Personal Accounts

By Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison

The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for everybody. Waving at families from outside their homes or through the screen of a cell phone is not the same as hugging someone in person. And as part of an Italian-American family, I can assure you: not being able to hug was one of the things I missed the most during the pandemic.

Like many of you, my office had to make hard decisions once we were required to stay at home to help prevent the spread of the virus. I wanted to ensure my staff were keeping safe and healthy – and like many of you, we started working from home and doing everything virtually.

Being at home helped me re-connect with my passions for cooking and reading. I finally had time to perfect some of my favorite dishes, like chicken cacciatore, chimichurri, and chutney.

I love seeing people in person and meeting with constituents – in Mount Prospect and throughout the Northwest suburbs. Even though we couldn’t meet in person, it was critically important to me that we all stayed connected. That’s why I started meeting with constituents virtually to raise awareness about important issues and to share critical pandemic updates.

I started hosting virtual town halls that we streamed on my Facebook page. The town halls focused on COVID-19, the 2020 census, mental health, entrepreneurship, homelessness, health equity, the Forest Preserves District of Cook County, and more. You can find the videos of these town halls on my YouTube channel here.

We also faced another challenge: We had to complete the 2020 census in the middle of the pandemic. To help ensure a complete count in 2020, we started convening stakeholders from government, non-profits, and other trusted voices to share ideas, strategies, and resources. My office started doing an extensive social media campaign that involved filming videos with Brookfield Zoo animal ambassadors to help make the census fun and easy.

We also partnered with community leaders on a census PSA video series in some of the languages spoken in the Northwest suburbs, including Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, Polish, and Korean. We didn’t want language barriers to prevent our family, friends, and neighbors from being counted in the census.

Due to COVID-19, our outreach efforts had to shift. Face masks and other supplies were distributed at popular businesses by U.S. Census Bureau staff who could assist people with filling out the census while out doing errands. My office was happy to help identify locations for these mobile events.

Four of those mobile events took place in Mount Prospect at Fiesta Market and La Rosita Fresh Market. We spread the message about the importance of the census to hundreds of nearby residents and helped them fill out the questionnaire.

I also quickly realized that small businesses desperately needed support and relief. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities – providing jobs for local residents, holding the community fundraiser, or sponsoring the Little League team.

My family started Dino’s Pizza in Chicago, and I grew up bussing tables in the restaurant. I know the challenges of running a small business. I saw firsthand the hard decisions my mom had to make during the pandemic to not only keep her staff safe, but to try to stay afloat.

Last year, I was proud that Cook County launched the Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Initiative, which included the Small Business Assistance Program, offering forgivable loans and grants for small businesses, independent contractors, and gig workers.

Additionally, we sought ways to support businesses navigating the complex web of federal COVID-19 resources by providing technical assistance to businesses applying for things like PPP and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. We have renewed that effort this year and are looking for more Business Support Organizations to help provide this technical assistance.

In the first months of the pandemic, there was a lot of uncertainty. I commend our local mayors, like former Mayor Arlene Juracek, township supervisors, Cook County Health officials, and others for remaining united and available when a nursing home needed PPE or when the latest COVID-19 guidance needed to be shared quickly. We also cannot forget our essential workers, who are still on the frontlines keeping our communities safe, fed, and healthy.
I know this pandemic has been incredibly tough. I’ve seen and felt the challenges firsthand. I’ve lost friends to the virus, and I’ve seen the devastating impact the pandemic has had on small businesses and mom-and-pop shops. But I’m grateful that we’re emerging from this deadly and frustrating pandemic – and I believe we’ll all come out stronger.

As a registered nurse since 1977, I have held many different jobs and positions. Most of my experience is working in the area of Obstetrics, caring for mothers in labor, recovery, neonatal intensive care, and in the post-partum unit, which is called Mother-Baby. This is where new mothers and their partners recover for 2-3 days post -delivery, learning and experiencing, with guidance from their nurse, as much as possible about being new parents, taking full responsibility for the care and nurturing of their new baby. I have also taught Prepared Childbirth classes for 31 years maintaining and updating my certification as required. My career has been and continues to be very rewarding and fulfilling for all of these years.

In late 2019, however, things changed. Healthcare was no longer going to be known and practiced as it had been in the past due to the emergence of COVID 19 – a very aggressive virus that we really had no idea was going to take such control over our lives. I had left bedside nursing 5 years ago, continuing to teach my childbirth classes, and moving on to work in the area of Community Outreach, where I met personally with my patients, performing a variety of healthcare testing, discussing results with them, and advising lifestyle changes to improve personal health and to encourage more positive testing outcomes in the future. All of my work changed once COVID emerged. I was no longer able to teach my in-person childbirth classes. They came to an abrupt halt, resuming several months later on a ZOOM format. My job as a Community Outreach nurse also came to a halt because we could no longer see people in person, nor could we use the testing instruments we needed to use out in public. It was a time of uncertainty, fear, worry, and concern.

When the COVID virus emerged and appeared not to be going away any time soon, I wanted to help in any way I could. I applied to several organizations, without response. Growing more and more frustrated and seeing the need for people that could help out during this pandemic, I decided to make masks, as so many others had done as well. However, even that became difficult at times. Fabric could only be ordered and delivered, or ordered and picked up curb-side. Sometimes the fabric I would order would be out of stock! We used pipe cleaners and metal bands for nose pieces on the masks – they became unavailable over time as well. Even elastic and thread became scarce and unavailable. My neighbor wanted to help me out so she donated bed sheets that could be used for masks, along with items from her sewing box she thought might be useful. On a funny note, some of the items were purchased at Ben Franklin so long ago, that a card of elastic was priced at only 10 cents for 2 yards! Some of it no longer stretched! But….EVERYONE in our neighborhood wanted to help and that made me feel very comforted. I knew that if I really needed something, someone on the block would have that item to share with me or anyone else in need. The pandemic wasn’t all bad. Goodness shined everywhere, as did Kindhearted, Loving people. It was fascinating to see all the families outside – even in the colder months – walking together, walking with dogs, Mothers, fathers, grandparents, teens and younger children. For me, that sight created a comfort. The quiet in the air made life feel more peaceful and more simple than it had felt in a long time.

In January, 2021, I answered a call from Northwest Community Hospital to assist with vaccinating the employees and later, the general public. I had no idea as to what that was going to entail. At this point I was thrilled to be able to help out and to be an active part of this huge effort to keep our community healthy and safe. We started out in a large conference room on the first floor of the hospital. It was very organized and well planned for such a large scale event. Each morning, we would enter the vaccination area, masks and gloves on, receive our assignment, which could be screening, directing the line, scribing, vaccinating, observing patients for 15 – 30 minutes after they were vaccinated, or relieving staff for breaks. The lines never ended, sometimes winding throughout the first floor of the hospital. – Some days we worked for at least 12 hours, nonstop. It was tiring, but it was very exhilarating too. Often, I found myself explaining the purpose and need for the vaccine, attempting to ease peoples’ minds about their concerns over its’ rapid development. Some were terrified of having an injection – regardless of what was in it. Others were skeptical; some were fearful; some cried tears of joy at the prospect of having the opportunity to have this first vaccine! Throughout the day, a multitude of emotions were felt not only by staff, but by community members as well. A lot of comforting and sharing went on – amongst the community people as they stood in line, and amongst those of us who were working to administer the vaccine. Families and friends, neighbors and caretakers who accompanied people for the vaccine could be heard speaking about friends and family members who had already been seriously and sometimes devastatingly effected by the Covid Pandemic. Community members and organizations often generously provided lunches, snacks, and beverages for us as we worked. Those meals and snacks, and the love that was behind them kept us all “nourished” both physically and spiritually. Cards, notes of appreciation, and thank you notes would appear in our break room. We never felt abandoned or forgotten.
Vaccinations continued to be administered through the Spring, but now in a location at 3060 Salt Creek Lane. This venue was much larger than the hospital conference room we had used previously. We could accommodate larger numbers with better social distancing and continued to administer vaccines to all who were able and willing to receive them. Our numbers continued to grow. Sometimes those being vaccinated were angry about a long wait, or a long line, but we all tried to listen with sensitivity and concern as people expressed their concerns and worries about COVID. Over time, fewer and fewer were coming to be vaccinated. The vaccines were still not FDA approved. However, on August 23, 2021, the Pfizer vaccine was approved by the FDA for all over the age of 16, with approval pending for those 12 to 15 years of age.

In late June 2021, vaccines were moved to the NCH Immediate Care Centers. I was moved to the NCH Buffalo Grove Immediate Care Center in late June 2021. There, we have been very busy with vaccinations, and my job now includes swabbing people for the Covid virus as well. In recent weeks we have seen numbers increasing dramatically – especially for Covid testing. Many days, I find myself comforting those who are still fearful and doubtful about the vaccine, encouraging them to see the benefits not only for themselves but for those around them.

It worries me to think that so many people still have not been vaccinated when the vaccine is now fully approved and widely available to all 16 years of age and older. I hope those who are still questioning the vaccine will talk with reputable medical personnel and go to reputable sources for their information, not trusting in “word-of-mouth” and poorly informed sources. Likewise, masking has been proven to be effective in diminishing the likelihood of contracting the virus, so I am hoping more will see and believe this. We are not just protecting ourselves – we are protecting our parents, our elderly friends or neighbors, an immunocompromised person whom we may not even know, all of which adds up to OTHERS! It is not all about US. We need to think about those around us, too. During this COVID Pandemic, I think we have all seen that there are a lot of beautiful people in our community – people who truly want to help others. Each of us has a gift to share with someone, and that sharing, caring, and love has been evident in this very difficult time. We have learned that we need each other – we can’t do it alone! So, I hope we all continue to reach out to one another in support, comfort, and encouragement in the days ahead.

Never in my wildest dreams did I even think we might have to endure something like the Covid Pandemic! I think we take a lot for granted because we are such fortunate people. This has been a wake-up call for me. I hope we have learned to appreciate the simple things in life, the roof over our head, the food in our cupboards, the clothes on our backs, our strength in faith, the beautiful family, friends, and neighbors we have… and toilet paper in our bathrooms! We will continue to grow strong again, but we need to also be respectful of one another now. Let us try to talk and discuss openly and patiently with others about our worries, fears, concerns, and desires. We need to listen quietly – to hear what each person is trying to tell us. Sometimes, the message may be far different than the words we are hearing. Let us move cautiously and thoughtfully in these difficult times, reaching out to those who may be even more fearful than we, ourselves. Patience, faith, and hope will be our guide as we continue to move forward.

By Arlene A. Juracek

I knew that a chapter in a future, yet to be written, history book about Mount Prospect would include my tenure as mayor during our Centennial Year of 2017. Little did I know that it could also include the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the community and its leaders in 2020-21. Coming a century after the infamous “Spanish Flu” pandemic of 1918-1920, the experience was challenging on so many levels: personal, as an elected community leader for its residents and businesses, and as the top of the organization chart for our village manager, department heads, employees and their handling of resource allocations.

On a personal level, as a scientist/engineer, I understood a lot of the statistical and epidemiological information that was being broadcast on a daily basis. As someone who lived through the early 1950’s and 60’s immunization efforts in the United States I personally witnessed the eradication of serious diseases like smallpox and polio, and am glad that my own children and grandchildren needn’t suffer through measles and mumps like I did. With Covid-19, we were dealing with a novel virus of unknown proportions and individual and community-wide impacts, and a medical and supply chain delivery system that was ill-prepared to predict and execute a treatment and prevention plan. As the crisis first presented itself, early advice and prognostications for Illinoisans were geared as much towards preserving critically important PPE and ventilator resources for the most severely ill, while seeking to stop the virus in its tracks through eliminating opportunities for crowds to congregate. Thus, a lot of confusion was generated by early mask guidance that evolved over time as supply chains caught up and as the means of this specific viral transmission became better understood. As an engineer, it made sense that hypotheses be revised as data were able to be analyzed. This isn’t flip-flopping. This is learning. But for many folks, the evolving story was confusing and that confusion, unfortunately, became mired in political spin.

As a retired person living on social security and a pension, I was economically okay. As an introvert, the solitude of self-isolation didn’t bother me. And as someone with a small, albeit multi-generational family I was able to keep my “bubble” contained as we all pitched in to make remote working and child care doable. While considered higher risk because of my age, I am fortunate that I am relatively healthy. As far as this virus is concerned, I was in a relatively privileged position to deal with it.

As a community leader, however, I was in a position to see how business and school shutdowns wreaked havoc on personal and business economies, to see the broad differences among our families and businesses in their ability to cope, to recognize how confusing the evolving advice from county, state and national health authorities is to non-technical people and how political, generational and familial experiences influenced thinking and anxiety levels. Furthermore, print and broadcast news sound bites were often masking the nuances of the advice being given.

Wanting to be a fully informed community leader, I felt an obligation to tune in to the daily televised gubernatorial briefings, the City of Chicago and Cook County briefings, and the private briefings for mayors with these entities specifically arranged by our regional councils of government. As the days, weeks and months wore on I realized how all-consuming these had become for me, both in terms of time and emotional commitment. I became hostage to the daily schedule of briefings. I eventually had to take a forced break just to maintain some “normalcy” and stress relief. But I am grateful for the communications outreach by these entities, because I felt better equipped with statistics, information and rationale as I attempted to address the spectrum of concerns presented by our residents and businesses.

I know that some people in the community feel that the Governor’s phased mitigation plan and executive orders erred on the side of being overly cautious. And that caution spilled over into rules promulgated by Chicago and Cook County. In fact, I concurred with the concerns of the restaurant and hospitality sector that some of those rules painted too broad a stroke, for example lumping restaurants and bars into the same category. I was glad that my leadership and participation at the state and county levels resulted in my being asked to participate in a mayors’ task force charged with informing the governor’s staff on ways to revise the mitigation plan to better restore business operations without compromising public health. We were successful in those efforts as we progressed through Stage 4 to get to Stage 5.

Additionally, I took steps to ensure that our restauranteurs and liquor license holders were granted relief consistent with the emergency guidance issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Liquor Commission. Some of these changes proved so successful that I hope we can make permanent changes to our liquor ordinances to accommodate new business models and customer expectations. Our Building and Inspection Services team was kept very busy working with our businesses to maximize carryout and outdoor dining opportunities and respond to resident concerns about enforcement of mask and social distancing rules. Social media certainly served to keep us all informed of business and resident anxieties and concerns, but highlighted the need to communicate facts in multiple and easily digestible ways. A complaint in a string of Facebook comments is not nearly as effective as direct communication with the mayor, village manager or a village trustee. But by monitoring the conversations, we could begin to proactively address many issues. I created an informative public service video on various types of masks, and posted a meme of me admonishing folks to “Stay Home and Save Lives” building on the popularity of those featuring Chicago’s mayor. These were pushed out on social media and the village’s dedicated Covid-19 web portal.

I received many expressions of concern early in the pandemic “stay-at-home” period that there was too much congregating in parks and neighborhoods of adults and children, and of suspected violations of the indoor dining ban. Some expected our police department to ticket perceived offenders. With no legal authority to ticket or arrest, I have high praise for our officers who did their best to patrol all areas of the village and offer reminders and advice when the need arose. Our health department also investigated every reported instance of restaurant rule violations. Our village manager convened regular meetings with park, library and school leadership to ensure the concerns we were hearing at the village level were being conveyed to parties responsible for the places people were congregating. This is just one example of the actions taken by our village manager, department heads and staff of which I am extremely proud. These included many hours spent by our police and environmental health staff investigating complaints and working with the community to ensure safe and healthy conditions. When birthday parties were replaced with drive by parades, our public safety officers were happy participants in those events.

As I mentioned above, early in the pandemic response the nation was gripped by personal protective equipment (PPE) supply shortages, and I am extremely grateful for the teamwork among the municipalities and health care providers in the northwest suburbs to ensure our first responders had access to sufficient PPE to do their jobs safely. Northwest Central Dispatch, our hospitals and fellow municipal leaders met regularly to ensure resources were being fairly allocated.

During my final State of the Village Address on April 20, 2021 I offered the following recap of our Covid-19 impacts on our revenues and on our services, and our response:

Little did we know that Covid-19 would throw village revenues for a loop during 2020. We first estimated a $5.6 million revenue shortfall. As 2020 progressed, that was lowered as some revenue streams actually outperformed initial estimates! In addition, we initially projected a Covid-19 residual impact of $1.2 million for 2021. Fortunately, the village developed a risk mitigation strategy that has served us well. This flexible plan provided us with direction for making budget adjustments as necessary, while still prioritizing key life safety and core customer service initiatives. The 5-step plan, which began implementation in April, was designed to reduce expenditures by up to $7 million as conditions warranted.

What was the plan?

• Capital projects worth $3.4 million were postponed to 2021 and beyond.
• Computer and vehicle replacement fund lease payments were suspended in 2020. Vehicle replacement fund payments have since been resumed.
• Various village-sponsored events were cancelled, and the village observed a self-imposed hiring freeze.
• All training and travel was postponed except for mandatory Police and Fire training.

Additional steps in the plan would have required a review of programs and services provided by the village and a review of staffing levels. Fortunately, we were able to retain a high level of service while living within our means. This proved to be invaluable during the stressful times experienced by our residents and businesses.

As we reported last week, when all was said and done, while a number of line item revenue streams fell short by $5.4 million dollars, remarkably others outperformed by $31,000 more than the loss. So on total, revenues held their own.

We also took proactive steps to cushion the blow to our residents and businesses.

• We extended due dates for water/sewer bills and vehicle stickers multiple times.
• We waived 50 percent of the liquor license fees for restaurants, and extended existing liquor licenses for 6 months without charge. We relaxed alcohol carry-out rules in accordance with State Liquor Commission guidance to facilitate restaurant cash flow and meet resident demand.
• We reallocated some existing budget amounts and used part of the Cook County allocation of Cares Act relief to fund $600,000 in grants to 60 restaurants, who each received $10,000 in December 2020.
• We helped restaurants to implement outdoor dining and provided strategic marketing support.
• Our Covid-19 web page portal is constantly updated with information about federal, state, county and local assistance programs, which we actively promote via several channels such as the Chamber and social media.
• Our Human Services Department has done amazing work as ad hoc vaccine hunters, contacting hundreds of our senior citizens who made previous contact with the village, to assist with securing vaccine appointments. They have also been recognized by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning as models of how to connect our residents with state funding for emergency rent and food pantry assistance.
• The village partnered with Jewel-Osco and other communities for a vaccination event at the Schaumburg Convention Center and is seeking other partnerships, especially for those who are home bound and unable to travel.

Going forward, most of the deferred capital projects are budgeted and funded as part of the 2021 CIP. And over the next year we will receive about $6 million in federal Covid relief. While we are awaiting federal guidance, Staff is preparing a plan to share with the finance commission and village board to best use these funds. This is on top of staff’s excellent track record across all our departments in securing federal, state and local grants to fund our important infrastructure and service needs.

I could not be prouder of our Village Staff, who under village manager Mike Cassady’s leadership performed as a cohesive and responsible team to best serve our residents and businesses. While our village board met via teleconference when necessary, it was a cumbersome process to ensure public participation. We did our best. Our public works and digital communications departments did creative work to ensure we could safely meet remotely and in person as circumstances allowed. They did such a good job providing unobtrusive Plexiglas shielding between board members on the dais for our in person meetings that it appeared to some residents we were flaunting the rules! So the stresses of normal business were compounded by Covid-related stress and misunderstandings. Our village board proved itself to be resilient under the circumstances and thoughtful and responsive in meeting the community’s needs.

As I write this, our nation and locality are not out of the woods when it comes to Covid-19. While vaccination rates are high among the population eligible to receive it, the emergence of the Delta variance and social dynamics between the vaccinated and unvaccinated are driving a resurgence of cases. It is likely we’ll be in this state of flux for some time. But I believe Mount Prospect has shown itself capable of dealing with this crisis and will continue to do so. I am honored to have been mayor during this unique period of our history.

By Neal Bradley

As Governor Pritzker was issuing statewide closures and quarantining for live group events in March of 2020, we were weighing our options. Would we survive without live, in-person worship? How could we continue to reach out to our members who were in need, spiritually as well as physically and financially? We didn’t panic. We knew that God would give us a solution.

Most of us at Trinity United Methodist Church in Mount Prospect had never even heard of the online meeting application called “ZOOM.” We were investigating Facebook Live, YouTube and a myriad of other platforms that might work. Under the direction of our pastor, Rev. Wendy Hardin Hermann, we formed a small group of church members and staff and investigated the options.

We then discovered that one of our congregants used Zoom every day in business and was very versed in its functionality. From that point, we moved forward. It was a huge learning curve for most of us but we took it one step at a time. We purchased a Zoom account to accommodate large groups and let everyone know that we would have regular worship on Sunday via Zoom and Facebook Live and also embedded on our website. We then had a few seminars to get everyone in our congregation up and running. It took off from there. A big thank you to our A/V team for doing an incredible job each and every week, not to mention our office administrator Lise Renee, Zoom hosts, greeters, attendance keepers, facilitators, music committee, “ReTurn” committee, and worship committee. It truly has been a community effort.

We were one of the first churches in the area to have live worship on Sunday morning. We felt it was important for all of us to stay in contact with each other one way or another, and Zoom was our platform. We decided to have a before-worship “meet and greet” at 10:10 am, a one-hour service followed by a virtual “coffee hour” so that everyone who wanted to, could socialize and keep in contact with fellow members.

We continued to use Zoom for most church activities including Sunday School, Wednesday Evening Prayer, staff meetings, UMW meetings, choir meetings, bible study, committee meetings, several community groups including B.R.E.A.T.H.E., book club and youth meetings. We even started a “lunch bunch” for those who wanted to connect during the week at noon for lunch. One of our members, Jerry Hug, a well-known photographer, hosted an online iPhone photography course. All proceeds were generously donated by Jerry to community outreach.

One of our favorite Christmas time events has always been our Christmas Pageant. In 2020 church members Lorelei Junkel, Carolyn Schneider and Carmen Talbott led the Christmas pageant movie production team. The movie was streamed via Zoom during our Sunday Service. We also offered Christmas caroling via Zoom. The choir sang on several Sundays via prerecorded individual submissions merged into one movie by one of our choir members, Doug Nafis. We sang the Hallelujah Chorus on Christmas Eve using that same method.

We used our website for volunteer sign up sheets, questionnaires, monetary donations, registration for worship forms, prayer requests, getting to know you forms, event registrations, etc. We also fine-tuned our communications to members by sending out the weekly Tidings newsletter, as well as notifications for special events and prayers, through the mailchimp e-blast platform.

We also had to be innovative for other special events. At Christmas time we organized an outside drive-through “Cookie Walk” sponsored by United Methodist Women, a “Drop Off & Give Back” event which included a Baby Jesus Diaper drop-off and a Pop-up Nativity scene.

During Lent we sponsored several neighborhood prayer walks through the “Love Your Neighbor” campaign organized by our Community Ministries Director Jacki Bogolia. One weekend a group walked over to pray at Robert Frost School, which we continue to support through Trinity’s Food4Kids gift cards program. The Trinity community donated almost $5,000 in gift cards for food insecure families last year.

In the spring of 2021 we held several children’s events including our annual Easter Egg Event and a celebration of Earth Day on the church grounds. Early summer we also hosted an Ice Cream Social and a Pride Month celebration outside in the front of the church along Golf Road.

As Illinois has slowly opened up, we have continued to follow recommended guidelines and practices. As of June 2021, we are again at full capacity. We will, however, continue streaming our services every Sunday via Facebook Live so that members who are housebound and other former members from around the country can still tune in.

It truly has been a wild ride for the past year and a half. But with much prayer and God’s guidance, we made it through.

By Nelia Bernabe
Manager of Social Media and Communications 

Maryville, which is located just over Mount Prospect’s eastern border, was founded in 1883. It is a child care organization rooted in Catholic social teaching and dedicated to the preservation of the dignity of children at every age. Our mission is to protect children and strengthen families while helping them reach their fullest potential by empowering their intellectual, spiritual, moral and emotional growth. 

Maryville serves the children and families through our life-changing programs in the following areas: behavioral health services, early childhood services, education services, family and residential services. We care for babies and young adults, ages birth to 21, across all of our programs in Bartlett, Chicago and Des Plaines. 

During fiscal year 2019 Maryville served more than 8,700 children, families and adults and more than 5,000 children, families and adults in fiscal year 2020 (the decrease in number served was due to the pandemic). Maryville has about 500 staff members at its Bartlett, Chicago and Des Plaines campuses. On the Des Plaines campus, we have approximately 70 children in residence. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, serving our beautiful ministry of protecting children and families in our care was paramount. As soon as Gov. Pritzker ordered the lockdown, our Executive Director Sister Catherine M. Ryan, O.S.F. and Maryville’s leadership council moved to action swiftly. Necessary precautions were taken immediately to protect the children, families and staff. 

Our Jen School Principal Anne Craig submitted its remote learning plan to the Illinois State Board of Education and received approval right away. Our Jen School faculty took up the challenge of going from in-person to remote learning. Maryville shelter, residential and health care programs continued to care for the children. 

When Gov. Pritzker announced the stay-at-home order in late March of 2020, some Maryville staff in support departments did so and worked from home. Staff in family and residential homes continued to report to work daily to care for the children who are not able to be at home for a period of time. 

Maryville did not have any serious outbreaks. Safety protocols such as social distancing of at least six feet from any other person, frequent hand washing, wearing of face coverings and checking of temperature at each building were strictly implemented and followed. Deep cleaning was enforced and air filtration in our homes and administrative offices was improved. Additionally, all programs were closed to outside visitors and non-essential medical appointments for our children were canceled. 

To accommodate remote learning, our information technology (IT) department provided additional Chromebooks to our youth whose school buildings were closed. 

In addition to providing tools for a successful remote learning experience, the children and young adults in our residential programs were engaged with different educational activities that allowed them a virtual classroom experience. For instance, the girls on our Eisenberg campus engaged in arts and crafts such as painting, decorating small tote bags with donated art materials, making a piñata, brainstorming science fair ideas, learning the history of the Ferris Wheel in Chicago while they bult popsicle stick Ferris Wheels, playing games and many more. 

Maryville’s IT department made it possible for our children and youth to learn remotely and for staff to hold meetings virtually. All of our programs adapted – and warmed up – to using technology to communicate and get connected. 

Maryville’s leadership team, led by Sister Cathy, sent daily communication via email to all staff. She made sure that staff had the most up-to-date information from Gov. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lightfoot’s offices, IDPH, CDC and other partner agencies, and what that meant for Maryville and staff. One of the first communication emails that Sister Cathy sent was announcing to staff that no one would be laid off. Sister Cathy and her leadership team had daily conference calls to discuss communication and updates to staff. 

We purchased PPEs, enforced deep cleaning and improved air filtration in our group homes and administrative offices at all campuses. 

Once vaccines became available, as essential workers, Maryville’s frontline workers were included in the first phase of the rollout. The majority of Maryville’s staff are vaccinated and we are working on having the youth in our care, ages 12 and older, get vaccinated. 

Maryville does not foresee any long-term changes due to the pandemic but having the option of offering remote learning to students and virtual meetings to staff when needed – and knowing that they work – shows how Maryville proactively reacted and acted swiftly to address the challenges that unfolded. We strictly adhered to, implemented and followed safety protocols that protected our children and staff; allowed Maryville to operate daily; and allowed staff to keep their jobs. 

Planning for the future includes consideration of what actions we would take in the event of another pandemic.