Ignite Statement on the Spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your loyal commitment to our community and being an important investor in the mission of Ignite. Because of your support, every young person who comes to Ignite has a chance at a new beginning, and with each new beginning, we're building a stronger future for Chicago.

As we continue to monitor and manage the situation regarding the Coronavirus, we want you to know we are committed to the safety and health of our staff, youth, volunteers, and supportive community. We continue to stay up to date on information regarding the spread of the Coronavirus and are closely paying attention to information being shared by the CDC, the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois and WHO.

After much discussion between Ignite leadership, the following actions are being taken, effective immediately:

The health and safety of our youth and staff is a continuing priority, throughout all of our programs. We are in daily contact with partners at the federal, state and city level - implementing the necessary steps to ensure staff and youth are following recommended precautions. In addition, we have proactively discontinued group activities, events and gatherings. Ignite will keep all service providers up to date on any changes in service.
We are temporarily suspending all volunteer activities, onsite and offsite. The Ignite leadership team will make a determination as to when it is in the best health interest of our community at large to restart volunteer activities. We will reach out to all partners to communicate when volunteering will resume.

Updates on upcoming events:

In keeping with recommendations from the CDC and the State of Illinois as well as following the example of other organizations in the area, we are discussing alternate options for the Annual Ignite & Shine Gala 2020, which was scheduled for Saturday, April 25th.

We will continue sending updates to our entire community via email, here on our Website, and through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Please be sure to follow these accounts for updates.

Below are resources and recommendations to stay informed about the Coronavirus (COVID-19):

* Chicago Department of Public Health

* Illinois Department of Public Health

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

* World Health Organization

We wish you all the best and thank you for your continued support.

Warm regards,