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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As of July 1, our region is within reach of a pragmatic solution to a major social problem -- the overuse of emergency rooms as the default destination of those with mental illness who are apprehended by police but should not be incarcerated.

Written by Yvonne Smith, United Power for Action and Justice,  and Shakeel Syed, Lake County United, guest columnists to the Daily Herald.

Some commentators identify social isolation as the root cause of the current crisis in America. True, but previous generations faced the same problem; and much can be learned from the way Saul Alinksy (1909-1972) and John Wesley (1703-1791) addressed it. This Opinion piece by Luke Bretherton is a rebuttal of an Opinion piece by David Brooks in the New York Times. What is the iron rule?

Yesterday a Metro IAF ally, Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon and State Rep. Ann Moeller of Elgin helped broker a meeting with Governor Pritzker and IL Metro IAF organizations.

Illinois Metro IAF team members were:

    Rabbi Ari Margolis, Congregation Or Shalom, Lake County United,
    Yvonne Smith, St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Evanston, United Power for Action and Justice,
    Rev. Mike Solberg, Union Church, DuPage United and
    Adrienne McCauley, Lead Organizer, Fox River Valley Initiative