Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com 6 Diciembre 2021 AGUIJON THEATER COMPANY CEO: Rosario Vargas Aguijón Theater is dedi- cated to creating exciting and meaningful theatrical experiences through the exploration, discussion and performance of high quality Spanish-language and bilingual works. With impactful artistic work, Aguijón promotes diversity by challenging and inspiring its audiences to surmount idiomatic barri- ers and cross-cultural boundaries. CONTACT: www.aguijontheater.org ALIVIO MEDICAL CENTER CEO: Esther Corpuz Alivio Medical Center is a bilingual, bicultural organization committed to providing access to quality cost-effective healthcare to the Hispanic community, the uninsured, and the underinsured, and not to the exclusion of other cultures and races. This mission is expressed through the provision of services, advocacy, education, and research and evaluation, provided in an environment of caring and respect. CONTACT: 966 W 21st St, Chicago, IL 60608 (773) 254-1400 www.aliviomedicalcenter.org ALPFA Erika Casillas ALPFA Chicago President 2022-2023 The ALPFA Chicago Chapter is a LatinX Professional Association focused on providing access to professional networking oppor- tunities, promoting professional standards, and providing mentoring, personal and professional development oppor- tunities. Our Chapter Mission is to continue to develop pipe- lines from the classroom to the boardroom. Our Programs in 2022 continue with our 4th Annual Mentorship Program, Women of ALPFA, and Student Symposium Support, along- side other virtual and in person events to help facilitate professional development and networking. In addition, we are formalizing ways to create partnerships with other com- munity organizations that align with our vision. CONTACT: 1717 W 6th Street, Suite 410 Austin, Texas 78703 / (646) 695-4200 https://www.alpfa.org/page/chicago *Email: president@chicago.alpfa.org By Neli Vazquez-Rowland E ven before the pandemic, the growing opioid and homelessness epidemics were becoming visible to all of us living in major cities across America. While you may now think it is normal to see people and families with children liv- ing in homeless encampments, it is anything but normal and strips people of their dignity. If Chicago truly is the city of big shoulders, we should try to lift everyone in need to ensure they have a warm, safe place to spend the night. Growing up in Chicago in Little Village, one of the poorest com- munities in the city, the idea of people living in inhumane con- ditions, akin to those in a Third World country, seemed unfath- omable. Yet it is happening right before our eyes, it is already get- ting worse, and the realities of the pandemic may make this societal scar even more pro- nounced. While we are always in a race to get somewhere, we cannot forget we are members of the human race and can no longer neglect our responsibility to stop this scourge. By now we all know some- one whose loved one or friend has been impacted by the opioid and homelessness epidemics, and we watch those same fami- lies painfully endure the feel- ing of loss and helplessness in their efforts to save them. Sadly, they will continue to feel that way, and more will join them, without the focused, intentional, and widespread support of the public. Prior to the pandemic, more than 40% of Americans were already living paycheck to pay- check. These hardships, now magnified by the pandemic, are causing the mental health crisis to increase and the opioid epi- demic to break a record of more than 100,000 deaths this year, leading to a higher number of people facing the prospect of homelessness. Despite federal extended rent moratorium and unemployment benefits, we are seeing increases in unsheltered homelessness of 21% and in chronic homeless- ness of 34% in Illinois, according to the 2021 National Alliance to End Homelessness report. This increase is happening at a time when the homeless-bed capacity has been reduced by almost 70% due to CDC requirements for proper social distancing, a situ- ation that will only lead to more unsheltered homeless people in the future. Let's take a moment to con- sider what steps we can take to not only respond to the immedi- ate needs of hunger and hous- ing, but also to actually invest in a long-lasting solution that prevents and ends homelessness by providing the behavioral, eco- nomic, and housing infrastruc- ture that we need. The first step is believing that ending homelessness is worth- while. To achieve the result we need, we must all agree that it is crucial to prioritize this humanitarian crisis. Thanks to the opportunity to allocate resources from the American Rescue Plan, and our ability to leverage public-private partner- ship support, fixing it is realisti- cally within our reach for the first time. The second step is urging government policymakers, corporate philanthropists, and influential donors to make smart, pragmatic decisions based on proofs of concept and free of political ideology and favoritism. Now is the time to use our voice, resources, and platforms to advocate for the most vulnerable people in our society. The third step is doing our research. Not all homeless orga- nizations are alike. While there are many approaches, we should find and support those that align with our values and that do the best work to solve the root causes of homelessness. While we are celebrating the passage of the largest trans- portation infrastructure bill in our nation, I hope that we also pause to consider how we can utilize the ARPA funds to achieve the most compassion- ate, accountable, and successful human, economic, and housing infrastructure in the world. The return on our investment will be measured in the lives that we will save, the workforce we will unleash, and the tax base we will expand, which will be our legacy for the next generation. I hope you will make this a prior- ity and join me on this impor- tant journey to help heal some of our most vulnerable friends and family members. America's Surging Homeless and Opioid Epidemics Made Worse By The Pandemic OUR HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE IS BROKEN TOO, WE MUST SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIX THAT NOW NELI VAZQUEZ ROWLAND is co-founder of A Safe Haven Foundation, a social entrepre- neur, affordable housing real estate developer, and author of "HEALING."

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