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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The Links, Incorporated is an international, | ||||||
| 3 | non-for-profit corporation established in 1946; The Links | ||||||
| 4 | Foundation, Incorporated, the philanthropic arm of The Links, | ||||||
| 5 | Incorporated, has made more than $24 million dollars in | ||||||
| 6 | charitable contributions since its founding; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, The membership of Links, Incorporated consists of | ||||||
| 8 | more than 17,000 professional women of African descent in 299 | ||||||
| 9 | chapters across the globe; it is one of the nation's oldest and | ||||||
| 10 | largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women | ||||||
| 11 | who are committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the | ||||||
| 12 | culture and economic survival of African Americans and other | ||||||
| 13 | persons of African ancestry; the Central Area of The Links, | ||||||
| 14 | Incorporated was established in 1950 and has expanded to 72 | ||||||
| 15 | chapters in 15 states; the Illinois chapters are Central | ||||||
| 16 | Illinois (IL) Chapter, Chicago (IL) Chapter, Gateway (IL) | ||||||
| 17 | Chapter, Harbor Lites (IL) Chapter, Hoffman Estates (IL) | ||||||
| 18 | Chapter, Lake Shore (IL) Chapter, North Shore (IL) Chapter, | ||||||
| 19 | Quad Cities (IL) Chapter, South Suburban Chicago (IL) Chapter, | ||||||
| 20 | Tri-County (IL) Chapter, Windy City (IL) Chapter, and West | ||||||
| 21 | Towns (IL) Chapter; and | ||||||
| 22 | WHEREAS, The Links, Incorporated is transforming | ||||||
| 23 | communities through its voice, its vote, and its power; with | ||||||
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| 1 | over two million service hours recorded in the past three | ||||||
| 2 | years, members regularly contribute more than 1,000,000 | ||||||
| 3 | documented service hours in their respective communities | ||||||
| 4 | annually; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, The Links, Incorporated's legislative and public | ||||||
| 6 | affairs priorities are considered through a lens of diversity, | ||||||
| 7 | equity, and inclusion; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, The Links, Incorporated is uniquely positioned to | ||||||
| 9 | leverage the collective strength, resources, and energy of its | ||||||
| 10 | members to ensure that public policy being considered is | ||||||
| 11 | reflective of its membership and the global community it | ||||||
| 12 | serves; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, The Links, Incorporated will continue to monitor | ||||||
| 14 | and advocate on numerous public policy issues that include its | ||||||
| 15 | identified six priorities for the biennium, civil and voting | ||||||
| 16 | rights, women's health equity, equal pay, economic | ||||||
| 17 | empowerment, social justice and public safety, and | ||||||
| 18 | environmental justice and climate change; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, The chapters of the Central Area of The Links, | ||||||
| 20 | Incorporated in the State of Illinois continue to advocate for | ||||||
| 21 | the above-mentioned public policy issues and have elected to | ||||||
| 22 | spotlight women's health equity, specifically in three areas, | ||||||
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| 1 | prevention of kidney disease, Black women's maternal health, | ||||||
| 2 | and mental health; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, | ||||||
| 4 | Representative Rita Mayfield, and Representative Kimberly Du | ||||||
| 5 | Buclet are among the engaged members; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, The Illinois chapters of The Links, Incorporated | ||||||
| 7 | will be holding their annual in-person Illinois Links Day at | ||||||
| 8 | the State Capitol on April 23, 2025; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 9 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 10 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 11 | we recognize the work of Area Director Sheila R. Brown and the | ||||||
| 12 | various chapters in the Central Area and salute them on Links | ||||||
| 13 | Day at the Illinois State Capitol; and be it further | ||||||
| 14 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 15 | presented to the Central Area of the Links, Incorporated as a | ||||||
| 16 | symbol of our respect and esteem. | ||||||