The Voice Newspapers, Serving Chicago's West Side: 2018-01-21

REPORT FROM ALDERMAN EMMA MITTS

GOOD NEWS FOR SENIORS ON SOCIAL SECURITY!

According to the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS: Seniors who receive Social Security (SSI) benefits will NOT have to file a ‘simple tax return’ to receive their stimulus check. Recipients WILL Automatically Receive $1,200 Economic Impact Payments, either as a direct deposit to their bank accounts or paper checks via mail. Questions? Visit www.irs.gov/coronavirus

ANSWERING THE 2020 CENSUS IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR FUTURE

In the 37th Ward, my staff and I are committed to doing everything possible to protect the health and safety of YOU - our residents, businesses and 1st responders. That’s why I urge EVERYONE to fill out the 2020 Census today! We need a COMPLETE COUNT to keep billions in Federal funding flowing to Chicago for hospitals, local businesses, schools, affordable housing and much more. 738,831 Chicago households still need to respond. Do you realize? For every additional person counted, Chicago, will gain approximately $1,400 to be used to improve parks and infrastructure! Finally, the Census helps shape many different aspects of our community, so it’s important that EVERYONE must be counted. The 2020 Census questionnaire is easy, quick and secure. Respond ONLINE, BY PHONE OR MAILTODAY! Go to: www.2020census.gov
CITYWIDE CALL TO ACTION TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR-TOGETHER, WE ALL MUST DO OUR PART TO HALT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. Emphasizing the healthcare disparities and life expectancy gap between Blacks on the South and West side of Chicago, Mayor Lightfoot and Public Health Commissioner Dr. Arwady this week announced new structures/partnerships to help fight the rising COVID-19 death rates in poverty impacted communities across the city. West Side United will help lead a major effort focused on reducing the mortality in these zip codes. More details to follow. In the meantime, remember:
• STAY HOME-STAY SAFE: Self-quarantine, do not go outside unnecessarily - - even as weather turns warmer.
• WEAR MASKS WHEN YOU MUST GO OUT FOR FOOD, MEDICAL CARE: Avoid spreading or catching the COVID-19 virus.
• MAINTAIN CLEANLINESS: Wash hands often and keep surroundings clean.
#StayHomeStaySafe!

Got a question or concern? For more information, contact the 37th Ward Alderman’s Office at 773-379-0960.

AS I SEE IT By Representative La Shawn K. Ford

COVID-19 is Hitting Blacks Hard

Around the nation, concentrated pockets of Coronavirus are popping up. In Chicago, 68% of COVID-19 deaths have been African American, where Blacks make up 30% of Chicago’s population. In Milwaukee, African Americans made up all of the city’s first eight fatalities. Forty percent of Michigan’s deaths have been African Americans, and 30 percent of Illinois’ cases have afflicted black even though we make up only 12 percent of the population.
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, it appears that Blacks are being affected more because Blacks are more affected by underlying health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. He said, “Here again with the crisis, how it’s shining a bright light on how unacceptable that is because, yet again, when you have a situation like the coronavirus, they [Blacks] are suffering disproportionately. …it’s not that they are getting infected more often, it’s that when they do get infected their underlying medical conditions — diabetes, hypertension, the obesity, asthma — those are the kind of things that wind them up in the ICU and ultimately give him a higher death rate.”
African Americans in my state representative district on the West Side of Chicago and across the country face a triple whammy:
1. Increased economic fears from massive unemployment. Among the working poor, black workers will be harmed the most. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, black, and Hispanic workers are more than twice as likely to earn poverty-level wages compared to their white counterparts. Roughly 8% of black and Hispanic workers earn wages below the poverty level, compared to just 4% of white workers. Women of color struggle in particular: 10% of black women and 9% of Hispanic women are classified as the working poor, compared to 3.5% of white men.
2. Increased health fears of getting the virus and not being able to get treated. The biotech data firm Rubix Life Sciences, based in Boston, reviewed recent billing information in several states and found that an African American with symptoms like cough and fever was less likely to be given one of the scarce coronavirus tests. George N. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Loretto Hospital in the West Side’s Austin neighborhood of Chicago says “We are already at a disadvantage fighting this war, without the resources needed from the state and federal government, we will face a serious crisis here in the Austin neighborhood. If we have to shut our doors because we don’t have the resources or staff to take care of the patients, it will be the greatest failure our community has ever experienced.”
Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans have many underlying health conditions, including asthma and heart disease, that could make them more vulnerable to complications from the coronavirus. “The virus is an equal-opportunity crisis … but the impact and the burden of it is not going to be shared equally,’’ said Dr. Ashwin Vasan, a public health expert and assistant professor at Columbia University in New York City. “Like most things in society, it’s going to be regressive. It’s going to be felt disproportionately by the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized, and that falls in this country on communities of color.’’
3. Fears for family members incarcerated during the crisis. Adding to the disproportionate numbers of African Americans in prisons, jails are like coronavirus factories. Some prisons aren’t providing hand sanitizer, and the only way inmates can get items like soap and bleach is to purchase them. Seven prisons have COVID-19 cases already in Illinois. At the Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois, 64 inmates and guards have contracted the virus, and two people have died, and the number is growing.
The country is struggling for resources to fight COVID-19, but it’s imperative that we fight to make sure the needs of all communities are met as resources become available. We must have a plan for each community to prevent unnecessary deaths.
And, as Dr. Fauci says, “When all this is over and, as we said, it will end, we will get over coronavirus, but there will still be health disparities which we do need to address in the African American community.”
Let’s all be safe at this time, and let’s fight to put an end to health disparities that affect Blacks.

For more information, contact one of Ford’s Constituent Service Offices: 816 S. Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park at 708-445-3673, 4800 W. Chicago Avenue in Chicago at 773-378-5902 or in the Stratton Office Building in Springfield at 217-782-5962, or visit www.lashawnford.com.

SISTERHOUSE

SISTERHOUSE NEEDS YOUR HELP

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What Does God Have To Do With It? Who’s Running It?By Angie Mims

HE KEPT ME - YVONNE WHITEHEAD

My aunt was Yvonne Whitehead. I called her Aunt Peggy. She and Uncle John (Deacon John Whitehead, Jr.) would let me come over so Little Peggy, their daughter, and I could start our adventures. I knew I was rich with Aunt Peggy. She would take us into the gold departments in Venture’s and Zayre’s. She would buy my first gold diamond rings. Afterwards, we would spend countless hours at Hillside Bowling Alley. Her arm alone could take out an army. Striking out to bowling pins was a walk in the park. And her heart? Oh my goodness. It was TOO big. She wanted everyone to be okay. I was a glutton for her sweet potato pies and her smothered chicken.
Along with being a stellar mom, she cared about her nieces and nephews greatly. She didn’t mind celebrating our birthdays. Johnnie’s birthday (her son) is September 28th, mine is the 30th and her daughter, LaShon’s birthday is October 10th. I think Terrance Daniels’ (her nephew) birthday was in the pot too. Anyway, from time to time, she would throw us birthday dinners before we went to party. As always, the food was amazing.
However, Aunt Peggy had another side. Don’t ever tick her off when it came to curfew. One day, Little Peggy and I called ourselves being slick as teenagers. One summer night, we went to another ‘cousin’s’ house right off Chicago Avenue. When leaving our ‘cousin’s’ house, we wanted to make sure our outfits were in order. Why? Because on this warm balmy night, every piece of handsome chocolate would glaze across Chicago Avenue calmly waiting for a pair of truffles to complete their chocolate delight. Just when we thought the marathon of flirtation was about to take place, Aunt Peggy diagonally blazed across Chicago Avenue with one shoe on and one shoe off perfectly aiming at her niece (me) and her daughter, Little Peggy. I don’t know why we tried her. She was a beast at soft ball. It was in that moment that I realized you didn’t have to be medically diagnosed with asthma. Asthma can to be triggered when you’re not home when the street lights came on. Plainly put, she did not play.
Every person’s foot, sound and smell was always accounted for. You could be two blocks over....perhaps on Bloomingdale or even as far as Concord, and as you’re walking back to the hub station, you would hear over your head, “So that’s where y’all were, huh?” We all knew the voice but didn’t see HER. It wasn’t until years later that I found out she’d just stick her head out of the window of the very top floor; she was just like God, omnipresent.
She taught me how to clean chitlins, what battles to pick and what battles to leave alone in love. Although, there was one battle I certainly wanted to leave alone and she didn’t. Little Peggy and I had successfully terminated a physical altercation with a young lady who was about 3 times our size. The young lady was well endowed in her chest domain, her thigh domain and certainly her arms. While walking back to my Aunt Peggy’s warm and well decorated home, Aunt Peggy looked at Little Peggy’s hair and with quick automated neck swiveling capabilities, she asked me, “Where is Peggy’s ponytail? I just bought that hair! That hair cost me $37! Angie go back down there and get that hair!” The way my stomach took the elevator to the parking garage to the the 1st floor in my body, parting my lips with any rebuttal was not feasible. Out the door I went. I’m led to believe that I looked like a runaway slave. I did not want to run into that beautiful plus sized woman again. I was in high hopes to quickly retrieve the pin curled pony tail that had been beautifully made. So, I searched the streets looking for the pony tail. Thankfully I had been taught to pray. I asked God to quickly dispatch his angel, Michael. I chose Michael because Michael seemed to be a Traveler or a CVL. I figured he could help me with the big girl if need be. I truly wanted to get back to the house safely. The girl we had just fought together was massive. I didn’t feel like fighting anymore and I was hungry. More importantly, I certainly didn’t want any smoke from Aunt Peggy about that phony pony. Once I came back, dinner seemed to be prepared. While eating, Aunt Peggy said calmly, “Always be ladies and don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself.”
So, what does God have to do with it? My Aunt Peggy was a true walking lump of sugar. Aside from her impeccable ability to be a wife, mother and Aunt, she was mighty in her singing ability. When ministering in song, she never failed to arrest the low in spirit reminding them that God had kept us. One of the most famous songs that she sang was entitled, “He Kept Me.” During her ad-lib, she never failed to remind us that it wasn’t our husbands, nor our children but it was God who kept us ALL. I always wondered how she could love so deeply, so strongly and so powerfully. It was because God was keeping her all along. My Aunt Peggy? Oh how I will miss her sorely. The news of her passing shattered me to my KNEES and yet, I have no qualms in saying that she loved her family and friends immensely. She didn’t just love. She was love just as God is. What better place to be than with Love Himself, God our Father. After all, He’s still the keeper of us all. I love you Aunt Peggy. He kept you.

Angie Mims is a radio personality for the Promoting Precision Radio Show. She has interviewed many greats on her show such as NBC 5’s Art Norman, CLTV News Dr. Garrard McClendon, Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, Ebony Magazine’s Senior Editor, Lynn Norment, the former president of Nigeria, General Olesugun Obasanjo, NBA players and many others. Visit her online at www.promotingprecision.com. Angie loves to meet new people and is in a constant attempt to unite people from all over the world. If you have a great story, don’t hesitate! Email her at AngieMims@PromotingPrecision.com today! You may also call (708)-612-4864. Support The Austin Voice Newspaper and let them know your thoughts about her column.

REACHING BEYOND THE WALLS By Reverend Dr. T.C. Thomas, Sr. Pastor

He Rose

Grace and peace to you all! What an awesome time we are celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and savior Jesus who is The Christ! This Easter season should be filled with triumphant joy and excitement because of the magnanimity of Jesus. Additionally, we should be celebrating that we are yet alive another resurrection Sunday/Sonday to glorify his name. Our world is filled with such turmoil, terror, and treachery that some may find it hard to celebrate because of how problematic our nation is. However, just know that everyday is a great day to thank God because if it had not been for Him, we would not have a right to the tree of life.
Just think of His extreme sacrifice. The world was created and the creator knew that the creation was going to fail. Because of this foreknowledge, God already had a remedy, a ram in the bush for our salvation and our redemption. Jesus took center stage and came to be born of a virgin so that He would give His life so that we all could find life. While we have a choice to follow Jesus or not, the opportunity is there on a daily basis. When we arise daily, that is the dawning of a brand new day of mercies where we can totally and fully commit to the cause of following Christ. I encourage us all to allow this season of Easter joy to be filled with His love and His spirit, knowing that the Joy of the Lord is our strength. Remember, John 3:16 as you celebrate His rising!

May the blessings of God be upon you today and everyday!

Stay rooted and grounded in Him!

Rev. Dr. T.C. Thomas is the Pastor of Walls Memorial C.M.E. Church, 200 S. Sacramento Blvd., on Chicago’s west Side. He is a strong advocate for children, education, healthcare and most of all the people of God “being better and not bitter.” Rev. Thomas is the author of the young reader series: “Who Am I Really?” and “Me and My Crew, Change is Coming.” Copies may be purchased by contacting the church office. Rev. Dr. Thomas may be contacted at 773-533-2721.

A Call To Action: By Reverend Charles C. Brown, Ph.D. - Pastor, New Heaven Christian Church

Finding Support In A Time of Crisis

As of lately, one of our greatest societal fears is contracting COVID-19, which is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. This is a global concern because as of March 24, 2020, there are 452,159 confirmed cases, 20,494 confirmed deaths, 113,094 confirmed recoveries, and it has spread across 196 countries. This is a global pandemic, and multiple media outlets have become dedicated sources of information. In turn, their dedication to ensuring that we are continuously updated on the current progression of this viral outbreak has not only created an atmosphere of apprehension, but it is also added to the ever-increasing levels of stress that many individuals are experiencing during this critical time of crisis.
For the most part, we are attempting to navigate through uncharted territories, and many governmental leaders are responding to this health threat by mandating orders for individuals to comply to an immediate “shelter-in-place.” Although this seldom used practice is being implemented with the intentions of saving lives, it is also unintentionally creating a sense of social isolation which may have far reaching consequences.
Furthermore, if we are not careful, this idea of social isolation can create a chain of adverse events. This is primarily due to the fact that social isolation occurs whenever a feeling of separation is experienced between individuals within a society, and sadly, it is directly connected to the sense of loneliness that many individuals struggle to overcome. In other words, when we lose close connections, we begin to experience a sense of subjected distress, discomfort, or separation because internally we crave social interactions. This is an extremely uncomfortable situation to be in, and it can cause many individuals to turn to the use of alcohol or other substances in hopes of finding some sense of comfort.
In turn, this can become a learned or conditioned behavior, where individuals will immediately seek out these substances as a way of coping with any painful memories, feelings, or emotions. At this point, the individuals are mainly using the substance in order to numb their internal pain that is a direct product of their damaged emotions, and these adverse or painful emotions include loneliness, rejection, confusion, frustration, sadness, fear, anxiety, and stress.
Overtime, their substance use becomes second nature, and when feeling trapped, isolated, afraid, disappointed, upset, agitated, frustrated, or unsure he or she will turn to what they know best. Unfortunately, what he or she knows best, tends to be the same destructive behavior that causes more pain, shame, and guilt than it does help. It is also this same destructive behavior that fuels their sense of loneliness, and then pushes them deeper into the world of substance abuse.
Dealing with substance abuse is a life-long struggle and facing a time of unprecedented crisis can only add to a person’s struggle not to use. There are internal cues that are set off by external triggers that activate their drive to use, and for many individuals, stress is a major trigger. Therefore, during this time of uncertainty, let us reach out to those among us who may be struggling to maintain some sense of sanity and fighting not to revert to their old behaviors. Let us reach out to loved ones and foster a sense of community, for we are at a point in time when we need each other the most. Always remember that things may seem hard, and times may seem difficult, but together we can make it through anything.

Pastor of New Heaven Christian Church, Professor of Psychology, Advisor to State Representative LaShawn K. Ford, Illinois 8th District Chair of Higher Education, Co-Chair for the 37th Ward Pastors Alliance, member of the New Baptist Ministers Fellowship, and Board of Directors for the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund.

JESUS FREEWAY EXPRESS

Come into His Gates with Thanksgiving and His Courts with Praise!!!

Come to His gates with Thanksgiving and to His courts with Praise (Psalm 100). Greetings my dear brethren (everyone) – Let’s thanks God always for His goodness and kindness toward all men. God is good to all. We can also thank God by participating in the All Christians Parade for Jesus/Revival 2020 commanded by Him scheduled for August 29, 2020. Planning of this event for the Lords has begun. Please participate in this glorious event for Jesus to save souls for Him - certainly the earth’s the Lord and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24). Thanks to everyone who plan to help make this event a great day for the Lord in Jesus’ name - Amen. This is an evangelistic/outreach event to win souls for Christ.
We are all call to Evangelize for Christ. Evangelizing and witnessing are on the top of God’s agenda for all of us. As Jesus stated in Matthew 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost – teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Evangelizing and witnessing are outreach ministries to help win souls for Christ, uplift His Holy name, and to introduce the lost to our wonderful, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in a loving service for our Lord. My main goal in this life (as all of us) is to please Jesus – not man, not our job, not our friends, etc. We all belong to Jesus who died on Calvary to pay for the sins of the world so that we all can spend eternity with Him. The song – Amazing Grace How sweet the sound….. Jesus not only died for us but he died for the drug addicts, prostitutes, alcoholics, etc.; out in the street controlled by the enemy who are not aware of His great love for them. We have to let them know of Jesus great love for everyone.
We are Jesus’ hands and feet (His Vessels) made in His image to proclaim His goodness to a lost world and that should be one of our main focus in life – proclaiming God’s goodness to a lost world. Evangelizing is an act of Service (to give back) in time, etc. – making a sacrifice. Even though God has blessed his children with nice homes, cars, college degrees, etc.; this is not what our lives record will reveal in the storehouses of heaven as revealed by Minister Mary K. Baxter (author of Divine Revelation of Heaven & Hell) as shown to her in divine visions by our Lord Jesus (Christ).
What are in these beautiful divine storehouses kept and maintained by God’s angels are keeping record on how many people we helped, how many people did we bring to Christ, how many people did we witness to about God’s forgiving grace, how much humility, love and integrity have we shown to our fellowman, etc.? In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus stated that the goats and the sheep will be separated by the amount of love/service shown to fellowman. Jesus stated that as you have done this to the least of these (your brethren) – you have done it unto Him (Jesus).
Again, evangelizing/witnessing for Jesus is a time to give back to God by helping and ministering to others - praying for others, leading people to Christ with rejoicing & and praising to Almighty God. Also, if you have clothes, shoes in good conditions, canned goods, etc. that you are not using and want to share – please give them to others in need. God loves a cheerful giver and He will return our blessings back to us a hundredfold. We cannot out give God.
Angels are constantly in our path with record book writing down the names of all of God’s children and how they sacrificed & helped others. I am trying with God’s help to help promote love among brethren and among those that don’t know Christ yet. Love is the fulfillment of the law and God is Love. I want to hear Jesus’ Voice at the end of this life journey stating “Come in my good and faithful servant- – --. Be blessed. For prayer support – please call me at (630) 965-0256. All for His Glory, Apostle/Prophet E. Dada. Note: Please attend Parade for Jesus Planning meeting this Sat. 3/14 at 1030 N . Mason, Chicago at 4p.m.

Dr. James Poulos Presents:

Teeth Grinding

“Keep a stiff upper lip” or “get a grip!” That’s often the advice we get—and give—on how to cope with stress. If you take it literally, the result could be grinding your teeth or clenching your jaws. It’s called bruxism, and often it happens as you sleep.
Teeth grinding can be caused not just by stress and anxiety but by sleep disorders, an abnormal bite or teeth that are missing or crooked. A study in the November 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association suggests that teeth grinding is also associated with alcohol and tobacco use. People who drink alcohol and smokers are approximately twice as likely to grind their teeth.

The symptoms of teeth grinding include:
• dull headaches
• jaw soreness
• teeth that are painful or loose
• fractured teeth

Your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep. In some cases, your dentist or physician may recommend taking a muscle relaxant before bedtime. If stress is the cause you need to find a way to relax. Meditation, counseling and exercise can all help reduce stress and anxiety.
Teeth grinding is also common in children. However, because their teeth and jaws change and grow so quickly it is not usually a damaging habit that requires treatment and most outgrow it by adolescence.
Although in adults teeth grinding is often the result of stress, the same is not always true with children.

Other possible causes of teeth grinding in children include:
• irritation in the mouth
• allergies
• misaligned teeth

If you’re concerned about your child’s teeth grinding, ask your child’s dentist about the potential causes and, if necessary, the possible solutions.

James Poulos, DDS, leads a team of dental specialists at Madison Pine Dental Clinic, 5470 West Madison Street, Chicago. Kidzone is a part of Madison Pine Clinic providing care to children and teenagers in a comfortable, nonthreatening setting. The clinic provides orthodontic care, braces, implants, and cleaning, in addition to fillings, crowns, and dentures for patients of all ages. Madison Pine accepts Medicaid patients and most insurance plans. For an appointment, call (773) 287-2277.

COMMENTARY - Rev. Mitchell Johnson

$200 million to fund our community’s needs – the case for safe and legal sports wagering.
With underfunded health care facilities and schools in our communities crying out for resources, it is essential that we look for new state revenue sources that can address these challenges – immediately.
There is now a simple and responsible way to generate $200 million to help our state meet its budget needs. A recent US Supreme Court decision effectively allowed all 50 states to legalize, regulate and tax wagering on sports if they so choose.
Other states are already bringing in millions to address their budget needs by legalizing sports wagering – and they are helping their residents by taking the market out of the shadows where it was dominated by unethical black-market operators and unregulated offshore websites. As a talk show host, resident, and community organizer who works with blighted communities, I have seen the negative impact that dangerous and illegal operators have had preying on our community. Change is sorely needed.
If Illinois acts quickly and implements a simple and fair sports wagering policy, it can almost immediately start generating revenue for key state services without further burdening taxpayers, while creating jobs and better protecting its residents. Every day that Illinois waits to legalize, regulate and tax sports wagering, significant amounts of money go to other states, which have already done so -- or to the illegal black market.
There is a big difference between legalizing sports wagering and other gaming expansion proposals such as building new casinos. Most importantly, legalized sports wagering can begin generating significant revenue for the state almost immediately after its enactment and implementation. Alternatively, the process of licensing and building new casinos will take many years and can be fraught with unforeseen challenges and delays. Illinois has pressing budget needs – particularly for education and health care – that cannot wait for years to be met.
Illinois already has ten operating casinos and over 30,000 video gaming machines in 6,000 locations. Expansion of casinos may simply further cannibalize an existing and saturated industry, forcing communities and casinos to fight for smaller slices of the same pie. This could put at risk the jobs of 6,200 employees at the existing casinos. Alternatively, legalized responsible sports wagering will bring an entirely new market out of the shadows and generate revenue and jobs without harming existing businesses. The large demand for sports wagering in Illinois is already clear; residents already wager on sports through offshore websites, through the large black market, or by traveling to the states that have already successfully legalized sports wagering. These wagers currently generate zero dollars for our community’s needs.
The creation of a legal and responsible sports wagering system in Illinois – run by experienced and qualified operators - will dramatically reduce the reach and impact of unethical and dangerous black market operators who prey on our communities, while helping us fund vital services and projects.
Illinois should pass a simple and responsible sports wagering legalization plan in to law as soon as possible. It is the right thing to do for our budget, our residents and our communities.

MONEY RUN By Kevin Pearson

Plan to Plan

Have you ever wondered why do I need a business plan? One may say to ones self “ I know what I want to sale. Can I just open my doors and start making money.” This is a thought that has crossed many entrepreneur minds, but having or not having a business plan can be the beginning or the end of ones business.
In early 2001, you all may know I published a hip-hop magazine that circulated in Chicago and two other major cities. The idea to start the magazine came over night. I can remember sitting on the floor in my brother’s room flipping through some old magazines. I looked him right in the eye and said, “ I want to start a hip-hop magazine.” Neither of us had writing experience and definitely no publishing experience, yet he was all in. Our entire business plan was fluttering in our imaginations.
Finally in 2003, after hundreds of hit or miss (only by the grace of God) we put out a full color glossy magazine. The hip-hop community loved the publication. We were on the media list of major music labels; we got passes to just about every hip-hop event. So what was wrong with that you ask? NO MONEY. We had zero revenue coming in, and no strategy in place to get any. We were the new guys on the block, and no ad agency would touch us. Also, big hip-hop publications where adding online versions of them selves, called e-zines, yet we still owed the printer. We hung on for a few years but closed shop in 2006.
In the end, we had a great product and tenacity, but no plan to execute anything. Today I plan everything, ever phone call, email, I even wrote a plan to write this column. “Remember no business has ever been totally successful with out a plan in place to make it successful.”

Want to increase your customers and profit, but don’t know where to start? Let us help, contact the Voice Newspapers at Ph: 773-889-0880 or email: austinvoiceads@gmail.com

PCC WELLNESS CENTER By Alexandra T. Chavez, Development Coordinator

PCC Offers Care Centered Around You
Pregnant and struggling with addiction?

With growing heroin use on the west side of Chicago, PCC Community Wellness Center (PCC) has started a chemical dependency program that offers combined prenatal care and substance abuse treatment for pregnant women. In this program, the treatment of heroin, alcohol, and prescription drug abuse is offered right in the doctor’s office.
PCC’s goal is to meet patients where they are in their recovery and help them to set goals without judgment. PCC can help improve the patients’ health and the health of their babies. Patients in this program receive safe, medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine and counseling. They visit weekly, are given ultrasounds, and deliver their babies at West Suburban Medical Center with a PCC doctor.
Services are available at our Chemical Dependency Clinic, located inside PCC Walk-In Wellness Center at West Suburban Medical Center at 1 Erie Court, Suite 1300, Oak Park, IL 60302. Pregnant women and their families in this program may continue to receive primary care, pediatric care, and behavioral health care at a nearby PCC location.
PCC accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and many health plans and also offers a sliding fee program for patients without insurance. They do not deny services because of inability to pay.

CANCER SOCIETY WARNS WOMEN OF THREAT FROM RADON EXPOSURE

A new report finds a statistically significant positive association between high levels of residential radon and the risk of hematologic (blood) cancer in women. This study is the first prospective population-based study of residential radon exposure and hematologic cancer risk, leading the authors to caution that it requires replication and whether it truly differs by sex.
Radon is a naturally-occurring byproduct of the decay of radium and is a known human lung carcinogen, the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Modeling studies show that radon delivers a non-negligible dose of alpha radiation to the bone marrow and therefore could be related to risk of hematologic cancers. More than 171,000 new cases of hematologic cancer and more than 58,000 deaths are expected in the United States in 2016. Hematologic cancers are the most expensive cancers to treat per quality-adjusted life year gained.
For the current study, researchers led by Lauren Teras, Ph.D., of the American Cancer Society used data from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort established in 1992, to examine the association between county-level residential radon exposure and risk of Hematologic cancer. The analysis included 140,652 participants among whom there were 3,019 hematologic cancers during 19 years of follow-up. They found women living in counties with the highest mean radon concentration had a statistically significant 63% higher risk of hematologic cancer compared to those living in counties with the lowest radon levels. They also found evidence of a dose-response relationship.
The authors say men may have a higher baseline risk, possibly because of more exposure to occupational or other risk factors for hematologic cancer, reducing the impact of any additional risk from residential radon. In women, who have a smaller baseline risk, residential radon exposure might be a larger contributor to overall risk. Another reason may be that the women of this generation spent more time in their homes, so had more residential exposure than men.
According to Dr. Teras, “Radon is already associated with lung cancer and if other studies confirm the link to blood cancers, we think it would warrant strengthened public health efforts to mitigate residential radon risks.”

ST. MALACHY + PRECIOUS BLOOD REQUESTS HELP FOR MOBILE PANTRY

Father Matthew Eyerman, Pastor of St. Malachy + Precious Blood Catholic Church, 2248 West Washington Boulevard, reminds everyone that his congregation hosts deliveries by the Greater Chicago Food Depository Mobile Pantry on the third Tuesday of each month. Volunteers unload the truck, bag the food, and distribute non-perishables, fruits, and vegetables to West Side residents. This food is available to anyone free of charge and without income verification. Each month, St. Malachy + Precious Blood serves more than 250 households representing well over 750 people, regardless of weather conditions.

In past years, the public has donated a pallet mover, tables, and bins. This year, Father Eyerman is requesting help in obtaining items to keep staff and clients dry and warm:

• $500 will install a retractable canopy

• $100 will purchase a pop-up canopy to keep food and volunteers dry

• $75 provides hand warmers for volunteers

• $50 provides single-use rain ponchos for clients & volunteers

For information about the monthly Mobile Pantry at St. Malachy + Precious Blood or making contributions to the program, call Father Eyerman at 312/733-1068 or 312/919-1610.

MT. VERNON BAPTIST CHURCH OFFERING YOUNG ADULT RE-ENTRY PROGRAM FOR EAST GARFIELD

MT. VERNON BAPTIST CHURCH OFFERING YOUNG ADULT RE-ENTRY PROGRAM FOR EAST GARFIELD AND NEAR WEST YOUTH

Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, 2622 West Jackson Boulevard, is providing assessment, support, and referral services as part of its Community Violence Prevention Program (CVPP) Re-Entry Program for East Garfield and Near West youth and young adults being released from Department of Correction facilities.

Any East Garfield Park and Near West juvenile between the ages of 13-28 currently on parole from any Department of Correction facility, or returning to CVPP communities from Department of Correction facilities are eligible to participate in the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church CVPP Re-entry Program. Interested persons should call Denise Harris at 773/826-3295.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

REP. LA SHAWN K. FORD HOSTS 11th FAMILY HEALTH CHALLENGE ON KING DAY

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