“The organization is being recognized,” said David Wu, the center’s executive director. They also helped students in their English as a Second Language classes apply for unemployment. One of the groups being honored - Pui Tak Center - provided services like food distribution, small business support and vaccine rollout to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, who have been especially hard hit during the pandemic. “It was moving to have someone acknowledge the work you do every day, because it’s important to you,” Anello said. providedĭaniel Anello, CEO of Kids First Chicago, is receiving the award for his internet access program, Chicago Connected, which provided internet to 62,000 students in Chicago Public Schools who had to shift online due to COVID restrictions. “To see that I’ve worked so hard with the community and we’ve done so much, to the point where I can get recognized on a city-wide level, that’s absolutely astonishing.” Daniel Anello, CEO of Kids First Chicago, helped organize Chicago Connected last June, which has provided internet access to tens of thousands of CPS students. “When I started, I didn’t want to do anything more than just get out of the house,” Menjivar said. Menjivar, who represents the Belmont Cragin Youth Leadership Council, used his organization, which had been working to build bike trails in the Belmont Cragin area, to deliver food to community members who had difficulty buying groceries due to unemployment. Mayor Lori Lightfoot will award the first-ever Mayoral Medal of Honor to businesses, individuals and community organizations that went above and beyond to serve struggling Chicago communities during the pandemic on April 20. A ceremony will be live streamed April 20. The new award is the first of its kind and will honor 18 organizations and individuals that have contributed time, money and effort to help communities throughout the city struggling during the pandemic. Menjivar, an 18-year-old high school senior, learned last week he is the youngest person to receive Chicago’s Mayoral Medal of Honor. Then he received a text message from someone at the mayor’s office informing him it was serious. When youth activist Zair Menjivar first got the mysterious email inviting him to join a Zoom meeting with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office, he thought it was junk mail.

Do medal of honor recipients get paid