Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle launches COVID-19 relief cash assistance program

ByDiane Pathieu and Alexis McAdams WLS logo
Monday, October 26, 2020
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle launches COVID-19 relief cash assistance program
Cold hard cash is being given out to some people in suburban Cook County who have faced hardship during this pandemic.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle launched a new cash assistance program for COVID-19 relief Monday morning.

The new $2.1 million COVID-19 Recovery Cash Assistance Program will be funded by the federal CARES Act.

The program will give 3,000 residents a one-time $600 payment, Preckwinkle said.

This is part of the county's financial support plan aimed to help suburban Cook County residents and small businesses rebound from the impact of the pandemic.

In order to apply for this program you will need a few things:

-Proof that you are a resident of suburban Cook County.

-One form of government issued identification.

-Proof of your COVID-19 hardship due to unpaid leave, care for vulnerable or infected relatives, or loss of wages due to business or school closures.

Cook Co. Board President Toni Preckwinkle announces COVID-19 relief program

Cook County Board President announces a COVID-19 relief cash assistance program.

"The cash assistance program will allow us to get money to residents in need quickly to ensure that they can pay their bills, shop for groceries and take care of other necessities," Preckwinkle said.

With the help of the Family Independence Initiative, eligible families will quickly get the cash in hand.

This comes at a time when the infection rates are on the rise in the Cook County suburbs.

"The suburbanization of poverty is real and what people are experiencing in the suburbs is just as critical as those in the city of Chicago," said Ebony Scott of the Family Independence Initiative.

For more information on the cash assistance program and other relief programs from Cook County, visit www.cookcountyil.gov/recovery.