COVID-19 Resources

Updated april 23, 2020

Recursos de Español

Important Updates

Health and mental health Resources

If you are in experiencing a health or mental crisis please call 911 and ask for a CIT officer. If you need to speak to someone, call NAMI at (833) 626-4244.

What LSNA is Doing

  • Repositioning our outreach efforts such as for Census 2020 and the Fair Tax legislation in Illinois. As door to door outreach is on hold, we are finding other ways to reach out to hard-to-count communities.

  • Continuing to organize for immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants and Dreamers, during this difficult time, along with our partners, such as ICIRR.

  • Organizing and advocating for resources to support individuals, particularly those who might not have access to the type of support the federal government is discussing. Specifically, LSNA has received and is continuing to request support for immigrants, undocumented people, Parent Mentors, and youth, particularly those who might not have access to the type of support the federal government is discussing. Because our wait list, including those already screened, is already long, LSNA also organized a Community Solidarity Fund (see below) to help provide support.

  • Responding to a virtual advocacy day on legislative items available at the State of Illinois level, organized by our partner ICIRR.

  • Managing a caseload of over 60 active immigration cases. In addition, our immigration team is discussing ways they might be able to take on new cases, keeping health safety in mind.

  • Helping people with the application process for unemployment and other benefits (in Spanish and English).

  • Working with Parent Mentor Coordinators and our Parent Engagement Institute partners to determine what mutual support and social distancing look like in our 150 school communities. Meanwhile, our Parent Mentor Coordinators are checking in with over 100 local Parent Mentors twice a week. The Parent Mentor/Parent Engagement Institute team is making at least 1,200 calls per week across Illinois.

    • Just between March 27 and April 5 across Illinois, 718 parents received individual support; 3,397 phone calls were made to Parent Mentors; 4,078 text messages were sent to Parent Mentors, and 465 contacts were made to teachers. Below is a graph representing the assistance provided by the Parent Engagement Institute:

Assistance Provided

 WHAT LSNA HAS ALREADY DONE

On March 13, LSNA issued a statement (one of the earliest such statements) calling for a number of items that were later fulfilled, such as closing CPS, halting evictions, a moratorium on utility cut offs, and cash assistance. Other calls include continued government payments even if services aren’t being performed and a halt to mortgage and loan payments. We have been in regular contact with our legislators, including our local aldermen, on these and other issues. We have also begun a number of the efforts described above, and are in communication with mutual aid platforms being developed.


Take Action

Donate to LSNA’s Solidarity Fund for Families in Crisis

Even though LSNA's offices are closed, our entire team is working hard to protect the rights of immigrants and undocumented people, our Parent Mentors, and our youth program participants. Many of these leaders and community members have lost their jobs and others are not eligible for governmental assistance. We need your support to continue sharing resources with those who are experiencing financial, employment, housing, food, and health crises. Donate to LSNA's Community Solidarity Fund so we can help meet critical needs, including groceries, medication, rent, and utilities, and much more during this health crisis. 

WHETHER IT'S $5, $50, OR $500, YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS FUNDRAISER WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT LSNA LEADERS AND PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AS THEY RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 HEALTH CRISIS.