Chicago’s 50th Ward Newsletter

April 1, 2026

Dear Neighbor,

Happy Holidays!

This is a very festive time in the 50th Ward! We are getting ready to begin the Jewish holiday of Pesach (Passover), today is the Assyrian New Year, and Easter is this Sunday. I want to wish a happy holiday to everyone who is currently celebrating!

Chag Pesach Sameach - Happy Passover!

The holiday of Pesach/Passover begins tonight, commemorating the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt and freedom from slavery. I want to wish the entire 50th Ward a very happy holiday.

May this season of freedom bring joy to your family, strength to our community, and hope for a brighter future. Chag Pesach Sameach!

Assyrian New Year!

Today is the Assyrian New Year, also known as Kha b’Nisan. It is celebrated every year on the first of April and is the most important Assyrian national holiday.

The 50th Ward has a large and vibrant Assyrian-American population and this is a very festive day for the community. I want to wish a happy Assyrian New Year to everyone who is celebrating!

Happy Easter!

This Sunday, April 5 is Easter, a festive day for our neighborhood’s Christian community. I hope you will all join me in wishing a happy holiday to all of our neighbors.

May the Easter season bring you all joy and peace. Happy Easter!

Paper Shredding and Recycling Event

On Sunday, I partnered with the West Ridge Chamber of Commerce to bring free paper shredding, electronics recycling, and prescription disposal to the 50th Ward. Thank you to everyone who came out to securely dispose of their sensitive documents.

If you were not able to make it on Sunday, you can find additional shredding events throughout the city by clicking here. For details on recycling electronics, click here.

Volunteer Service Day at The Ark

My staff joined with the offices of State Senator Ram Villivalam and State Representative Kevin Olickal for a volunteer service project at The Ark this week. It was wonderful to team up for a great cause!

The Ark offers vital human services to residents from across the Chicagoland area, including offering a food pantry and free marketplace, health clinics, pharmacy, mental health programming, and more. Learn more about them at arkchicago.org. 

City Sticker Amnesty April

The City of Chicago announced a new amnesty program that will provide relief from expensive City Sticker fees and tickets. During the month of April, anyone may purchase a City Sticker from the City Clerk without having to pay late fees or back charges.

If you do not have a current City Sticker, make sure to buy one during April. To participate in Amnesty Month, visit one of the three Office of the City Clerk locations or one of the four Department of Finance locations. A map is available here. You can also purchase your sticker online at ezbuy.chicityclerk.com.

Amnesty Month will run from April 1 - 30, 2026. For more information, visit www.chicityclerk.com/AmnestyMonth.

Police CAPS Meetings

There will be two beat meetings this week, covering the area of the 50th Ward that is north of Pratt Avenue and the area south of Peterson Avenue.

The CAPS meeting for Beat 2011, stretching from Peterson to Foster and from Western to the North Shore Channel, will be on Monday, April 6 from 7 PM to 8 PM. The meeting will be held at the 20th District Station, 5400 N. Lincoln.

The CAPS meeting for Beat 2411, stretching from Howard to Pratt and from Kedzie to Ridge, will be held on Tuesday, April 7 from 7 PM to 8 PM. The meeting will be held at Bethesda International Academy, 6803 N. Campbell.

These events are great opportunities to meet the officers who patrol your community and discuss safety concerns directly with the police and your neighbors. For more information, please call the 24th District CAPS Office at (312) 744-6321 or the 20th District CAPS Office at (312) 742-8770. Find all the upcoming local CAPS meetings at 50thward.org/police.

Sincerely,

Debra L. Silverstein

Alderman, 50th Ward

Holiday Office Hours

Office hours at the 50th Ward will change this week in commemoration of some of the local holidays. Please see our holiday schedule:

Free Tax Preparation Assistance

Tax Day is right around the corner. Unless you have requested an extension, you must file your Federal and State tax returns before midnight on Wednesday, April 15.

The City of Chicago is once again partnering with Ladder Up to offer free tax preparation assistance to eligible working families to help them file their taxes and receive all of the deductions and tax credits to which they are entitled. Visit www.goladderup.org for information on site locations, dates, and hours.

Income eligible families and individuals can take advantage of the free and confidential income tax assistance. Trained volunteers will assist you in completing and electronically filing Federal and Illinois tax returns, and finding out if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), and other tax credits.

For more information, visit www.goladderup.org/our-services/tax-assistance.

Apply Now for Property Tax Exemption Savings

Property tax-saving exemption applications for the 2025 tax year are now available on the Cook County Assessor’s website. These savings could help lower your property tax bill. Visit www.cookcountyassessoril.gov/exemptions to apply now.

Exemptions appear on your second installment tax bill issued in the summer and can significantly lower your property tax bill. The most common is the Homeowner Exemption, which applies to homeowners who own and occupy their property as their principal place of residence. The key exemptions you can now apply for are:

• Homeowner Exemption - this exemption automatically renews each year. New homeowners, first-time applicants, or those that need to reapply can now do so online.

• Senior Exemption - this exemption automatically renews each year.

• Senior Freeze Exemption - this exemption must be filed annually.

• Persons with Disabilities Exemption - this exemption automatically renews each year.

• Veterans with Disabilities Exemption - this exemption must be filed annually.

Property tax exemptions can be applied for online at www.cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions or in one, streamlined paper application available here.

Summer Jobs for Chicago Youth

The Chicago Youth Works (CYW) application portal is now open. Chicago Youth Works — formerly One Summer Chicago — reflects the City’s continued investment in expanding youth employment opportunities and strengthening pathways to long-term career success for Chicago’s young people.

The City's goal is to hire 29,000 young people (ages 14-24) through paid summer opportunities. Interested youth can apply online at ChicagoYouthWorks.org. The application deadline is May 29, but interested youth should apply early to increase their chances of receiving a job offer.

Summer employment will be a minimum of 6 weeks starting in June and conclude in late July or early August, dependent on the employer the young person is hired through. Youth ages 14-15 will have access to stipend paid opportunities while youth and young adults ages 16-24 will be paid an hourly wage.

Request a Free Tree on Your Parkway

With spring on its way, now is the time to request a tree be planted in a public parkway, free of charge. Simply call the 50th Ward Office or submit a Tree Planting Request online.

Planting trees improves air quality, prevents flooding, provides shade and cool air, and reduces pollution. The benefits of trees are numerous and of increasing importance in this age of climate change. More trees mean healthier communities and healthier lives.

Tree planting service requests are handled in the order in which they are received. Once your request is submitted, your planting site will be investigated by Forestry staff to confirm its suitability for a tree to grow. For the health of the trees, planting is typically only done in the spring and fall, with the exact timing of each season varying based on weather and ground temperatures.

Learn more about the benefits of planting trees and find answers to frequently asked questions at chicago.gov/OurRoots.

Become a Court Advocate

The 24 District is seeking volunteers to become Court Advocates. Court Advocates follow, attend, and track court cases that are of concern to the community. Please contact the CAPS Office at [email protected] if interested in this program.

Court Advocate activities include: 

• Tracking Key Cases: Subcommittees work with the police to monitor cases that matter most to the neighborhood. This ranges from violent crimes to "quality of life" issues such as drug dealing, problem landlords, and abandoned buildings.

• Supporting Victims and Witnesses: For many, testifying can be a source of anxiety. Having community volunteers in the courtroom provides support to victims and witnesses.

Court advocacy is a way to show support for victims and stand in solidarity against crime in your community. To learn more about how you can participate, contact the 24th District CAPS Office at [email protected] or 312-744-6321.

SBA Disaster Declaration

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved a disaster declaration for the severe storms and flooding that impacted six counties in northeastern Illinois from Aug. 16–18, 2025. This declaration will allow homeowners, renters, businesses, and certain non-profit organizations to apply for low-interest loans to help cover damages not covered by insurance.

The declaration includes the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. These areas qualify for both physical disaster loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) through the SBA. Homeowners and renters can apply for up to $500,000 in low-interest loans to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners or renters can apply for up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property such as appliances and furniture. Businesses and some not-for-profits can borrow up to $2 million for physical damages.

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.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Friday, May 15. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Wednesday, December 16.

50th Ward Know Your Rights Portal

Bird and Nature Walk

Chamber of Commerce Community Guide

Citywide Clean & Green