The grants are offered by the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation and United Airlines to support West Side businesses.

 
WEST SIDE — Small businesses owned by people of color on the West Side can apply for a recovery grant through Feb. 28 to help them stay afloat through the pandemic.

The Support West program will award $5,000 grants to selected businesses. The program is organized by the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation in partnership with United Airlines.

Business owners can apply for the grant on the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation website through the end of February. Recipients will be chosen in March.

Recognizing that the West Side was hit especially hard by the pandemic and economic slump, the grants aim to “assist in long-term recovery and elevate the economic corridors of West Side communities surrounding the United Center,” Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in a news release.

The grants will target people-of-color-owned small businesses that have 10 or fewer employees. Eligible businesses must have less than $250,000 in annual revenue. Applicants must also demonstrate a 25 percent loss in revenues due to the pandemic.

“We are pleased to partner with the Blackhawks to channel our resources to better ensure that the small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic remain a valuable part of our city when we emerge from this pandemic,” Rahsaan Johnson, director of global sponsorship activation at United, said in a news release.

The Support West grants will be a partner program to One West Side, the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s efforts to invest in the West Side’s nonprofit community. One West Side has committed at least $2 million to funding leadership development and neighborhood programs in the area.

Nonprofit grantees from the One West Side program include MAAFA Redemption Project, the Austin Childcare Providers Network and West Side United.

Greetings from the Diversity and Recruitment Section!

Please see attachments for requirements and details for each 2021 Summer Internship opportunity. Complete applications must include the following documents and be submitted by fax, email, hand delivery or mail to the Bureau of Personnel Management by March 3, 2021 by 4:30 pm.

· a completed form PM 2425 (application for seasonal employment) indicating your top three preferences for employment locations. The form can be downloaded from https://idot.illinois.gov/about-idot/employment-opportunities/employment/index;

· official or unofficial college transcripts; registrar offices may send transcripts in pdf format to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
forms 284A Authorization for Release of Criminal Information and 284B Self Disclosure of Criminal History, these forms are also accessible on the website listed above.

No Interviews:

There are no interviews for internship positions. Eligibility is determined solely on the completed application package. Applicants should highlight relevant education/coursework and experience within the application.

Mailing Address:
Illinois Department of Transportation
Bureau of Personnel Management, Room 113
2300 South Dirksen Parkway,
Springfield, IL 62764

Fax: 217/557-3134

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


Statewide Internship Opportunities:
Districts: 1-9

District 1 Cook County
District 2 Lee County
District 3 LaSalle
District 4 Peoria
District 5 Edgar
District 6 Sangamon
District 7 Effingham
District 8 Madison
District 9 Jackson


Central Office Bureaus: Sangamon County

Bureau of Materials
Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering

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Scammers pose as ComEd or other service workers to lure residents outside, while accomplices enter empty homes to steal possessions

CHICAGO (Jan. 28, 2021) – With people spending more time at home because of the COVID- 19 pandemic, imposters are taking advantage of residents who may be alone to rob them of their possessions and financial information. These imposters can show up at small businesses as well as homes.

In this latest scam, an individual may pose as an employee from ComEd, another utility or a tree service company. They will lure the resident or small-business owner outside to discuss work that they claim needs to be completed. While the individual is outside, an accomplice will enter the home or business to steal valuables and documents containing the individual’s personal or financial information.

“We see an unsettling number of scams involving imposters who take advantage of unsuspecting ComEd customers,” said Nichole Owens, ComEd vice president of customer channels. “To help protect families and businesses from fraudulent activity that could affect their electric service, finances and personal property, it’s important to help customers know what to look out for.”

Since 2017, ComEd has tracked a 60-percent increase in reports of scams and scam attempts into its call center. For these reasons, ComEd reminds customers to be on the lookout for imposters trying to steal from them using energy-related scams.

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Customers encouraged to stay safe and report outages by texting OUT to 26633 (COMED)

CHICAGO (Jan. 25, 2021) – With severe weather forecasted across northern Illinois starting Monday afternoon, ComEd is proactively opening its Emergency Operations Center and getting equipment and additional crews in place to respond to potential power interruptions. Forecasts project 6 inches to 12 inches of wet, heavy snow and high wind gusts across northern Illinois.

“We are positioning our people and equipment to respond quickly and safely to any interruptions that result from this storm,” said Terry Donnelly, president and COO of ComEd. “We realize that any interruption is an inconvenience to our customers, and during a pandemic, avoiding interruptions and restoring service quickly is critical. We have strengthened our system over the years to reduce the impacts a storm like this can have on our customers.”

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