ANNOUNCES HONOREES OF THE 2023 IMPACT AWARDS, NONPROFIT GRANTS

Annual Impact Awards

Celebrated Local Leaders Creating Impact for Chicago Women and Girls

CHICAGO—The Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) has announced honorees of the 2023 Impact Awards, which recognize top local women leaders who are expanding economic security, ensuring freedom from violence, or enhancing access to health services for women and girls. The event was held at the Harold Washington Library Center.

Since 2005, CFW has honored and celebrated 125 leaders, including local leaders like Dorri McWhorter, Hedy Ratner, Neha Gill and the first Impact Awardee in 2005, the late Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“The Impact Awards highlight the people on the frontlines who are creating opportunities for women and girls to live healthy, fulfilling lives,” said Felicia Davis Blakely, President and CEO of the Chicago Foundation for Women.

“This year, we received dozens of nominations for our Awards—which is a testament to the many diverse leaders fighting on behalf of women and girls in our city. Our honorees are activists, storytellers and changemakers who exemplify CFW’s mission to build a better society by lifting up women and girls.”

CFW also announced that each honoree’s partner organization will receive a $5,000 grant from CFW. Recipients include Urban Growers Collective, Connections for Abused Women and their Children, Women Employed, A Long Walk Home, RefugeeOne and Pillars Community Health.

Additionally, CFW awarded a $25,000 grant to the Reverend Willie Taplin Barrow Emerging Leader honoree, Free Root Operation, in celebration of their work exemplifying the legacy of the late, great Rev. Barrow.

CHATHAM-SOUTHEAST

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SOUTH END Washington Heights,Roseland,Rosemoor, Englewood,West Englewood, Auburn-Gresham, Morgan Park, Maple Park, Mt. Vernon, Fernwood, Bellevue, Beverly, Pullman, West Pullman, West Pullman,Riverdale, Jeffrey Manor and Hegewisch.

SOUTH SUBURBAN

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HYDE PARK Lake Meadows, Oakland, Prairie Shores,Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Kenwood, Woodland,South Shore and Hyde Park. CHICAGO WEEKEND Chicago Westside Communities, Austin and Garfield Park SUBURBAN TIMES

Impact Award recipients include:

Erika Allen, Co-Founder & CEO of Operations for Urban Growers Collective

Beatris Burgos, Greenhouse Shelter Director for Connections for Abused Women and their Children

Cherita Ellens, President and CEO of Women Employed

Additional honorees:

Natalie Moore, WBEZ’s Race, Class and Communities reporter, is the recipient of the Beacon Award, which honors a leader whose published work has highlighted the issues facing women and girls in the Chicago region and enabled their voices to be heard.

Melineh Kano, Executive Director and Founder of Refugee One, is the recipient of the Founder’s Award, which recognizes an individual’s lifetime achievements, which have made significant contributions toward the advancement of women and girls for 30 years or more.

Azariah Baker, Youth Leader with

A Long Walk Home, is the recipient of the Vanguard Award, which honors a leader younger than 30 whose work is having a significant impact on women and girls and who shows great promise for the future.

Kathy Bolhous, Chairman and CEO of Charter Next Generation is the recipient of the Corporate Citizenship Award, which honors a corporate leader that helps build stronger, more equitable communities through its internal and external support of women and girls.

Marcie Love, Founder of Personal PAC, is the recipient of the Sophia Award which was created in honor of the late Lucia Woods Lindley, a founder of CFW, to honor Lucia’s memory and the contributions she made to women’s philanthropy through the Sophia Fund and individually. The Sophia Award celebrates individuals who, like Lucia, are deeply committed to using their philanthropic power to uplift the needs of women and girls and inspire others to join them in doing the same.

Additionally, the Free Root Organization is the recipient of the Willie Taplin Barrow Emerging Leaders Award for its Black Girl Bloom program, which is helping women of color heal from trauma by harnessing their transformative capacity.

This year’s Impact Awards were broadcasted on CAN TV Channel 27, a leading community access television network committed to unlocking the voices of Chicagoans for four decades. CAN TV’s programming can be viewed on its five local cable channels (CAN TV 19, 21, 27, 36 and 42), online at cantv.org, or on the can tv+ app available on streaming platforms including Roku, Fire TV Stick, and iOS and Android devices.

Sponsors of the Impact Awards include Southwest Airlines; Community Food Navigator; Marc and Jeanne Malnati Family Foundation; Marcie Love as well as her daughters, Cathie, Anne and Sally; Charter Next Generation; and Dr. Patricia Carey.

Since 1985, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) has been a leader in the movement to achieve basic rights and equal opportunities. We invest to create a world in which all women, girls, trans and non-binary people have the opportunity to thrive in safe, just and healthy communities and are empowered to act as catalysts to build a stronger future for all.

Learn more about the Chicago Foundation for Women at www.cfw. org/.

Joyce Supports Bill To End Moratorium On New Nuclear Facilities

State Senator Patrick Joyce advocated for Senate Bill 76 last Thursday, which was an initiative from State Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris) that enables the state to explore new clean energy options and create jobs in the nuclear industry.

“It’s our job to ensure Illinois remains a leader in clean energy production,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “By lifting the moratorium, we can explore new nuclear technology, support job creation and ensure that our state has more sustainable energy sources.”

Under current law, there is a nuclear moratorium in place that prohibits any construction of a new nuclear plant in Illinois and prohibits the Illinois Commerce Commission from issuing a certificate of public and convenience and necessity for a new nuclear facility. Senate Bill 76 would appeal the moratorium on new nuclear facilities in Illinois.

“My legislation is a bipartisan, pro-jobs bill that will help ensure that Illinois is able to effectively compete with other states who are beginning to understand the pivotal role nuclear energy can play in relieving growing energy grid reliability and resiliency pressures,” said Rezin.

“I’m here to make Illinois stay relevant, to make Illinois stay at the table, and with the moratorium in place, we aren’t even in the conversation,” said Joyce. “Reliability and affordability is something we are going to be dealing with for years to come. I want to thank Senator Rezin for this bill.”

Senate Bill 76 passed the Senate with a 39-13 bipartisan vote and now moves other to the House for further action.

Belt Initiative To Help Tackle The Issue Of Food Deserts In The State Clears The Senate

State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure through the Senate Thursday to tackle the increasing number of food deserts in Illinois.

“People should be able to have easy access to healthy and affordable food at all times,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “By providing financial assistance to grocery stores, we can incentivize the establishment and expansion of stores in areas that are considered food deserts.”

Under this legislation, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity would be required to provide grants and other forms of financial assistance to privately-owned grocery stores and grocery stores owned by a unit of local government, school district or community college district, located in or to be located in a food desert.

This measure aims to help mitigate the issue of food deserts across the state. In 2021, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued a study that found that 807 census tracts are considered food deserts, meaning urban residents have to travel more than a half mile and rural residents must travel more than 10 miles to get to the nearest grocery store.

“This is an important step forward in addressing the issues of food deserts in Illinois,” said Belt. “Not only would this measure support grocery stores in communities that need the most help, but it could improve economic development as well.”

Senate Bill 850 cleared the Senate Thursday