By: Ashmar Mandou

On Wednesday, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, The Resurrection Project and Open Society Foundations announced the “Chicago Resiliency Fund” – an up to $5 million cash assistance program to support the more than 300,000 Chicago residents who were excluded from federal stimulus aid in response to COVID-19. This fund will provide $1,000 per household for eligible Chicagoans, which includes, but is not limited to, undocumented individuals, mixed-status families, dependent adults and returning residents.

The Resurrection Project will convene a diverse group of community-based organizations to conduct outreach and identify households excluded from the federal stimulus relief, to ensure as many eligible Chicagoans participate as possible. Cash issuance will begin in mid-June. More information on the Chicago Resiliency Fund, including updates on launch date, ways to apply for assistance and ways to donate to the fund, can be found at resurrectionproject.org/chicagofund.

“The COVID-19 crisis has families across our communities fighting for their health, economic well-being, and lives. Thousands of families are struggling financially as a result of not receiving any Federal stimulus funds. Now, more than ever it is critical to protect the safety, health, and economic well-being of all residents. We applaud Mayor Lightfoot and the City of Chicago for standing with all communities to support financially burdened individuals and families during this national emergency regardless of immigration status,” said Raul Raymundo, CEO of The Resurrection Project.

Realizing the critical need to support all of Chicago’s residents, a group of funders came together, including the Open Society Foundations, to help establish the Chicago Resiliency Fund. In response to COVID-19, the Open Society Foundations has committed more than $130 million to combat the ravages of the virus around the globe, with a focus on providing immediate relief for vulnerable communities. Chicago received $1 million from the Open Society Foundations, which was the second-largest single donation from the organization for these efforts.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the role that essential workers, especially undocumented immigrants, play in our society. This is now finally recognized by almost everyone – but not, unfortunately, by the federal government, which has excluded millions from emergency relief – including US citizens. The Open Society Foundations commends the City of Chicago for standing up for these essential workers and their families. We are enormously grateful to the anonymous donor who has stepped in with an additional $4 million to support essential workers, and we look forward to a day when essential and undocumented, workers are included in federal relief packages,” said Patrick Gaspard, president of the Open Society Foundations.