Assisting Asylum Seekers

The Village of Oak Park is asking those interested in volunteering to sign up for Oak Park's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT):

Click here to sign up for the
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) 

Volunteers are needed to assist with language translation and more.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who are generously assisting new asylum-seeking families in our community. To promote health and safety for all, we encourage volunteers to consider protective measures when on premises housing asylum seekers. Due to the close living quarters and ongoing exposure to various infectious diseases many living in communal settings face, you may be at an increased risk of exposure to, and transmission of, these diseases. Exposure can be greatly reduced by using personal protective equipment (PPE) and following the recommended precautions below.

Personal Protective Equipment:

The following PPE is available to volunteers by request at Village Hall:  masks, gloves, coveralls, eyewear, shoe covers, and hand sanitizer. Proper PPE helps reduce the transmission risk of illnesses like influenza, whooping cough, RSV, chicken pox, tuberculosis, scabies, and others. Infectious diseases can be transmitted through physical contact as well as droplet or airborne transmission. Physical contact transmission occurs through direct skin contact with secretions, fluids, etc. Clothing that covers the skin, gloves, and hand hygiene reduces transmission. Airborne and droplet transmission occurs when an infected person coughs/sneezes, expelling droplets into the air or onto surfaces that can infect others. Adequate ventilation and well-fitting masks (N95) prevent transmission. Please let Village staff know if you have any other questions about PPE and recommended precautions during your volunteer shift. Following precautionary guidance will help to keep you and these families safe.

Recommended Precautions:

• If you are feeling unwell, even if symptoms are mild, let Village staff know and stay home on any day you feel such symptoms. Please error on the side of caution to prevent potentially serious illness among this vulnerable population.
• Ensure your vaccinations are up to date.
• Wear PPE as appropriate.
• Safely remove used PPE by avoiding touching contaminated surfaces such as the outside of your mask or gloves.
• Properly dispose of contaminated PPE in appropriate receptacles.
• Thoroughly wash hands after removing PPE.
• Perform hand hygiene frequently and adequately.
• Limit prolonged physical contact with residents or other volunteers.
• Limit contact with residents' bedding, towels, clothing, etc. Use gloves, shoe covers, and clothing that covers any exposed skin when contact is necessary.
• Keep surfaces clean/disinfected, especially high-touch areas.
• Cover coughs/sneezes and avoid touching your face.
• Do not share food, drinks, or personal items.

Proper Hand Hygiene Practices

Wash hands for 20+ seconds with warm water before/after:

• Handling food or medications
• Using the restroom
• Touching bodily fluids
• Visible dirt on hands
• Putting on and taking off PPE
• Starting/ending shifts

*Use alcohol-based sanitizer when soap is unavailable

Illness:

Please be alert for symptoms like fever, cough, body aches, itchy and uncomfortable rash, vomiting, or diarrhea exhibited by yourself and close contacts. Report concerns immediately to staff and refrain from volunteering if you feel unwell. Even mild illnesses can severely impact the vulnerable population we assist. In crowded housing, pathogens spread rapidly and can lead to serious, even fatal consequences in those with weakened immune systems. What seems like a common cold to us can become a life-threatening condition for children and elders. Something small to you could become catastrophic for those we serve. Monitor your health and other close contacts for up to 8 weeks after volunteering.

Vaccinations:

Volunteers should be up-to-date on routine childhood immunizations, as well as the annual influenza vaccine. Additional recommended vaccines for those volunteering with migrant populations include:

• COVID-19 vaccine and boosters
• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
• Varicella (chickenpox)
• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
• Pneumococcal vaccine

Obtaining the recommended immunizations not only protects volunteers, but prevents transmitting vaccine-preventable diseases to vulnerable asylum-seekers who may have insufficient healthcare access or may be more susceptible to severe illness. Volunteers working with children under 1 year of age or pregnant people should ensure they have an updated Tdap booster. Please consult your healthcare provider to ensure you have received age-appropriate vaccines if you are unsure. Staying current on immunizations is an essential way we can protect community health when volunteering. These are available at most pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens, or Jewel-Osco, or your health care provider's office. Older adults and those with weakened immune systems can also ask their doctor about the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for additional protection against respiratory illness. Staying up to date on immunizations is an easy way we can keep our community healthy and safe.

Feb. 2, 2024 - The Village of Oak Park was notified by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC) today that it has been awarded more than $1.9 million through the Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS) grant. The Village Board unanimously authorized staff to apply for this new funding during its meeting on January 23 and the application was submitted the following day.

Previously, the Village has received $400,000 in SMASS grant funding that has been used in combination with $650,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding as lost revenue in the general fund allocated by the Village Board. That money has allowed Oak Park to operate its temporary shelter program for asylum-seeking migrants in the community since November 2023.

Approximately $1.24 million of the new award will be distributed to a local nonprofit entity so that it may operate a new temporary shelter in Oak Park through the end of June 2024. This shelter will not be a continuation of the Village’s current shelter program at the West Cook YMCA or The Carleton Hotel of Oak Park, as those sites are scheduled to be unavailable after February 29. Rather, plans are taking shape for a new shelter to be located at the former St. Edmund’s school building (200 S. Oak Park Ave.). That building is owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Additionally, the Village has planned for $360,000 in funding from its award to be used for legal services to assist asylum seekers in their application process for asylum, temporary protected status and/or employment authorization.

The Village will dedicate $300,000 toward funding short-term rental assistance for asylum seekers and $40,000 for administrative expenses associated with assisting asylum seekers in Oak Park.

Funds awarded through the most recent SMASS grant must be used by June 30, 2024.

Official information about the efforts to assist asylum-seeking migrants in Oak Park is available at www.oak-park.us/emergencyresponse23.

Nov. 21, 2023 - The Village of Oak Park Board of Trustees approved a motion at its regular meeting Monday night to reallocate $500,000 in unspent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding as lost revenue in the general fund to be directed to providing aid to asylum seekers through February 6, 2024.

The funding to support asylum seekers in Oak Park is added to a pool of $550,000 that had been established previously, bringing the overall total to $1.05 million. That includes $400,000 in Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS) grants and $650,000 in ARPA funding as lost revenue in the Village’s general fund. The first allocation by the Board of $150,000 was made during its regular meeting on Oct. 30.

In a separate action, a resolution declaring an emergency disaster through February 6, 2024 was also approved by Board vote as the meeting bled into Tuesday morning. Previously, the Board unanimously approved a resolution declaring an emergency disaster during its emergency meeting on Nov. 2. That order, which was to expire on Dec. 4, is rescinded immediately in favor of the new declaration. This resolution calls for the temporary suspension of purchasing requirements such as formal bidding procedures and Board contract approvals when quick action is deemed necessary and when it is impractical to convene a Board meeting.

Currently, the Village of Oak Park is officially supporting 162 asylum seekers residing in the community, including 57 children under the age of 18. More than half of those individuals (89) are sheltering at The Carleton Hotel of Oak Park, while 55 are currently housed at the West Cook YMCA. Eighteen (18) individuals are also staying at Grace Episcopal Church with the support of volunteers.

Official information about the efforts to assist asylum-seeking migrants in Oak Park is available at www.oak-park.us/emergencyresponse23.

Nov. 17, 2023 – The Village of Oak Park has continued to collaborate with a host of community partners this week to further meet the needs of more than 160 asylum-seeking migrants in its care.

As of today, the Village of Oak Park is officially supporting 162 asylum seekers residing in the community, including 57 children under the age of 18. More than half of those individuals (89) are sheltering at The Carleton Hotel of Oak Park, while 55 are currently housed at the West Cook YMCA. Eighteen (18) individuals are also staying at Grace Episcopal Church with the support of volunteers.

Additionally, it is believed that there are approximately 37 migrants staying at two additional Oak Park churches, Calvary Memorial Church and Euclid Methodist Church. Operations at those sites are being run entirely by volunteers and therefore those asylum seekers are not officially counted as being under the Village’s care at this time.

Cook County Health (CCH) continued to provide medical support to migrants living in Oak Park this week. After conducting an initial triage of new arrivals at The Carleton last week, CCH continued to provide necessary follow-up care this week, including transportation to and from its clinic in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood for those in need. As CCH’s initial phase of care wrapped up at The Carleton, the agency began to triage individuals at the YMCA on Thursday.

This week the Emergency Operations Center’s school enrollment team worked closely with officials from Oak Park Elementary School District 97 and Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 to register migrant families in area schools. A total of 28 individual students were registered into District 97 on Thursday and Friday. It’s anticipated that those students and families will attend orientation sessions the week of Nov. 20 before officially beginning instruction on Mon., Nov. 27. Also, Village officials anticipate approximately six (6) high-school-aged students who are part of the group under the Village’s care to register with District 200 Friday.

The Oak Park Township’s Youth and Family Services Team opened a temporary support group for local migrant families on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Families can receive support from bilingual staff, assistance in translating forms and other resources including help with phone calls to needed services. This group for migrant families in Oak Park and will meet at the Oak Park Township (105 S. Oak Park Ave.) from 4-5 p.m. on Wednesdays through mid-December.

The Park District of Oak Park (PDOP) has provided transportation services as part of the Village’s effort to assist migrants this month. After initially supporting the operation to move asylum seekers from the temporary locations to The Carleton and the YMCA, PDOP has also agreed to assist migrants at Grace Episcopal Church in traveling to St. Catherine-St. Lucy Church twice per week to utilize available showers. That service began Thursday.

Village officials are also working in partnership with Greater Chicago Legal Clinic to deliver presentations to asylum seekers on understanding their rights. The clinic has been providing its services pro bono.

This week the Village posted an official timeline detailing events both leading up to the actions taken to assist asylum seekers, and what has occurred since. The timeline begins on Sept. 11, 2023, when two Oak Park residents and members of the Chicago Police Department’s 15^th District station response team addressed the Board of Trustees during the non-agenda public comment portion of a Finance Committee meeting. It also details what transpired on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, when community activists began transporting migrants from outside the 15^th District in Chicago to the Oak Park police station and eventually Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. It also includes when the Village’s emergency disaster declaration was adopted.

At its upcoming regular meeting on Mon., Nov. 20, the Village Board is expected to consider two items related to assisting migrants: first, a motion to reallocate $1M in unspent ARPA funding as lost revenue in the general fund to be directed to providing aid to asylum seekers through March 19, 2024; then, a resolution declaring an emergency disaster through that same date.

The Village currently has an estimated $550,000 designated to assist asylum seekers, including $400,000 in Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS) grants and $150,000 in ARPA funding as lost revenue in the Village’s general fund. The current emergency declaration, adopted on Nov. 2, is set to expire on Dec. 4.

Monday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Village Hall (123 Madison St.) inside Council Chambers (room 201). The meeting will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing, as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT Uverse subscribers on channel 99.

Official information about the efforts to assist asylum-seeking migrants in Oak Park is available at www.oak-park.us/emergencyresponse23.

Nov. 10 – Over a four-day period this week between Nov. 7-10, the Village of Oak Park collaborated with multiple community partners to successfully relocate 162 asylum-seeking migrants residing within the community into new temporary shelters.

On Tues., Nov. 7, 58 migrants were moved from United Lutheran Church and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church to The Carleton Hotel of Oak Park.  On Wednesday, an additional six families of 26 individuals, were moved into The Carleton.

On Thurs., Nov. 9, the West Cook YMCA began receiving new arrivals with 40 individuals moving into that space. Fourteen more are being moved into the YMCA on Friday. Finally, approximately 23 migrants are being sheltered at Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park as of Friday afternoon. The temporary shelter at Grace Episcopal Church will be overseen and operated by a team of dedicated volunteers.

Of the 162 total asylum seekers that have been under the Village’s care and relocated to new temporary housing this week, 58 are children under the age of 18. A family of four asylum seekers was also taken into private housing directly by an Oak Park family this week.

The Village, meanwhile, will continue to support the ongoing efforts to support asylum seekers currently housed at The Carleton Hotel and the West Cook YMCA. Wraparound services, managed by Housing Forward, include daily staffing for up to 12 hours per day for assessment, intake and service coordination, as well as volunteer management, behavioral health support, transportation, laundry services and program administration. Meals are also provided at each site.

With the moves complete, the Village’s efforts that had been focused at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, where approximately 116 asylum-seeking migrants had been residing since the early-morning hours on Nov. 1, have ceased. For nine days, Village staff and community volunteers provided around-the-clock public health and safety services, language translation, meals and more at that location.

“We are once again incredibly grateful for the generosity of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, and willingness and desire to make a positive impact displayed by Rev. Kathy Nolte and the congregation,” said Village Manager Kevin J. Jackson. “This site and this group not only answered the call, but they went above and beyond to ensure that these asylum seekers were welcomed into Oak Park and well cared for.

“The Village is also appreciative of the collaborative spirit shown over the past week from Mike Fox and the staff of The Carleton Hotel, Phillip Jiménez, the leadership and the staff of the West Cook YMCA, Lynda Schueler, Armando Smith and their entire team at Housing Forward, as well as the countless number of community members who have been involved in this effort from the very beginning,” said Jackson. “Without the willingness of so many people to roll up their sleeves and do the work necessary to make this happen, I’m not sure how it would have come together. Oak Park has shown its unwavering readiness to meet this situation head-on.”

This week the Village of Oak Park also teamed up with the Cook County Health Department to provided needed medical care for the migrants residing in the community. A Care Coordination Team was on site at The Carleton on Thursday to triage the group there and directly transport patients in need of immediate care or attention to and from the CCH facility in Chicago’s Belmont-Cragin neighborhood. A similar operation is expected to take place next week at the YMCA.

Donations of goods and supplies are not currently being accepted at any of the sites in Oak Park. The Village’s Emergency Operations Center is working with its partners to finalize a plan to receive and distribute donations intended for the asylum seekers. More information will be shared as it becomes available. Both Housing Forward and the West Cook YMCA are directly accepting monetary donations to support asylum seekers on their web sites.

The Village of Oak Park is asking those interested in volunteering to sign up for Oak Park's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Click here to learn more or sign up for CERT. Volunteers with an interest in medical emergency response can apply to serve with the Oak Park's Medical Reserve Corps – click here to sign up for MRC. For more information about volunteering, call 708.358.5700 Monday-Friday between 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

More information about the efforts to assist asylum-seeking migrants in Oak Park is available at www.oak-park.us/emergencyresponse23.

Nov. 7, 2023 – Village of Oak Park officials continue to make progress in developing short-term housing solutions for a large group of asylum-seeking migrants who arrived in the community in the past week and have been staying at local churches.

The Village has reached agreements with the West Cook YMCA and The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel to provide temporary housing for virtually all of the 160 migrants residing at two local churches.  

The Village’s efforts have been focused at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, where approximately 116 asylum-seeking migrants have been residing since the early-morning hours on Nov. 1. Since then, Village staff and community volunteers have provided around-the clock public health and safety services, language translation, meals and more. Good Shepherd officials generously committed to provide temporary shelter through Sat., Nov. 11.

Meanwhile, the Village is aware that approximately 44 migrants have been sheltering at United Lutheran Church in Oak Park for several days. The support at this location has been solely driven by volunteers to this point, but the Village understands this location is no longer available beginning today (Nov. 7).

In addition to the estimated 160 asylum-seeking migrants that are currently being supported Good Shepherd and United Lutheran, it is estimated that there are approximately 20 individuals in temporary shelter at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park. Calvary has committed to this effort, being run solely by volunteers, for approximately 30-60 days.

Transitioning the asylum-seeking migrants from church locations to temporary housing at the West Cook YMCA and The Carleton will add to the escalating costs associated with the Village’s ongoing emergency response.

For the six-day period between Nov. 1 through Nov. 6, the Village has accrued more than $40,300 in costs associated with housing migrants at Good Shepherd, with the bulk of those expenses coming in the form of security ($20,412), translation services ($15,840) and food ($3,705.38). The incomplete list of expenses does not include in-kind contributions related to staff salaries or overtime, nor does it include utility expenses at this temporary location.

The Village estimates costs for housing these individuals until Dec. 4, when the current emergency disaster resolution ends, to be upwards of $370,000.

On Nov. 6, the Village was notified that it would be awarded an additional $250,000 through the Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS) grant. That is in addition to the $150,000 in SMASS funding that was granted last month. During its regular meeting on Oct. 30, the Village Board also appropriated $150,000 from its general funds for the purpose of supporting asylum seekers in Oak Park, totaling $550,000 in available funding.

The West Cook YMCA has agreed to make one floor of 40 rooms available to women, children and families this week. Each room can accommodate up to three individuals and meet the Village’s standards for occupancy. The cost to the Village for these rooms, which will house up to 50 individuals in total, is $8,000 per month. That does not include costs for furniture, materials and additional services (i.e. maintenance or janitorial) that are required to shelter a large number of people in the space. Officials also shared that additional rooms for single males may be available at the YMCA on a rolling basis at a rate of $250 per month.

The Carleton Hotel will have 13 rooms available this week with additional rooms ready later this month. The initial block can accommodate up to five (5) individuals per room and meet the Village’s standards for occupancy. The cost for each room, which is available for up to 28 days, is at a discounted rate of $80 per night. Stays at the hotel cannot exceed 30 days due to tenants’ rights, which could allow persons to overstay without additional funding in place.

Wraparound services, managed by Housing Forward, are expected to include daily staffing for assessment, intake and service coordination, as well as volunteer management, behavioral health support, transportation, laundry services and program administration. The organization is expanding services to support both their efforts to assist the current unhoused population in the community, as well as to support the ongoing effort to aid asylum seekers.

The Village of Oak Park is asking those interested in volunteering to sign up for Oak Park's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Click here to learn more or sign up for CERT. Volunteers with an interest in medical emergency response can apply to serve with the Oak Park's Medical Reserve Corps - click here to sign up for MRC. For more information about volunteering, call 708.358.5700 Monday-Friday between 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

More information about the efforts to assist asylum-seeking migrants in Oak Park is available at www.oak-park.us/emergencyresponse23.

Nov. 2, 2023 –During an emergency meeting of the Village Board on Thurs., Nov. 2, Village of Oak Park Trustees considered an emergency declaration as a procedural step in order to provide additional aid and support to asylum seekers residing in Oak Park.

The resolution, approved unanimously, calls for the temporary suspension of purchasing requirements such as formal bidding procedures and Board contract approvals when quick action is deemed necessary and when it is impractical to convene a Board meeting. This declaration is set to expire on Dec. 4.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker executed a “Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation” for the state on Oct. 13, also on a 30-day basis.

Previously during its meeting on Mon., Oct. 30, the Village Board authorized $150,000 in funds for asylum seekers. Last month, the Village received an additional $150,000 in the form of a Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS) grant from the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.

Since Wed., Nov. 1, the Village of Oak Park has been accommodating more than 100 asylum seekers seeking indoor shelter from frigid temperatures as they were primarily living outside of the Chicago Police Department’s 15^th District in the nearby Austin neighborhood.

Thanks in large part to the generosity of Rev. Kathy Nolte, and the compassionate congregation, the majority of these migrants have been receiving temporary shelter at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Oak Park. Village staff has been working closely with church officials and volunteers to provide meals, medical care and other assistance while a more permanent solution is coordinated.

The Village of Oak Park and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church have been overwhelmed by the community’s generosity at the temporary site. Volunteer residents, Oak Park Township staff and others have offered translation, medical and wellness services. Additionally, donations of meals and other supplies have been abundant on site since the early-morning hours Wednesday.

However, officials are asking community members to pause those generous forms of support directly to the site at this time. Short-term plans are now in place to cover the needs of these asylum seekers until other accommodations can be secured.

Following the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Wednesday, the Village’s emergency response plan to this situation remains in development. Once solidified, officials expect to put out a call to the community for ongoing support to address the needs of the migrant population. More information about those needs will be shared at www.oak-park.us/emergencyresponse23 as it becomes available.

Nov. 1, 2023 – The Village of Oak Park, under the authority of Village Manager Kevin J. Jackson, activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Wed., Nov. 1, putting in place established protocols in response to the evolving crisis involving asylum-seeking migrants and families in the community.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 31, the Oak Park Police Department received a phone call from a volunteer seeking to assist asylum-seeking migrant families that were based at the Chicago Police Department’s 15^th District station and were seeking indoor shelter. The 15^th District is located at 5701 W. Madison St., less than one mile from the Village of Oak Park police station and Village Hall (123 Madison St.).

The volunteer relayed that she was part of a group that provided tents to migrant families. Due to the frigid overnight temperatures they feared that these families were facing extreme risk due to the cold. Approximately 26 families were seeking indoor shelter due to the weather because the lobby at the 15^th District was at capacity.

The Oak Park Police Department Watch Commander who received the phone call explained that the lobby of the Oak Park police station likely would only be able to accommodate a very limited number of people and their personal belongings due to size constraints within the facility.

As volunteers began transporting migrants in need to shelter from the 15^th District to the Oak Park police station over the next several hours, Village of Oak Park officials and staff members immediately began working to identify viable solutions for shelter in Oak Park Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Families were initially assisted and taken to safe indoor locations with the majority being taken in temporarily overnight at a local church.

Just before 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, the last of the families was moved from the Oak Park police station to an overnight shelter. Approximately 102 people were accommodated as part of the effort.

The Village’s emergency response plan to this situation is in development. More information will be shared as it becomes available.