Update from Progress Center — August 2020

Progress Center staff continue to work remotely. Offices will remain closed to the public in August

Greetings from Progress Center.  We hope that everyone is doing well.  These last few months have not been easy.  We mourn for those who have lost family and loved ones through Covid-19.  We mourn for those who have suffered as a result of Covid-19, including those who are trapped in institutions and are struggling to be safe and are struggling to transition out of those institutions.

We mourn for those in the community who are the victims of systemic racism, and for those who have opportunities that are threatened and narrowed because of systemic inequality and for those whose safety is threatened because of systemic injustice and inequality. At Progress Center, we are reflecting on our own work and systems so that we can make necessary adjustments so that, going forward, we are part of the solution.

We applaud everyone who is rallying and uprising in the face of injustice and inequity in our communities, and we applaud those who continue to work during Covid-19 in order to support the independence of people with disabilities and to support the rights of people with disabilities.

The Progress Center offices have been closed to the public since the middle of March.  We had considered reopening but have decided that the Progress Center Offices will remain closed to the public in August.  Though the offices are closed, staff continue to work.  Progress Center is at full staff capacity and staff members are working one on one and in groups with consumers remotely, through email, the phone, and zoom.  Please continue to reach out to both the Forest Park Office and the Blue Island Office if you are in need of resources.

One initiative Progress Center Staff have been working on is Personal Protective Equipment. If you are in need of PPE, please reach out to Progress Center.  Progress Center staff can help connect you with resources for gear.

One initiative that is ending in July is the Emergency Back Up Provider Program.  If you are a Home Services Consumer who has a personal assistant who can no longer work as a result of Covid-19, we can no longer work to fill the spot through the Emergency Back Up Provider Program.  Yet, we will do all we can to fill the spot quickly through the regular personal assistant program.

That is all for now. All the best from Progress Center. Please take care and please reach out if support is needed.