/swedish-classes-2/

Opera at Home!

Opening night for Lyric Opera For the Love of Lyric—a star-studded virtual concert, set to premiere at 6 p.m. Sunday, September 13. Audiences can look forward to familiar and revelatory selections from the worlds of opera, Broadway, popular music, and more, streamed free of charge on Lyric's YouTube and Facebook. Stay up to date with the latest information by RSVPing to the Facebook event or sign up to receive email reminders. The starry lineup is led by world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming and features special guests, including Tony Award® and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter/actress Heather Headley, soprano Ailyn Pérez, bass Soloman Howard, and mezzo-soprano and Ryan Opera Center alumna J'Nai Bridges, with Doug Peck serving as music director, as well as members of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center Ensemble and Chicago Children's Choir.

What You Do Matters!

U.S. Holocaust Museum ‘What You Do Matters” Fundraiser The Chicago community will renew its pledge to ensure that the critical lessons of the Holocaust—lessons about the fragility of freedom, the nature of hate, and the consequences of indifference—help shape our nation’s way forward. The annual ‘W hat You Do Matters’ Risa K. Lambert event—which historically attracts up to 2,500 Chicagoans in-person, including hundreds of Holocaust survivors—will feature special guests, inspiring stories, and important messages about the Museum’s role in these challenging times. September 15 at 12 p.m.; FREE with registration at ushmm.org .

Outdoor Concerts!

Outback at North Shore Center Outback Summer Sessions have turned the 31,000-square-foot parking lot at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts into a 200-person space for outdoor concerts. You can buy tickets in groups of two to six at northshorecenter.org; then, wear a mask, bring your own chairs and blankets, coolers, non-alcoholic beverage and food, or order from restaurants on-site. The North Shore Center is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. 7 p.m. Sat., September 11: “We’ve Only Just Begun” – Heidi Kettenring Sings Karen Carpenter Multi-award winner Kettenring starred as Nessrose in the blockbuster musical “Wicked” and Belle in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” (National Tour). She lends her signature warmth to beloved hits “For All We Know,” “Superstar” and “Close to You.” Rain date: Sunday, September 12. 6 p.m. Sun. September 13: Chicago Philharmonic String Quartet “Romantic Strings.” Rain date: Mon. September 14.

Founded 30 years ago, “Chicago Phil” is a collaboration of nearly 200 of the highest-level classical musicians performing in metro Chicago.

www.streetwise.org

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Vendors Russ Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

Navigating

new territory for the

John: The NFL. Anything you want to talk about. Russ?

SPORTSWISE

Russ: First, let me say I am intrigued about the lack of live fans. It truly is an interesting discussion. It’s very different without the fans, but at least we can feel good about having our sports back. Despite the pandemic, I still enjoy the games. Short-term, my main concern is that the players are protected; long-term, I believe we’ll beat this virus. So, for now, let’s get it going.

Don: I’ve found that, though the NHL has a higher percentage of COVID-19 incidences than both the NFL and NBA, the NFL's percentage is higher than the NBA's.

Patrick: With the high number of player-interactions on the field and the sidelines, that might not be so good, huh?

Don: Nope. This has the potential to lead to another shut-

down, which would hurt, because I love a football game on Sunday.

John: And Thursday and Saturday, and whatever else day they can come up with!

Russ: Right!

Don: That said, I’m looking forward to seeing how it all shakes out. We will have teams with new names. The BLM movement is having a push-forward impact on the Native Americans’ franchises; the Washington Redskins, especially, are in the spotlight. And, for me, not only are they in the spotlight for the name change, but also because I see them being this season’s eventual champions.

Patrick: Funny enough, I haven’t even given it that much thought; I’ve just been ecstatic to know I will see the Bears play this year!

John: Right! But, y’know, going back to COVID-19, this’ll be the first time that fans won’t be allowed into most of the stadiums. The perhaps-positive aspect of all this is that each team gets to decide this for its team. Of course, they’ll be required to practice the social-distancing rules, including wearing masks, which is good.

Patrick: Agreed, John. We now have limits, but it’s nice to be free to a certain point. In regard to the non-live folks.

I’ve said this before and’ll say it again—it’s fascinating that, following my laughter at seeing the cardboard cutouts or the big-head video-fan in seats, I forget that I’m watching a game without fans. Absolutely fascinating.

Don: I believe the non-live fans will help the players because they’ll be focused and’ll probably make less mistakes.

NFL

Not having live fans will ease a bit of the game-pressure that I’m sure is there. Every game may be of the highest quality.

Russ: Hadn’t thought of that, Don, but I’m on board with that. In a couple of months, we’ll know for sure.

John: My last point, fellas, is that I believe opening up the economy—as it relates to sports and life—will lead to the government doing a better job of treating those with COVID-19. I trust we have a long line of leadership that can help make this happen.

Patrick: By the way, Don, Bears will win the Super Bowl!

Any comments or suggestions?

Email pedwards@streetwise.org

WHERE THE PROTESTS END, OUR WORK BEGINS. For nearly a century, we’ve been working to promote racial justice. Help us achieve it once and for all.

UntilJusticeJustIs.org

PARENT GROUPS QUESTION CPS PACE FOR REMOTE LEARNING

by Suzanne Hanney

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students will be learning from home – remotely -- starting September 8, with both online classes and small-group assignments throughout a fully scheduled school day. Attendance will be tracked and assignments will be graded.

The school district distributed more than 128,000 computers last spring and will loan out another 36,000 devices to students who still need them before the school year begins.

Roughly 100,000 CPS students from limited-income backgrounds also received high-speed internet at no charge thanks to the Chicago Connected initiative; eligible families have been contacted for this year and 35 community groups have been working to get them connected.

Guiding principles for this year are a high-quality learning experience for all students despite the changed environment, support in reducing inequities for high-need students, and minimizing anxiety around COVID-19, which has simultaneously revealed historical inequities. CPS officials say they gathered feelings about last spring’s remote learning from 58,000 parents in multiple surveys and 22 focus groups on the South, West and Southwest Sides.

“We remain committed to helping every student reach their full potential, even under these unprecedented circumstances, and we are confident that with your support, CPS will remain a school district on the rise,” CPS CEO Janice K. Jackson, EdD and Chief Education Officer LaTanya D. McDade said in an August 18 final reopening framework letter.

Not so fast, say Illinois Raise Your Hand and the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). Raise Your Hand conducted its own survey of 1300 parents on remote learning, which was shared by over 50 community-based organizations, elected officials and parent groups. The survey was in six languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Polish and Urdu) and represented 51 percent of CPS schools.

Parents of color comprised 60 percent of respondents and parents of students with special needs comprised 40 percent.

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Protesters at August 3 Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) rally calling for remote learning drive creatively decorated cars around the James Thompson Center, with signs saying, "Grades NOT Graves" and "The Plan Is MORE Dead Kids." Another car had a skeleton hanging out the back seat and a sign that said, "We Want to Teach, Not Die." Earlier that day, Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA) member Leticia Barrera explained how its parent mentor program would conduct outdoor home visits, with masks and parents present, during remote learning.

(Suzanne Hanney Photos)

Two months into the pandemic, 130 parents in the Raise Your Hand survey (10%) still had concerns about the digital divide.

“Parents found the process of remote learning disorienting and should not need to sleuth through numerous learning platforms, school websites, emails, parent groups, and social media to piece together what their child needs – this was especially true for parents with students at different schools,” Raise Your Hand said in its recommendations.

Special education and English Learners (ELs) were also badly served, according to the Raise Your Hand survey. Nearly 3 out of 4 (69%) of parents who had children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 accommodations plans, said they did not receive as much support as they would have liked to help their child reach their goals. Almost 100 parents (14% of those with IEPs surveyed) said they had no contact about their child’s IEP. More than half (55%) of EL parents said they did not receive as much support as they would have liked.

During an August 22 Zoom meeting hosted by Raise Your Hand and LSNA that was attended by more than 100 parents, the chat room filled quickly with a variety of complaints about remote learning: • Not enough support for EL teachers • Lack of compassion for working parents • Lack of technology, since not all parents qualified for the Chicago Connected program • Too much screen time and too little activity • No small group sessions • Attendance issues “Back to school isn’t back to normal,” Raise Your Hand cautioned in its survey results. “A complete return to school must include how we are going to repair the harm caused by COVID-19. It is clear that across the country, students are suffering from significant learning losses.” Over 170 parents said they saw a need for more social workers, therapists, counselors and social-emotional learning staff. Another 70 parents said COVID had hurt their child’s ability to socialize. The parents also advocated for “working beyond the school walls”: with CPS offices that support families undergoing housing

instability, food insecurity, unemployment or lack of health insurance.

The CPS plans for remote learning, meanwhile, are precise, and in line with Illinois-required minimum times. Pre-K students would have 60 minutes of real-time instruction and 90 minutes of learning activities. Pupils in grades 3-5 would have 205 minutes of instruction and 155 minutes of activities; those in grades 6-8 would have 230 minutes of instruction plus 130 minutes of activities. Secondary students would spend 80 percent of their day in real-time instruction and 20 percent on activities.

During the afternoon block, “Ms. Perkins,” a typical 4th grade teacher, would have 135 minutes available to meet with students, to develop learning activities, to complete lesson planning and other tasks. Since she would have to be available to her students for 75 minutes of that time, Ms. Perkins had created a weekly conference schedule where she used 60 minutes to meet with six of her students, two at a time. When conferences were not scheduled, Ms. Perkins would be available to any students or caregivers.

During the Zoom meeting, however, Raise Your Hand and LSNA argued for a back-to-school plan that was less hightech, and more high-touch.

Nearly four hours of real-time learning for 6th to 8th graders, for example, “does not meet the needs of most of our families,” they said, although the state of Illinois requires five hours of instruction for students in grades 2-12. “We can’t cover our eyes and pretend the pandemic doesn’t exist. There’s a lot of things we can do as a whole community to take care of our students.”

There is already a high demand for social workers that can’t be met, said Melissa, an LSNA community organizer.

Melissa suggested that teachers wearing masks meet outside with students, because many teachers do not live in their community and do not understand what the children are going through. “We believe that it is so important for teachers

to go beyond the screen. Children are going through a lot of trauma. They are losing their homes. We are hard workers, just a community that is underserved.”

Melissa’s comments were taken from LSNA’s remote learning statement issued August 14 that called for teachers “to act as a union of 20,000+ social workers right now” because every student has been affected by some kind of trauma. Using the first few weeks of school solely for building relationships would give students a chance to share experiences and officials the time to make sure everyone’s IT needs are met. The students also need time for fun; they have missed being able to talk to each other without teachers around.

The northwest side organization also argued for “quality, not quantity” of live instruction. “Parents and high school students are working and/or busy taking care of several kids.

We aren’t available to support our children for several hours of live instruction each and every day. No more than 1 or 1.5 hours of live instruction total per day for elementary. Aim for 30-minute live sessions. Do you know how much parents are struggling to keep our kids focused?”

LSNA also suggested one day off a week so that teachers had time off for outdoor home visits, 1 on 1 check-ins and “other radically relational wellness work,” which dovetails with LSNA’s own history. Teams of mentors could be assigned to schools and could check in with parents twice a month, in their own language, “like an educational doula.” Parents should be encouraged to advance as paraprofessionals and teachers.

LSNA created Chicago’s first Parent Mentorship program in 1994. The program expanded to the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) in 2001 and now includes 925 parent mentors in 117 schools, including some outside Chicago. LSNA also started the “Grow Your Own Teacher” program in 2004 to bring neighborhood faces back to teach in Chicago schools.

www.streetwise.org

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THE STRAIN OF REMOTE LEARNING ON STUDENTS IN TEMPORARY LIVING SITUATIONS

From left, leader Bridgette Barber, Education Attorney Alyssa Phillips, and Organizer Bisma Shoukat at a CPS back-to-school training. (Photo by Claudia Cabrera from the CCH website)

by Suzanne Hanney

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Remote learning last spring in the Chicago Public School (CPS) system “was very very challenging” for Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS), who are often living doubled up with friends, says Alyssa Phillips, education attorney with The Law Project at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

“One of the big issues was just actual physical space. If they were living doubled up or in a shelter, it can be difficult for a child to find a place to do work. There was a lack of access to technology. CPS did eventually provide access to computers and hot spots but until then, they were trying to work on a phone or get paper copies. A lot of families might have a device but not minutes on it, a data plan. We had some parents who were trying to get students to do this work on their smart phones or using their smart phones as a hot spot.”

After remote learning started in March, it took about a month for families to start accessing technology. CPS loaned out about 128,000 Chromebooks last spring and signed up 100,000 low-income students for high-speed internet at no charge via the Chicago Connects initiative. However, once CPS agreed to distribute these laptops through the schools, there were families who didn’t have transportation to reach the schools to get the computers. If students were staying with a grandparent or great-aunt, their caretakers didn’t always have the computer literacy to help them log on to the CPS portal. And if they were staying at a shelter, the wifi would crash because so many students were trying to log on, Phillips said.

The 2019-20 school year ended with 16,451 Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS), according to CPS, but “we definitely believe there will be quite a big number of newly homeless families when the eviction moratorium ends, and just with COVID-19 in general” going into the new school year, Phillips said.

“Even during periods where in-person instruction is suspended, school is often the safest and most stable part of life for a child experiencing homelessness,” according to guidance issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) on how to best support students experiencing homelessness this year. The ISBE paper was written by Phillips and The Law Project of CCH, with input from CCH leaders who are parents or grandparents of school-age children with lived experience of homelessness. McKinney-Vento liaisons, and national partners, also contributed to the essay.

Regardless of remote learning status, “it is more important now than ever that schools serve in the role of community hub and align delivery systems to ensure that the needs of students and families are holistically addressed,” according to the ISBE paper.

For example, every CPS student can access free breakfast and lunch, which may be the only meals for a student experiencing food instability. CPS has a waiver that allowed them to distribute the food. A family could go and pick up two to three meals; if the families couldn’t get to the schools, the meals would be delivered. “It was a really awesome, super vital service for students,” Phillips said. “Our request is that as long as distance learning continues, that students have access to that.”

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Act requires that each child experiencing homelessness has equal access to the same free, public education as any other child. “Schools have the affirmative duty to identify the student,” Phillips said. “It’s not on the student.”

The August 15 Englewood Back to School Parade around Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine, honored 25 neighborhood 8th grade graduates with a bookbag of school supplies, a yard sign and more. A survey by the 501 (c)(3) parade found that the students missed seeing their friends face-to-face and also outdoor activities. (Photo courtesy of Baldwin Media

Identification became difficult during the pandemic as students at risk of homelessness actually lost their housing during remote learning, she said. If the kids had been in a traditional classroom setting, their homelessness would have been recognized and they would have received resources.

The McKinney-Vento Act also says that students have the right to stay in their school of origin. “The big reason is stability,” Phillip said. “A homeless student is very transient.

Having school be this consistent, same place is really, really important. School plays this essential stabilizing factor for many homeless students.”

Well ahead of the September 8 school opening, McKinneyVento liaisons – the persons in charge of coordinating homeless services in the school or district – should have reached out to students orally and in writing to say that they have the right to remain in the school where they were last enrolled.

These students can have immediate registration even without the usual required documents, as well as free meals and fee waivers, tutoring, transportation to and from the school of origin, help with distance learning, and more.

However, students may not identify themselves as homeless if they are living doubled up, rather than on the street, and they certainly don’t want to be flagged publicly in the front office of the school as needing help, according to the ISBE paper. The McKinney-Vento liaisons should put up posters on the rights of homeless students in places where they are likely to go, such as shelters, motels, laundromats, libraries, soup kitchens, and public aid offices.

And as schools transition between fully-remote, blendedremote, and in-person instruction during the coming school year, the liaisons should maintain multiple emails and phone numbers for students, who also may be adjusting to new COVID-19 and eviction realities. CPS prepared materials echo the ISBE paper by stressing that because of the continuing uncertainty around both COVID-19 and evictions, schools

should also have a person of contact in stable housing for each unstably housed student.

Most likely, students coming back to remote learning this fall are dealing with trauma that must be addressed before education can begin, Phillips said. “Obviously, for a lot of students and adults, COVID-19 has been really scary, if you were staying in a shelter and there was a potential outbreak but you didn’t know if you were safe because you didn’t have room to self-isolate. Also, homelessness is a racial equity issue and there’s a lot of trauma around the disparities. The disproportionate number of students experiencing homelessness in CPS are Black, [with associations to] George Floyd. We saw communities of color disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the loss of loved ones, or caretakers getting sick. We’ve also been talking to students and a lot of them are afraid of getting behind. For homeless students, education is a crucial piece of getting stability and access to resources.”

There is even a concern among parents that homeless students will be penalized if they cannot afford masks. The answer is to keep extras on hand to give away quietly, according to the ISBE paper.

Yet another service that homeless liaisons are supposed to provide is a transition to adult living for juniors and seniors in high school, such as help in applying for college financial aid.

The student can apply on their own if they are not accompanied by a parent or guardian: if they left home because it was unsafe for example.

Every CPS school has a STLS liaison, but for many it is secondary to some other job, such as guidance counselor. During its contract negotiations last year, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) won 18 additional dedicated STLS liaison positions for schools where the numbers of homeless students is highest. Some schools gained two STLS positions. www.streetwise.org

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Bystanders watch the Englewood Back to School Parade with signs honoring recent graduates. The parade featured 30 decorated cars and 16-year-old DJ Iyanna. (Photo courtesy of Baldwin Media Group).

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“We are really excited about that win,” Phillips said. “Having that liaison plays a huge role in terms of identification and support, connecting to community resources, which is really important during this time. That will be really significant in terms of housing resources, mental health, food. One of the big challenges homeless families face is where do you go to get these resources, because when you are trying to navigate these systems, you get the runaround.”

“With all that is going on we realize that what was once normal is no more, and we have students who have lost family members, housing and stability,” said Lucille Thompson, STLS liaison at Schurz High School and a member of the CTU rank-and-file bargaining team, in CTU prepared material. “Having these advocates in our buildings, whose sole responsibility is to help families adjust to this major trauma, is awesome.”

The 18 new STLS liaison positions this fall will be in: 1. Roberto Clemente High School, 1147 N. Western Ave. 2. Chicago Vocational High School, 2100 E. 87th St. 3. Chalmers Elementary School, 2745 Roosevelt Road 4. Nicholson STEM School, 6006 S. Peoria St. 5. Fenger High School, 11220 S. Wallace St. 6. Simeon Career Academy High School, 8147 S. Vincennes Ave. 7. Dewey Elementary Academy of Fine Arts, 5415 S. Union Ave. 8. Julian High School, 10330 S. Elizabeth St. 9. Bowen High School, 2710 E. 89th St. 10. Howe Elementary School, 720 N. Laurel Ave. 11. Gage Park High School, 5630 S. Rockwell St. 12. Parker Community Academy, 6800 S. Stewart Ave. 13. Beethoven Elementary School, 25 W. 47th St. 14. Faraday Elementary School, 3250 W. Monroe St.

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15. Melody STEM School, 3937 W. Wilcox St.

Memorial for homeless man inspires advocates to fight for permanent supportive housing

by Suzanne Hanney

Aaron Curry.

(Mackya Curry photo)

Advocates called for $100 million in City funding for permanent supportive housing during a virtual memorial August 5 for Aaron Curry, a homeless man who was found stabbed to death July 9 in Grant Park. The memorial was hosted by Ald. Carlos Rosa (35th ward), the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), Heartland Health Outreach, Logan Square Ecumenical Association and the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA).

“We need a systemic shift in how we address homelessness and create safety for the most vulnerable in our city,” Ald. Rosa said. “We should not have a race to the bottom where people experiencing homelessness must compete to receive housing. We need to prioritize, shift and create resources to ensure that everyone is safely housed. This was true before COVID-19 and is even more apparent now during a pandemic when housing instability is worse than ever.”

In addition to the stabbings in Grant Park, fires set at homeless encampments in Avondale on July 13 destroyed several people’s personal belongings. Gary Jimenez, a youth leader with the nearby LSNA, said the coronavirus pandemic has made people more aware of homelessness and the vulnerability of everyday Chicagoans. “The City needs to take responsibility and interrupt the pattern of hate against people experiencing homelessness by investing significant resources in housing. It’s not that complicated. Housing equals safety.” .

“Today we stand together and we cry out to God. How long until everyone will have their own safe place,” said Pas-

“For people living on the street, violence is something we experience a lot…Homeless people are being shot, our tents are being burned and no one seems to care,” Tom Gordon, a CCH grassroots leader and a leader of the Uptown Tent City community, said afterward in a Tweet.

Curry, 58, was found lying unresponsive July 9 near the Agora sculpture at about 1100 S. Michigan Ave. in Grant Park, according to CWB Chicago and the Chicago Tribune.

Police were called to the 1100 block of South Michigan by a woman who noticed a man had been lying in the same spot for more than a day.

“I remember him because he would always tell me a joke when he’d come in and we would laugh,” said Jill Keiser, corporate partner manager at Chicago Lights, the nonprofit at Fourth Presbyterian Church, in a Tweet on the CCH website.

A Go Fund Me page created by his niece, Mackya Curry, on July 26 had raised $769 of its $500 goal to pay for his cremation by August 5.

“The first thing I said is, Uncle Red don’t bother anybody, he has a routine and why would he be in Grant Park, he’s always over by Lower Wacker Drive,” his niece said. She said his family knew where to find him if they needed to and that he chose to live on the streets. Detectives told her he was sleeping and caught off guard by the attacks.

Mr. Curry was born in Chicago and spent most of his life on the streets, she wrote. He had three sisters, an older brother, nieces and nephews. He was a member of the community and “there was nothing he would have not done to put a smile on your face.” www.streetwise.org

FROM THE STREETS

Although city funding for homelessness has increased to $27.3 million this last fiscal year, advocates say that at least an additional $100 million a year must be set aside for permanent supportive housing (PSH) to make a significant impact on the issue. PSH is a model that combines affordable housing with supportive services.

tor Ray of the Logan Square Ecumenical Association, in a Tweet on the CCH website.

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INSIDE STREETWISE

I Am A Drag Dictator, Who Doesn't Give No Fucks!!

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Written And Owned OUTRIGHT By David Anthony Tillman AKA Madame Misty Foxxx aka Black Roses Baby Dutchess!!

Streetwise 7/27/20 Crossword To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the

numbers 1 to 9.

Sudoku

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EU language 39 Held firm Brink 40 Calendar Cast out span Flying 42 Family room Show ___ 43 Watering hole Dutch city 45 Pastry from Dried coconut Hamburg meat 48 Sports stats 18 Pub offering 51 Overcharged 20 Vegas 52 Worry attraction constantly 24 Require 53 Layers wn 26 Dust Bowl 55 Tokyo, once refugee 57 Watered-silk Whirlpool 27 Spirit 58 Fence parts Property 29 Boy 61 Copied Aliens, for 31 Unadorned 64 Unkempt hair short 34 Paltry 65 Conceit Vamoose 36 Fight back 66 Egg cells Boxing venue 38 Close, as an 67 Buddy in Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com Disorder envelope Avignon Booty Employ Urban center Teen follower Curved molding Chris of tennis Jumble Pea holders Zealanders Psyches

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

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Solution Puzzle Answers last week's

Solution

Solution

Find your nearest StreetWise Vendor at www.streetwise.org

Crossword Across 1 Shocked reaction 5 Mrs. Dithers in Blondie 9 Slough 12 ___ vera 13 Docking facility 15 401(k) alternative 16 First place awards, at times 18 Fleur-de-___ 19 Lyra’s brightest star 20 Raptors 22 Beeped 25 Journal 28 Lying facedown 62 Thespian on 29 Blackbird the move 30 Rational 68 Query 32 Young newts 33 Variety shows 69 Okay to eat 70 See socially 37 Shabby 71 Casual attire 39 Bank clerk 72 Neuter 41 Trunks 73 Footfall 43 At rest 45 Show to the Down door 1 Prattle 47 Monthly 2 Totally expense 3 Old French 49 Cripple coin 51 Expire 4 Annoy 52 Patriarch 5 Secret cliques 54 Attorney F. 6 Eyeball, for ___ Bailey one 55 Vesicles 7 ___ Bravo 57 Walk a beat 8 Diarist Frank 59 Mystique 9 Offered by a 61 Govt. con man watchdog

©2020 PuzzleJunction.com

10 Countries of Asia 11 Methane and butane 13 Russian fighter 14 Quickly, in memos 17 Scarlet 21 Grunge 22 Average 23 Dill seed 24 Exchange of views 26 Dinghy propeller 27 Pesky insect 31 Freudian topics 34 Heavy overcoat 35 Wing

36 Appear to be 38 Three, in Toscana 40 Authentic 42 Legal action 44 Quiche, e.g.

46 Your (Fr.) 47 Reiterate 48 Pass by 50 Paltry 53 Bench wear 55 ___-Magnon 56 Football gains 58 Boys 60 Shoshonean 63 Shred 64 Hoops group inits.

65 Thick flat pad 66 Summer on the Seine 67 Agent (Abbr.)

How StreetWise Works

Our Mission

Orientation Participants complete a monthlong orientation, focusing on customer service skills, financial literacy and time management to become a badged vendor.

Financial Literacy Vendors buy StreetWise for $0.90, and sell it for $2. The profit of $1.10 goes directly to the licensed vendor for them to earn a living.

Supportive Services StreetWise provides referrals, advocacy and other support to assist participants in meeting their basic needs and getting out of crisis.

S.T.E.P. Program StreetWise’s S.T.E.P. Program provides job readiness training and ongoing direct service support to ensure participants’ success in entering the traditional workforce.

Soluti

THE PLAYGROUND

To empower the entrepreneurial spirit through the dignity of self-employment by providing Chicagoans facing homelessness with a combination of supportive social services, workforce development resources and immediate access to gainful employment.

PuzzleJ

15

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WISE

THE CHICAGO PREMIERE

THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF

MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON James Ijames Directed by Whitney White By

The recently widowed “Mother of America”—attended to by the very enslaved people who will be free the moment she dies—takes us deep into the ugly and thorny ramifications of America’s original sin.

RADICALLY VULNERABLE, OUTRAGEOUSLY HILARIOUS

APRIL 2 – MAY 17 | steppenwolf.org | 312-335-1650 MAJOR PRODUCTION SPONSOR

2019/20 GRAND BENEFACTORS

2019/20 BENEFACTORS