I want to start by saying thank you to all those on the front lines. Thank you to all those who work in health care--nurses, doctors, physician assistants, first responders, home care workers, hospital cleaning teams, hospital maintenance and janitorial teams, and more--for taking care of our community members while risking your health and that of your loved ones.

Thank you to people working in essential services like grocery stores, pharmacies, transit, garbage collection, construction, maintenance, and more.

Thank you to social workers, therapists, and other social service workers who are giving all you have to care for the mental well being of our community members through these incredibly difficult times.

Thank you to all who are staying home. I know this is not easy for many of you. Many have been furloughed, laid off, or had to close a business. Many are working full time while caring for elderly or sick relatives or home schooling. For many, isolating is detrimental to your mental health. Staying home is difficult in so many ways. And still, you're staying at home to protect our most vulnerable residents and those on the front lines.

To you all--I'm committed to keeping you up to date on the latest resources and information from the State as well as other levels of government and our community organizations to make sure you all make it through this with all the resources and support possible. Below is the latest on a wide range of topics. Have a question that isn't answered in this email? Please respond or give us a call at 872-208-5188 and we'll make sure to get back to you with an answer. 

We're also going beyond resource lists and doing our best every day to make sure our constituents have basic needs met. Over the last two weeks, our volunteers, interns, and staff have made over 3,000 calls to seniors around the 8th District to see how they're doing and ask how we can be of help. In coordination with food pantries, including the Niles Township Food Pantry and ICNA Relief, our volunteers have delivered groceries to 35 seniors, and have at least 10 more deliveries lined up for this week. 

Click HERE to sign up for phone banking or grocery delivery.

Finally, a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of our volunteers. 

For those most vulnerable among us, times are incredibly tough. Our office hears every day from people who have lost their jobs in connection to COVID-19, people who need food brought to their home to avoid potentially life threatening exposure, people who are shutting down their businesses to protect the public health, and people who are putting their health on the line at work every day to care for others. 

Are you in need of assistance? Please reach out to my office at 872-208-5188 or www.senatorram.com/contact-us. Our staff can help with a wide range of needs from grocery delivery to navigating the application for unemployment benefits.  

Looking for ways to support others in our communities? Here are 5 ways you can help:

1.  Support our community food pantries

Food pantries in our community have seen an incredible uptick in need, some seeing 10x their usual number of clients over the last few weeks. 

They have dramatically increased their capacity to order, pack, and distribute food, toiletries, and more in mere days. All the while, implementing critical and difficult safety practices to protect clients and volunteers. 

Staff are working day and night to keep up with need. 

In order to help keep up with this need, I am working with State Senator Laura Fine, State Senator Heather Steans, State Representative John D'Amico, State Representative Kelly Cassidy, State Representative Mark "Yehiel" Kalish, State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, Commissioner Larry Suffredin, Commissioner Bridgett Degnen, Commissioner Scott Brittton, Alderman Debra Silverstein, Alderman Samantha Nugent, Alderman Andre Vasquez, MWRD Commissioner Josina Morita, and Committeeman Lou Lang to raise funds for our community food pantries and we need your help.

We have donated and ask that if you're able you click here to join us in supporting this important cause.

Every donation counts, whether you have $15, $50, $100, $250, or $500 to spare. 

As Governor Pritzker made clear on Friday Afternoon with Executive Order 2020-10, which went into effect yesterday evening at 5PM, it is critical that we all Stay at Home unless there is an essential need such as picking up groceries or medication and/or work that needs to be done (thank you all of the workers in the frontlines). And for those most vulnerable among us, especially seniors and those with underlying health conditions, even those essential outings should be done with great care or avoided if possible. 

I need your help to make staying at home possible for all of our community members. 

1. Please share accurate information regarding Governor Pritzker's Stay at Home Order. Questions about the Stay at Home Order? Click HERE for more information.

2. Volunteer with #TeamRam to call seniors

Join #TeamRam to call seniors in our district's communities from your own home. We will be asking if they have any general questions in regards to what is happening as well as asking what assistance and/or services they may need. Our constituent service team is able to follow up with them. This is an all in effort to make sure people have accurate information and get the help they need and deserve. All volunteers will be trained, no experience required.

Are you able to help us call and assiste seniors to ensure they have all they need for just a few hours? Sign up HERE for senior calls.

3. Volunteer with #TeamRam to pick up and deliver groceries to those advised not to leave their home

Our office will connect you with someone who is advised not to leave their home at this time. You'll pick up and drop off groceries. This not only keeps our vulnerable community members safe, it contributes to keeping our entire community safe. 

Grocery delivery is among the most common needs we're hearing from constituents right now. Can you help ensure seniors and those with underlying conditions have food security in the coming weeks? Sign up for grocery delivery HERE.

Thank you all in advance. This is a strange, difficult, and perilous time. That said, I'm finding hope in how members of our communities are caring for one another.

While there is no question we are living through an unprecedented and unsettling time, I know we'll get through this together. 

Over the last week, I've witnessed the incredible support offered by our communities - folks delivering food and supplies to the most vulnerable in our society, patronizing our small businesses by buying gift cards as well as utilizing delivery and carry out options, finding ways to support those on the front lines: healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, and more, and following difficult guidance to keep one another safe. 

If you have suggestions, thoughts, and/or comments on what can be done to improve this unprecedented and unsettling situation, please let me know.

Additionally, I have appreciated and have faith in the leadership of Governor Pritzker, Illinois Department of Public Health Secretary Dr. Ngozi Ezike, state and local elected officials, and our community leaders. 

To learn about the action being taken, you can watch Governor Pritzker's daily press conference live on Facebook at 2:30PM on his page HERE.  You can visit the Illinois Department of Public Health's website for up to date information HERE. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady is holding daily online Q&A sessions at 11AM available HERE. 

Still, the coming weeks and months will not be easy. As the coronavirus situation continues to unfold, it is my commitment to provide timely, accurate information for residents of the 8th District--our team is here for you. 

In accordance with guidance from the Governor's office, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Illinois Department of Public Health, #TeamRam will be working remotely. However, we'll be available and ready to help as always. We're available via telephone and/or email Monday through Friday 9AM-5PM, and frequently checking our voicemail as well as our email system outside those hours to ensure we're helping with all urgent constituent matters. 

Call us: 872-208-5188

Message us: www.senatorram.com/contact-us

Below, we've compiled resources to help us all get through this difficult time. Have questions? Are there other resources you would like to know more about? Don't hesitate to reach out.