CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Little Village’s Piotrowski Park, located in the 4200 block of West 31st Street, will be converted to serve as a temporary migrant shelter, Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) announced Friday.
It will offer shelter to about 200 migrants. Rodriguez said nearly 9,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since August 2022, and he described the current situation as “a man-made humanitarian crisis that requires our immediate attention and support.”
“Over the last several weeks we have been working with a network of dedicated volunteers and a number of community-based organizations in order to provide meals and basic needs to the families placed at the 10th District police station,” he wrote.
Those who have been sleeping at police stations, he said, have gone without proper access to basic hygiene, medication and food.
Rodriguez said the park was chosen for its proximity to schools and nonprofits, as well as Little Village’s predominantly immigrant, Spanish-speaking community.
The Chicago Park District’s indoor spring programs at the park have moved to nearby facilities, which Rodriguez outlined here, while scheduled outdoor programs will remain at Piotrowski Park.
A number of nonprofits and community organizations have been taking donations of cash and essential items that will go directly to arriving migrants, including Rincon Family Services and NewLife Centers. The Mural Movement, which operates out of Pilsen’s Vault Gallerie, has also been a major distributor of donated resources to Chicago’s newest residents.
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