>> ROGERS PARK ON THE FAR NORTH
SIDE IS NOPE AS ONE OF THE
CITY'S MOST DIVERSE AREAS FILLED
WITH RESTAURANTS AND CULTURE.
A COMMUNITY THAT WORKS TO UPLIFT
AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO
RESIDENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
"CHICAGO TONIGHT'S" JOANNA
HERNANDEZ AND MARISSA NELSON
SPENT THE DAY IN ROGERS PARK AS
PART OF OUR "IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES".
JOANNA JOINS US FROM THE
COMMUNITY AREA SHE GREW UP IN.
WHO BETTER TO TELL US ABOUT IT?
AND HAS MORE NEWS ABOUT NEW
PROJECTS COMING TO ROGERS PARK.
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD I WAS
RAISED IN.
THIS IS THE AREA THAT MY PARENTS
BOUGHT THEIR FIRST HOME YEARS
AGO.
I GREW UP GOING TO RESTAURANTS
DOWN CLARK STREET.
NOW I GET TO TELL YOU WHAT
ROGERS PARK IS WORKING ON.
A STREET RIGHT NEXT TO THIS ONE,
THE ROGERS PARK BUSINESS
ALLIANCE IS WORKING ON CREATING
THIS NEW OUTDOOR SPACE FOR THE
COMMUNITY.
>> SO THERE WILL BE SEATING FOR
THE RESTAURANTS ALONG THIS STRIP
WHERE THEY CAN SERVE THEIR
CONSTITUENTS.
AND THEN THERE WILL BE COMMUNITY
TABLES.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING
SOMETHING FROM A RESTAURANT
AROUND THE CORNER, YOU GO THERE
AND YOU CAN COME AND GET YOUR
FOOD AND SIT AT THE COMMUNITY
TABLE.
LIKE I SAID THERE WILL BE A
STAGE LE PIANO IS HAVING A
COUPLE OF GAZEBOS WHERE YOU CAN
SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO MUSIC
AND HAVE A DRINK OR WHATEVER IT
IS.
THERE WILL BE EVENTS PLANNED
DURING THE YEAR IN BOTH OF THE
AL FRESCO AREAS.
THE OTHER ONE IS IN JARVIS
SQUARE.
>> THE AL FRESCO PROGRAM IS
AIMED AT GIVING NEIGHBORHOODS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GET CREATIVE WITH
FAMILY FRIENDLY OUTDOOR PUBLIC
SPACES.
ONCE THE CITY APPROVES THE
PROPOSED LAYOUT FOR TWO SPACES
THEY HOPE TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION
BY THE END OF THE MONTH.
THE OWNER OF LE PIANO SAYS THE
NEW ADDITION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
GIVES HIS A CHANCE FOR HIS
BUSINESS 0 OFFER NEW THINGS.
>> TO MEET PEOPLE OUTSIDE ON THE
STREET, IT ALSO HAS GIVEN US THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE MORE
PROGRAMMING FOR THE COMMUNITY OF
ROGERS PARK AND THE COMMUNITIES
IS YOUR ROUNDING ROGERS PARK.
>> ONE SMALL BUSINESS IN ROGERS
PARK HAS BECOME A POPULAR BRUNCH
SPOT AFTER RESTRICTIONS LIFTED.
PRUDENCE FAKLARIS AND HER
HUSBAND TOOK OVER AN OLD SCHOOL
DINER AND TRANSFORMED IT INTO A
BRUNCH SPOT.
THE GRAND OPENING WAS
SHORT-LIVED WHEN THE CITIES
FORCED BUSINESSES TO CLOSE
DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE
PANDEMIC.
WITH HELP FROM THE COMMUNITY
THEY WERE ABLE TO STAY OPEN AND
ADAPTED TO THE CHANGES BY
OFFERING KIDS FREE MEALS AND
LINKING TO OFFER FOOD FROM THEIR
RESTAURANT AND ANY FOOD ITEMS
PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO DONATE.
>> I DON'T FEEL LIKE ME
PERSONALLY OR MY HUSBAND LIKE
FOOD SHOULDN'T BE A LUXURY.
SOME PEOPLE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED
AND IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT
EVERYBODY SHOULD BE ABLE TO EAT.
>> THOUGH THEY ARE FROM THE
SUBURBS, SHE SAYS THEY ARE
WORKING HARD TO CONNECT WITH THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND HELP IN ANYWAY
THEY CAN DURING THESE DIFFICULT
TIMES.
>> WE'RE HERE.
AND WE WANT TO MEET YOU.
AND WE ARE JUST REALLY A FAMILY
COMING IN AND WE WANT YOU TO
JOIN OUR FAMILY.
TO ME, I CONSIDER THIS LIKE MY
HOUSE LITERALLY.
I SPEND MORE TIME HERE THAN I DO
AT MY HOUSE.
>> ON THE BORDER OF ROGERS PARK,
CENTRO ROMERO HAS BEEN HELPING
IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES FOR MORE
THAN 30 YEARS.
OFFERING IMMIGRATION SERVICES,
FAMILY SERVICES AND YOUTH
PROGRAMS.
IN FACT, I WAS PART OF THE YOUTH
PROGRAM AND IT HAD A BIG IMPACT
ON MY YOUTH.
DAYSI FUNES SHARES THE CENTER
HELPS AROUND 14,000 FAMILIES AND
IS ASSISTING 25,000 FAMILIES.
>> THE COMMUNITY WAS NOT READY
TO BE VIRTUAL.
IT IS NOT A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY.
AND IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES,
IT'S DIFFERENT BUT WHAT I CAN
TELL YOU DOING ALL THE EFFORT TO
MAKE SURE INFORMATION IS
AVAILABLE, VACCINE IS AVAILABLE,
AND OUR KIDS HAVE DESERVE
[INAUDIBLE]
>> THE CENTER IS FOCUSED ON
BRINGING BACK REGULAR SERVICES
LIKE IN-PERSON LEGAL SERVICES
AND YOUTH PROGRAMS.
IN THE MEANTIME THEY ARE
CONTINUING TO FUNDRAISE FOR
FAMILIES IN NEED OF RENT
ASSISTANCE, JOBS AND FOOD.
>> EVERYBODY IS AFRAID.
WE ARE NERVOUS BECAUSE HOW CAN
WE PROVIDE ENOUGH TO KEEP A
FAMILY ABOVE, ABOVE THIS
PANDEMIC.
SURVIVING THIS PANDEMIC.
THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING.
SURVIVING THE PANDEMIC AND
LEARNING.
>> AND IT APPEARS THE CITY IS IN
A PHASE WHERE ORGANIZATIONS AND
PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING
AND HELPING WITH.
I WANT TO CLOSE BY TOUCHING ON
VACCINATION RATES IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD.
ACCORDING TO THE CHICAGO'S COVID
DASHBOARD CASES IN THE ROGERS
PARK ZIP CODES ARE SLIGHTLY
GOING UP.
BUT 52% OF THE POPULATION HERE
HAVE RECEIVED BOTH DOSES OF THE
VACCINE.
LATER IN THE PROGRAM, WE'LL TALK