Uniting America

Last week I had two large Back to School Fairs that I helped and partnered with. Our first event was on Thursday at the University of St. Francis. I was part of the planning committee and represented the Center and Uniting America.  The back to school fair on Thursday was crazy. Myself, along with 2 of my volunteers arrived at 10am to be there on time and help set-up things.

I want to share with everyone about a really inspirational story about one of my volunteers. She has been really helpful with me and my host organization. She has been helping me for a couple of months and has been of great support to me and the campaign that I am working on right now. She comes almost every day to volunteer with her kids one of them is 2 and the other one is 3.

The heat is incessant. After weeks and weeks of near record high temperatures, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that late July is any different. Still, the show must go on the event planned for that Saturday afternoon is set to continue in full force.

It's always great to get the chance to work on a project with another fellow. Although we are work in different geographic areas, Megan and I have regularly been able to work together throughout our time with Uniting America because we are both being hosted by CIOGC.

Today I met with my friend Stella who has just started working with the Illinois Students Assistance Commission. Like the Uniting America program, ISAC is a fairly recent initiative. It aims to expand college access and outreach programs and services to help students navigate the process of applying to and entering college.

On Friday, July 20 I met up with a Skokie volunteer who also runs a great new career training and education program in nearby Evanston.  I met Maudette Watley months ago at the ELL Parent Center and now we’re hoping to combine forces to make a positive impact with Evanston youth!

Getting to know my neighborhood and my county is an indescribable process that leaves me both impassioned and frustrated. Making the rounds to community organizations, civic groups and social service providers shows the great need of the immigrant and refugee groups in DuPage.

I thought I was 15 minutes early to my first time being an ESL tutor at the Waukegan Public Library; turns out I was 45 minutes late.

Dialogue is important in creating unity within a group, but dialogue is just a first step.  Monday night, the Muslim community of greater Chicago took that first step of communication at CIOGC and Uniting America’s CommUnity Iftar.  The group of over 100 Chicago Muslims gather to hear inspiring words from a diverse group of Muslim leaders about unity.

In this blog it is my pleasure to highlight attorney Michael Jarecki, one of the great individuals I have been working with on the intersectionality of LGBTQ issues and immigration. Mr. Jarecki started his own law firm in downtown Chicago in 2006 which is a “full service immigration firm representing businesses, employees, families and individuals before all U.S.