- Credibility:
LOGAN SQUARE — Logan Square Neighborhood Association is raising money for families in crisis in the time of the coronavirus.
The neighborhood organization has identified 250 families within its network that need immediate assistance, some of whom are undocumented and don’t qualify for federal aid.
“These past weeks have been an unprecedented challenge for our team of parent mentor coordinators and me,” Leticia Barrera, organizer with Logan Square Neighborhood Association, said in a statement.
Logan Square Neighborhood Association has been running a parent mentor program throughout Logan Square and the surrounding neighborhoods for 25 years. The program aims to “fill persistent equity gaps by volunteering in classrooms for two hours/day for at least 100 hours.”
Barrera said many parent mentor families are now “living in drastic situations, mostly due to the lack of resources for the undocumented population.” They’re struggling to pay rent and bills and put food on the table. Others haven’t been able to practice social distancing because they have to go to work to provide for their families. Chicago Public Schools’ e-learning directive has also been a challenge, she said.
“During this uncertain time, I learned that so many families are at high risk of losing their mental stability because family members lost their jobs or their hours were cut,” Barrera said.
As of Friday afternoon, Logan Square Neighborhood Association had raised $2,022 toward its $25,000 Facebook goal for families in need. The group is also raising money for the cause on its website.
In addition to the “solidarity fund,” Logan Square Neighborhood Association is continuing to organize for immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants and Dreamers and urging state lawmakers to “do everything possible to protect our communities during this time of the COVID-19 outbreak” through virtual advocacy, according to its website.
Founded in 1962, the organization serves more than 6,500 residents across Logan Square, Hermosa and Avondale. Click here for its COVID-19 resource guide.
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