2010 Census

The 2010 Census is rapidly approaching in April 2010. Chicago Commons is teaming up with two other neighborhood organizations -- La Casa Norte, and Humboldt Park Social Services – to increase response rates in the 2010 census in neighborhoods where the response was very low in the year 2000. Our work is supported by a “Count Me In” grant through the Illinois Census Funders Initiative.


Through aggressive neighborhood outreach, we are going to reach people BEFORE they get their census form so they understand its importance.


Here are some of the answers to the kinds of questions we often hear about the Census:


Will the 2010 Census be the same as before?
No, there are some important changes:
• 2010 Census will be short form only—just 10 easy questions.
• the long form is now part of the annual American Community Survey.
• handheld computers with Global Positioning System (GPS) will be used to check the address list in 2009.

How is Census data used?
The federal government uses population data to allocate congressional seats along with funds to your community in a number of areas:

• Head Start programs
  


• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (food grants)
  


• Public transportation
  


• Programs for the elderly
  


• Emergency food and shelter
  


• The data help the private sector as well as state and federal governments determine where jobs and job programs are needed.
  


• Corporations use population data for market research to determine locations for commercial enterprises, such as food stores, pharmacies, and other essential services.
  


• It is NOT used to identify specific households, all household information is confidential for 75 years.
  
  What you can do to make sure your community is counted:
  
  Identify organizations in the community that can provide space for Questionnaire Assistance Centers and will serve as a Be Counted site.
  
  Hold a meeting with leaders of the organizations and solicit their help in creating a census awareness campaign targeted for community residents.
  
  Distribute/post fliers announcing the delivery of the census questionnaire at busy locations in the community.
  
  Encourage residents to complete and mail back their census questionnaires.
  
  Plan a Census Day event to motivate community response.
  
  Remind residents if they don’t mail back their questionnaire a census worker may come to their home. Encourage residents to cooperate with census workers.

H1N1 Response

Many people have asked how H1N1 virus affected Chicago Commons. There were less than 10 cases among our 700 pre-school children and all have recovered fine.

Commons staff were great about taking it seriously and raising awareness with parents. One key resource was a special H1N1 newsletter that went to all parents. Click here to see it. It was written and designed by two family service workers that have joined our staff for one year through AVODAH, the Jewish Service Corps, a wonderful connection for Commons.

Our Kind of Research

Through our neighborhood partnerships (in this case Humboldt Park Community of Wellness), we learned the Urban Institute is researching the problem of maternal depression in low-income communities. As part of the study, Commons' Nia Center hosted a mothers focus group, giving our parents a voice in national policy and $35 for an hour of their precious time! Commons appreciates this kind of policy research... research that incorporates the ideas and opinions of our neighborhood residents -- it is absolutely consistent with our Settlement House roots.

Holiday Cheer

200 children from Chicago Commons pre-schools visited Macy's on State Street this morning for the 2nd annual Operation Happy Children event. Children and their teachers were treated to breakfast in the Walnut Room and a visit with Santa. Thank you to Macy's for choosing Chicago Commons as their partner for this special event!

Slow Road to Peace

The Chicago Police and Park District organized a stop the violence forum in Back of the Yards on Saturday, Nov. 21st. It was organized fairly last minute, but youth from Nuevos Exitos attended and brought the finished Peace Quilt (see past blog post). You can see the quilt in the photo, hanging behind Police Commissioner Weis and Alderman Cardenas. Cassandra Cortes, Chicago Commons Youth Specialist, is speaking.

The forum gave several parents a chance to voice their specific frustrations to the Police Department which will probably result in some targeted follow up for them. But, last minute forums like this one probably do little to stem the tide of violence. Commissioner Weis acknowledge this, stating that the police can only be as aggressive combating violence as the neighborhood will allow. To that end, Commons must seek more ways to engage with the police, parents and others in an ongoing way. Ongoing communication within the neighborhood is the only true solution, and much harder than it sounds.

Moving Forward

Youth violence, such as the death of Gama Toscano, is devastating in many ways, including the way it saps the morale of our students. It is up to the adults to counteract this through conversations and by showing interest in young people who are doing positive things.

To that end, Chicago Commons and the Illinois Department of Human Services is hosting a Stop the Violence forum on Thursday, November 19, 4 p.m., at Paulo Freire Center at 1653 West 43rd.

Students will present their work including a Day of the Dead exhibit, a peace quilt and a "street art" project where students produced and installed positive messages around the neighborhood, such as in the photo shown.

If you want to join us at the forum, RSVP to garzal@chicagocommons.org.

Gamaliel Toscano

The death of Gamaliel "Gama" Toscano was difficult for all of us to process last week. He had been a participant in our program from 6th to 9th grade and was preparing to participate in our RISE mentoring program later this year.

Obviously the family is hit the hardest. Gama has a little brother who is an active participant in our youth program. We are going to do all that we can to support the family.

Our staff were also hit hard. After the initial shock passed, it was clear that the best way to honor Gama and make sense of this tragedy is to just work even harder. Esther Cepeda's column in today's Sun Times expresses the same feeling we have, that we must continue to engage in dialogue with as many young people as we can. We arranged for grief counseling for our youth program participants, many of whom were friends with Gama.

Today, the Sun Times ran a letter to the editor from Eddie Anguiano, Youth Program Director. Eddie and his team have been incredible. Our staff Felmar Dean, Cassandra Cortez and Laura Pawson visited the family and extended our offer of help. Thank you to the youth program staff for representing the best of Chicago Commons at this difficult time.

We have received many calls from community members -- neighbors, organizations, police and clergy -- seeking to help. We will now work to turn that concern into more coordinated, powerful coalition to save lives in the future.