SPRINGFIELD – Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) joins the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Office of Broadband to announce the new Illinois Connected Communities grant program.

The program is designed to assist local governments, schools and community organizations with building broadband capacity. The $150,000 grant opportunity will help communities close existing gaps and lay the groundwork for improved broadband access, adoption and utilization. The grants will be provided on a competitive basis, and applications will be accepted here through June 12.

“Access to broadband is undoubtedly one of the toughest hurdles families are facing, especially during the current pandemic,” Munoz said. “The need has gone far beyond the days where broadband was seen as a luxury. We are depending on the internet to access education, healthcare, jobs and even state benefits.”

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SPRINGFIELD – Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Senate’s approval of a budget that seeks to address the health and economic stresses caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

“Increasing funding for immigrant welcoming centers and allowing undocumented seniors to qualify for Medicaid will be significant in the communities I represent as they were left out of federal aid packages.

“I am glad we were able to drive resources to programs that will help small businesses, provide rent and mortgage assistance, and deliver important healthcare services.”

Children ages 3 to 17 and ages 18 to 22 (if in high school), who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced price school meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic related school closures are eligible for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) SNAP allotments equal to the daily reimbursement for free lunch and breakfast multiplied by the average number of school closure days in the month for each eligible child in the household. $3.50 Lunch + $2.20 breakfast = $5.70 daily cost per child.

All children that would receive a free or reduced price meal if school was in session are eligible for the new P-EBT regardless of income or citizenship. Families are not required to be receiving SNAP to qualify for P-EBT assistance or meet financial or nonfinancial eligibility requirements.

Active SNAP households do not need to apply for P-EBT as existing case information will be used to automatically issue benefits when appropriate. For non-SNAP households, an application is required so that a P-EBT case may be set up in the IES eligibility system and benefits can be issued.

Non-SNAP families that want to apply have the option to:

• complete an online application at ABE.Illinois.gov; or
• complete a paper application on the DHS website at dhs.state.il.us.gov and submitting to the Central Scanning Unit (CSU); or
• send the application to the new email address created for this process This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CHICAGO – To help prepare local residents for the new face covering requirement, Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) partnered with Joann Fabrics in donating 5,000 masks to local businesses and organizations on Friday.

“My volunteers and I are more than grateful to be able to provide masks to local residents,” Munoz said. “I thank Joann Fabrics for their partnership and work during these trying times.”

Gov. JB Pritzker’s modified stay-at-home order requiring face coverings for anyone over the age of 2 in public spaces where social distancing is difficult went into effect May 1.

“I strongly encourage people to follow the governor’s order to the best of their ability,” Munoz said. “Staying at home and wearing face coverings in public spaces helps protect our frontline healthcare workers, essential workers and vulnerable residents.”

Munoz distributed masks to nursing homes, assisted living centers, local small businesses and nonprofit organizations across the 1st Senate District. Those entities include: Symphony of Midway, Aperion Care International, Barton Senior Residences, Senior Suites of Bridgeport, National Latino Education Institute, Amor De Dios Methodist Church, WINGS, Pilsen Alliance,
Pilsen Neighborhood Council, Chinese American Service League, Consolidated Benevolent Association Long Life Senior Housing and L'Cafecito Jumping Bean.

Future distributions will be made based on availability of supplies.