Category: Community

Meet Your Neighbor: ChicagoMutualAid.net

Meet Your Neighbor: ChicagoMutualAid.net
After several months of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Chicagoans are still facing great financial stresses. Services ranging from the Chicago Public Schools’ meal program to the CTA have been shut down or closed, and many coronavirus relief funds and mutual aid resources are either empty or require updates. With many Chicago residents requiring further... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
June 7, 2020 at 12:00 pm
• Leave a comment

Caregivers, COVID-19, and Rethinking "Normal"

Caregivers, COVID-19, and Rethinking "Normal"
Nothing could have prepared me for what my mother said that Thursday afternoon. As her caregiver, I had grown accustomed to unexpected health issues.  She had been experiencing some severe issues which included a sore arm and back pain; she and I had both agreed that she might have had a small heart attack. So... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
May 27, 2020 at 8:40 am
• Leave a comment

Raks Inferno 5/15 Fundraiser: Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Raks Inferno 5/15 Fundraiser: Asian Americans Advancing Justice
(Special thanks to Dawn Xiana Moon of Raks Geek for bringing this to our attention) In the wake of COVID-19, there has been a significant increase in racist and xenophobic attacks on Asian-Americans. In March, a Chinese-American man was attacked in Naperville, and their city council meeting highlighted further racist attitudes. In an effort to counter these... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
May 13, 2020 at 1:30 pm
• Leave a comment
Advertisement:

Meet Your Neighbor: Illinois Legal Aid Online

(<Special thanks to Terri Ross and Marcin Gulik of Illinois Legal Aid Online for their time and insights) One of the consequences of COVID-19 has been an increased reliance on legal assistance around issues like unemployment, immigration, and landlord/tenant issues. Engaging the legal system can be intimidating, and language barriers can make the process even... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
April 29, 2020 at 3:35 pm
• Leave a comment

Telehealth: A Critical Tool in the Wake of Coronavirus

This photo, “2016.04.06 Digital Health Howcove – Telehealth 00108” is copyright (c) 2016 Ted Eytan via Flickr and made available under an Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, telehealth has allowed people to engage their primary care physicians remotely while practicing social distancing. With recent changes to FCC and Federal... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
April 8, 2020 at 11:22 am
• Leave a comment

COVID-19, Caregiving and Compassion

COVID-19, Caregiving and Compassion
As my mother’s caregiver, I have learned how to handle various aspects of life including job seeking, freelancing, self-care, and creativity. In the midst of the current coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, I find myself reflecting on the lessons I am learning about self-discipline in isolation and self-care and how these impact my caregiving effort. One of the... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
March 24, 2020 at 8:07 pm
• Leave a comment
Advertisement:

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Information and Resources

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Information and Resources
[UPDATED 04/08/2020 – if you know of other resources, please email us directly with a link] As news about the spread of coronavirus (or COVID-19) increases, many people are concerned about the impact of this virus on our professional and personal lives. As a public service, we’re providing various fact-based resources about coronavirus to break... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
March 11, 2020 at 11:54 am
• Leave a comment

Why Voting In the 2020 Elections Matter

(Special thanks to Dawn Xiana Moon of Raks Geek for permission to use her Instagram post). With early voting in Illinois starting in the wake of Super Tuesday, the results of the Illinois Primary – along with the 2020 elections – appear to be a foregone conclusion. Selecting the “obvious” choice or abstaining from voting in the... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
March 4, 2020 at 7:06 pm
• Leave a comment

Caregivers & Health Care: A Complicated Relationship

As a caregiver for my mother, I frequently interact with our health care system. Having received a liver transplant ten years ago via Medicaid and Medicare, my mother has also experienced other health consequences including kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic heart disease. Last Friday, my mother went in for an angiogram on her liver... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
February 27, 2020 at 9:17 am
• Leave a comment
Advertisement:

Women in Tech: A Conversation with SPR

Women in Tech: A Conversation with SPR
Recently, philanthropist Melinda Gates pledged $50 million towards “inclusive tech hubs” though Pivotal Venture’s “Gender Equality in Tech Cities” initiative. The initiative seeks to increase the power and influence of women in tech through greater education and hiring, and the UIC College of Engineering received an initial grant towards their computer science program in an effort to... Read more »
By Gordon Dymowski,
February 9, 2020 at 4:26 am
• Leave a comment