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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
NATIONAL REBUILDING DAY 2022 RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago, a volunteer organization preserving and revitalizing low-income homes and communities, repaired its first home in suburban Cook County in 1992, and has since rehabilitated nearly 1,900 homes, as well as assisted in the development of essential community centers and gardens; and
WHEREAS, Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago is part of a national nonprofit program, which sponsors National Rebuilding Day across the country on the last Saturday in April; and
WHEREAS, every year Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago selects two neighborhoods in Cook County in which to provide home repair for elderly, disabled, or low income individuals; and
WHEREAS, more than 3,000 volunteers annually, including Cook County employees, donate their time and talents to plan and complete hundreds of free home repairs for residents in Cook County through Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago’s volunteer teams; and
WHEREAS, repairs typically focus on keeping homeowners “warm, safe and dry” and also improve access for low-income seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.
WHEREAS, on January 27, 2020 the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services declared that COVID-19, a novel severe acute respiratory illness that can spread among people through respiratory transmissions, presents a public health emergency, and the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020 and;
WHEREAS, steps were taken to ensure the effects of COVID-19 were mitigated and minimized and that Cook County residents remain safe and secure; and
WHEREAS, Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago made the difficult decision to cancel 2020 National Rebuilding Day activities, avoiding in-home repairs that could put anyone at risk; and
WHEREAS, Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago sought new and meaningful ways to continue to provide services and remain true to their mission; and
WHEREAS, Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago quickly adapted to this new reality and provided 400 cloth facemasks, 1,580 ounces of hand sanitizer, delivered 9,000 lbs of groceries, conducted 56 furnace and boiler tune-ups, built 200 learn-at-home student desks, created 100 address placards to aid first responders in identifying homes, and fabricated 40 COVID-safe partitions for local shelters.
WHEREAS, this year Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago is cautious but optimistic. As such, services to homeowners will continue in a manner that keeps volunteers and homeowners safe. Rebuilding Together plans to reinstitute National Rebuilding Day on April 30, 2022.
WHEREAS, Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago is an example of Cook County and other local governments working in partnership with private corporations to assist residents and communities in need; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, do hereby recognize and express Cook County's sincere gratitude to Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago and its participating companies, as we work together to restore homes to a warm, safe, and dry condition; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that various departments, including but not limited to the Bureau of Economic Development, Bureau of Administration, and the Bureau of Asset Management continue to work annually with Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago to determine project scope for the Cook County sponsored projects and coordinate volunteers annually for National Rebuilding Day activities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Economic Development, Bureau of Administration, and Bureau of Asset Management be recognized for their ongoing efforts in determining Cook County’s annual project scope and determining repairs that will be conducted by Cook County employee volunteers for National Rebuilding Day activities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be presented to Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago in acknowledgment of its past accomplishments and to a successful upcoming year.
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