On March 3rd, 2014, El Rescate celebrated its 2nd anniversary at Nellie's Restaurant and their committment to homeless LGBTQ youth. "There were close a 100 guests who showed up to celebrate the evening with us, which included: delicious food, success stories by our residents, a resident showcase, awards, and a video presentation by Matthew Grcic, which hightlighted our program, staff, residents as well as captured an inside look into our programs day to day respnsibilities. Our residents were excited and worked together so they could look presentable for our event. Everyone was in great mood. They were well dressed and polished...I felt like a proud mother". says Jackie Gonzalez, Program Director of El Rescate

El Rescate

If you wish to contribute to El Rescate in any way, please call us or stop by and visit us: (872) 829-2494 | 2703 W. Divsision St., Chicago, IL 60622.

Congratulations to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) staff for being on the top ten list of Illinois once again! This past week the PRCC made it to second place in a list of more than 50 organizations funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). This reflects the large number of clients that have been enrolled in the Affordable Care Act by PRCC Navigators.

Understanding the ACA:

Last Friday, in collaboration with State Rep. Maria "Toni" Berrios, the PRCC hosted an educational and enrollment event on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Our Navigators visited the Scammon Elementary to conduct a brief presentation in Spanish about the ACA and to provide enrollment services. The Principal of the School conducted a tour of the school in the morning before our presentation. The event was held in the school library where we were welcomed with snacks, smiles, and a sea of questions. It was refreshing to see people being so receptive to learning about the ACA and understanding how they could get healthcare coverage. We look forward to collaborating with other schools and organizations to hold events like this in the near future.

Save the Date!

The ACA program will be hosting a Community Forum in collaboration with State Representative Cynthia Soto and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) on Tuesday, March 25th. Please join us as we move forward the last days on enrollment in the ACA. For more information or to be part of the event, please contact Mayra Estrella at 773-227-7794 or mayrae@prcc-chgo.org.

February 28th was Pajama Day at Centro Infantil Daycare! Every kids dream is just to wake up and go to school in their pajamas. It was a very exciting day because they wore their favorite pajamas and received a visit from Casa Norte. Casa Norte put together a short puppet show for them where they learned about fruits and vegetables and how healthy they can be and how much energy they can put into their bodies. From the puppet show Centro Infantil kids know that fruits and veggies are healthy GO! foods and cookies and chips are NO! foods.

Advocate Health Care and Loyola University Health System are among five Chicago-area health care groups to receive preliminary approval to join a new cost-saving Medicaid program.

Also winning approval are Chicago-based Presence Health, a 12-hospital system; Access Community Health Network, a Chicago-based system of clinics; and a joint effort by Swedish Covenant Hospital near Lincoln Square, Norwegian American Hospital in Humboldt Park and Mercy Hospital & Medical Center on the Near South Side.

The providers are gearing up to launch an accountable care entity by July 1, the state's latest form of coordinated care that aims to help reduce costs in the cash-strapped Medicaid program.

In an ACE, providers manage the care of a group of Medicaid patients and eventually will have to assume the financial responsibility for all treatment within a fixed amount of money per patient. They potentially could share in savings with the state. The networks replace the traditional fee-for-service model, which critics say encourages unnecessary procedures and doesn't provide incentives to reduce spending. Continue reading...

After weeks of rehearsing, hard work, sweat, and tears, Clemente Wildcat freshman students and upperclass drama students had an exciting experience performing ''Sons of the Prophet" by Stephen Karam.  The play took place at the American Theatre Company.  Every student had a part in the play, either as an actor or on the production crew. It was a great experience for the students and teachers.  The students said that if it were possible in the future, they would love to do it all again.

Some students were nervous or scared at first because it was the first time many of them had to perform in front of an audience. Students had to implement every IB skill their teachers taught them. Some students wouldn't want to say their part but teachers would give them a talk and say, "You can do it" or "Give it all you got!"  All of the confidence the teachers had in the students resulted in the students smiling and trying a little harder. When performance day arrived, students performed in front of their parents and strangers.  The thought of missing a line or choking was a challenge they had to overcome, both individually and as an ensemble. 

The students practiced deep breathing to calm their nerves and reflected on all of the time and effort they put into this performance.  A lot of excitement came from knowing that most students could actually do better than what they believed that they could do throughout this experience.  All students enjoyed it because they figured out that deep down inside they have an amazing talent either acting or producing. This was a wonderful experience because it gave our Wildcat students encouragement to do and try out something new.  It truly showed the many talents of each and every Wildcat student. The outcome of the final student production was fantastic!

Written by Desi Moreno-Penson

Directed by Hank Hilbert

Co-Directed by Juan Castañeda

"A childless, Latino couple kidnap a young girl in order to create a family...but the little girl has ideas of her own...and when her imaginary friend, the Grinch, comes to life to help her, the couple ends up with far more than they bargained for! A dark and gothic fairy tale for the contemporary world."

Location: UrbanTheater Company - 2628 W. Division St.

Performances: Thursdays - Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 6pm
Previews: $10 March 4th, 5th & 6th 
General Admission: $20
Students: $15
Seniors: $10
Community Discount: $10 with 60622 Zip Code

Buy Tickets Today! - http://bit.ly/UTCDevilLand

El artista y ex prisionero político Elizam Escobar presentará el miércoles su obra "Crescendo",  con motivo del décimo quinto aniversario de su excarcelación.

El evento - dedicado al prisionero político Oscar López Rivera, quien cumple en mayo 33 años de cárcel, y al centenario de la poetisa Julia de Burgos-, se llevará a cabo en el local de Hermanas Rivera, en la calle San Sebastián #157, que ya se destacada como un centro de actividades culturales en el Viejo San Juan.

Junto a la exhibición de su trabajo "Crescendo", se presentará una obra teatral y habrá música.

La entrada es libre de costos y la actividad comenzará a partir de las 5:00 p.m. Siga leendo...

Olga I. Sanabria Davila, Executive Secretary of the Committee for Puerto Rico at the United Nations, spoke on the present situation in Puerto Rico,  the case of Puerto Rico at the UN, and the need to present the case at the International level, including the release of Oscar Lopez Rivera. She then entertained questions. Ms. Sanabria has been involved in the Puerto Rico political status issue for many years which has taken her to many parts of the world. The Committee for Puerto Rico at the United Nations coordinates some aspects of the presentation of the case at yearly United Nations hearings. Ms. Sanabria holds a Bachelors Degree in journalism and a Law Degree.

... Olga I. Sanabria Davila, Secretaria EJecutiva del Comite de Puerto Rico en Naciones Unidas, hablo sobre la situacion actual en Puerto Rico, el caso de Puerto Rico en Naciones Unidas, y la necesidad de presentar el caso a nivel Internacional, incluyendo el reclamo de excarcelacion de Oscar Lopez Rivera.  luego contesto preguntas. Sa. Sanabria ha estado involucrada en el tema del status politico de Puerto Rico durante muchos anios lo que la ha llevado a muchas partes del mundo. El Comite de Puerto Rico en Naciones Unidas coordina algunos aspectos de la presentacion del caso en vistas celebradas anualmente en Naciones Unidas. Sa. Sanabria tiene un grado en periodismo y un grado en Derecho.

The NBHRN is excited to invite artists to participate in postcards4oscar, an art exhibition and fundraiser for the freedom of Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera, who has been in prison for over 32 years. We hope that you will consider participating in this important event that will help to raise awareness for Oscar's release and we invite you to contribute to this unique invitational exhibition, and sale of original art.

postcards4oscar is a fundraising exhibition showcasing artists' work from throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Artists will submit 4" x 6" works of art on a postcard that we will provide. The artwork will be exhibited anonymously (signed on back) and sold on a first-come, first-served basis for $50. Only after selecting and purchasing a piece will a buyer learn the identity of the artist. Artists may work in any medium or style and may submit more than one postcard if so desired.

The exhibition will take place in New York at the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center on May 24th, with an Artist Preview Event on May 23rd.

Final submissions of artwork must be received by May 12th.