SPRINGFIELD – A measure championed by State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) to create the Task Force on Best Practices and Licensing of Non-Transplant Organ Donation Organizations was signed into law Friday.

“When people sign up to be organ donors, they are putting their trust in the fact that their organs will be properly kept, and used for science or educational purposes. Unfortunately, there have been cases where family members of the deceased suspected foul play,” Van Pelt said. “There needs to be more regulations in place in order to ensure the safety of organ donations.”

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NORTH LAWDALE – State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) joined other state officials and The Will Group to celebrate the first completed phase of the build out of the new K-Town Business Development Centre in the North Lawndale neighborhood.

The centre was launched with the support of state capital dollars for minority-owned businesses, set to create 100 jobs and economic growth for the community.

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CHICAGO — To help students struggling from summer learning loss, State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) is hosting a Summer Book Club for Chicago’s Westside youth.

“I know that everyone is excited to be outside and enjoy that aspect of summer break, but it is also important for children to exercise their minds,” Van Pelt said. “Kids who keep their minds engaged through the summer will be better prepared when school starts again, and even develop good lifelong learning habits.”

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of Illinois are reminding all Illinois residents that financial assistance is available to individuals who have incurred COVID-19 related funeral expenses. The assistance is being provided by FEMA for expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.

According to the CDC, there are more than 21,000 families in Illinois that are eligible for federal funeral reimbursement funding. To date, more than $10.4 million has been approved for the more than 1,500 approved applicants in Illinois.

Residents can apply for FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program by calling 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The application process takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and multilingual services are available.