Shred Day Flyer

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month! This important commemoration is celebrated every year from September 15 to October 15. Hispanic Americans have made wonderful contributions to our neighborhood and the City of Chicago and have had a profound impact on our nation at large.

This 30 day period is significant to many residents of the 50th Ward and is designed to coincide with the anniversary of independence for many Latin American countries, such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile, as well as Columbus Day or Día de la Raza.

If you would like to learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month and the contributions of Hispanic Americans, please visit www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov.

National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month. Now is the time to make a plan and prepare your family for large-scale emergencies and natural disasters.

The Department of Homeland Security offers the following tips that could help save lives if and when an emergency occurs:

• Make a plan. Establish a family communication plan that details how you will contact one another in an emergency. Outline how you will get to a safe place and how you will get back together if separated. Click here for instructions on how to create a free Family Emergency Plan.

  
  

• Build a kit. A family readiness kit includes essential items that can keep your family safe and healthy in an emergency until additional help arrives. It includes items such as non-perishable food, water, copies of medical prescriptions and immunization records. Make a kit for yourself, your family and your pets. A list of items to consider for your kit can be found here.

  
  

• Check on your neighbors. Remember to lend a hand and assist residents who are more sensitive to weather conditions, especially the elderly, the disabled and those who live alone.

For more information about emergency preparedness, visit www.ready.gov.

Property Tax Bills Due October 1

Second installment property tax bills have been mailed out to addresses across Cook County. Bills are also available online at www.cookcountytreasurer.com. To find your bill, click on the purple box labeled “Your Property Tax Overview” then enter your PIN or address. Bills are due on Thursday, October 1.

Please check your bill and make sure all relevant exemptions are listed. They should be on the bottom left of your bill under the “Tax Calculator” section. The key exemptions listed on your tax bill are:

• Homeowner Exemption - Most homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they own and occupy the property as their principal place of residence.

  
  

• Senior Citizen Exemption - Most senior homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they are 65 years of age or older and own and occupy their property as their principal place of residence.

  
  

• Senior Freeze Exemption - Must meet the requirements for the Senior Exemption and have a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the calendar year 2024.

  
  

If you are missing an exemption you are entitled to, call the 50th Ward Office for help.

Property owners can pay their bills online from bank accounts for no added fee. Credit card payments will include a processing fee. You can also print your bill and bring it to any Chase Bank branch, a community bank where you have an account, or to the Treasurer’s office at 118 N. Clark Street to pay.

SBA Low Interest Disaster Loans

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a disaster declaration for Cook County, which makes low-interest federal disaster loans available to homeowners, renters, businesses, and private nonprofit organizations that sustained damage in the severe storms of July 27, 2026.

Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is October 19. To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance.

Sign Up for Street Sweeping Alerts

Street sweeping has officially started and will continue through late-November. You can view the schedule for the 50th Ward as an interactive map here or download a printable version on the Department of Streets and Sanitation website here. Please double-check your address on the map to make sure you are looking at the correct section.

You can find a printable schedule for each individual sweeping section on the 50th Ward website at 50thward.org/sweeping.

You can also sign up for street sweeping alerts with We the Sweeple, a third-party website that pulls information from the publicly available sweeping schedule on the Streets and Sanitation website. Visit www.WeTheSweeple.com to sign up for email alerts when street sweeping is scheduled on your block.

Please note, the site is not affiliated with the City of Chicago, so please always double-check with the official schedule.

50th Ward Know Your Rights Portal

Bicycle/Catalytic Converter Registration Event

Music House Kids Fest

Devon Mela Festival

Deevona Sound System Music Event

FORA Welcome Event

Address: 2949 W. Devon

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 773-262-1050

Hours: Mon-Thurs: 9 AM - 4 PM

Friday: 9 AM - 3 PM