Rebecca Darr from WINGS and Amanda Pyron from The Network hosted Mayor Brandon Johnson and Deputy Mayors in a powerful round table on housing access for survivors. The round table was hosted at the beautiful WINGS facility, where the Mayor and city representatives spoke with survivors on their own lived experiences of looking for housing when fleeing domestic violence. Thank you to WINGS and The Network staff for hosting us and facilitating such an essential conversation. See CBS's coverage here.

City Council adpopted a resolution in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. The resolution was presented by Mayor Brandon Johnson to honor the work of advocates, and was received by Karla Altmayer from Healing to Action and Chair of the GBV Task Force, Teresa Sullivan from Legal Aid Chicago and temporary vice-chair of the GBV Task Force, Amanda Pyron of The Network and appointed member of the GBV Task Force, Shykira Richards from Youth Guidance and appointed member of the GBV Task Force, Aster Gilbert from Center on Halsted and appointed member of the GBV Task Force, Brenda Stewart from Ernestine's Daughter, and Chreita Ellens from Women Employed and appointed member of the Women's Advisory Council . Umi Grigsby, Chief of Policy, Noureen Hashim-Jiwani, Deputy Chief of Policy, and Madeleine Pattis, GBV Policy Analyst were in attendance. Thank you to all of our advocates! 

The Mayor’s Office Policy Team, Office of Immigrants, Migrants and Refugee Rights (IMRR), and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) released a one pager about reproductive healthcare access. The resource was created after reproductive justice advocates identified reproductive and sexual healthcare as a critical gap in resources for new arrivals in Chicago. Thank you to The Personal PAC, Planned Parenthood of IL, and Chicago Abortion fund for advocating for this resource! More translations in other languages are coming soon!   

Amanda Pyron, Executive Director of The Network launched Affording Survival, a guaranteed income pilot project for survivors of Domestic Violence. In this program, The Network and partners will be supporting at least sixty survivors of domestic violence with a guaranteed income for one year ($1000/ month). Survivors will also receive domestic violence services and financial coaching from advocates trained by LIFT, Inc. Panelists who participated in the launch included GBV Task Force Members Amanda Pyron and Rebecca Darr. The Johnson Administration, including Chief of Policy Umi Grigsby and Director of GBV and Health Noureen Hashim-Jiwani joined the celebration.

Mayor Johnson and DFSS Commissioner Brandie Knazze hosted a round table with LGBTQ+ youth and non-profits that serve them. The round table focused on gender based violence experienced by LGBTQ+ youth and their access to mental health resources. The conversation touched on many subjects, including on ways in which government can incorporate youth voice into policy development and programming, how government can better understand the LGBTQ+ youth experience, and the importance of trust building between LGBTQ+ youth and adults they work with. Chris Balthazar, the newest member on the GBV Task Force joined the conversation, as did Chief of Policy Umi Grigsby, and GBV Policy Analyst Madeleine Pattis.  

 Family Connects Chicago hosted their Annual Meeting, in which 160 practitioners, health care administrators, nurses, providers, leaders, advocates, and elected officials met to celebrate the program that provides in home care from a nurse practitioner to birthing people and newborns. Mayor’s Office Chief of Policy Umi Grigsby spoke and shared personal reflections, while also reinforcing the city’s commitment to supporting Family Connects Chicago as a key program to reduce health inequalities and address disparities in maternal and child mortality rates.