Bill Text: IL HR0190 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Honors Rafael Mendez Jr. for his work as the homeless liaison for the Waukegan School District.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2011-03-17 - Resolution Adopted [HR0190 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-HR0190-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives are pleased to honor Rafael Mendez Jr. on his
work as the homeless liaison for the Waukegan School District;
and
WHEREAS, Rafael Mendez Jr. was born October 14, 1958 in
Bayamon, Puerto Rico, the second of five children of Rafael and
Ruth Mendez; he was educated in Waukegan public schools and
received a General Education Degree in 1978; he has worked as a
dishwasher, apparel store salesman, grocery clerk,
carpenter/plastering apprentice, and metal heat treating tech;
and
WHEREAS, He now works for the Waukegan School District,
where he has been a truant officer, security officer, and
residency officer, and currently holds the position of homeless
program liaison; and
WHEREAS, Since 2002, he has worked extensively with the
homeless students of Waukegan; his duties include:
(1) identifying the homeless population and
coordinating activities, entities, and agencies that
benefit homeless students;
(2) ensuring that homeless children and youth enroll in

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and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in the
schools they are eligible to attend, including Head Start
and preschool programs;
(3) initiating referrals to health care, dental,
mental health, and other appropriate services;
(4) informing parents or guardians of homeless
children and youth about the available educational and
related opportunities and providing them with meaningful
ways to participate in the education of their children;
(5) promoting awareness of the educational rights of
homeless children and youth by posting public notices in
schools, family shelters, and soup kitchens;
(6) advising parents, guardians, and any unaccompanied
youth of the mediation process involving enrollment
disputes and fully informing them of procedures for
accessing all transportation services required by the
McKinney-Vento Act; and
(7) allocating funds to provide school uniforms,
backpacks, school supplies, access to field trips, outdoor
education, and assistance with summer school fees; and
WHEREAS, The endless giving of his time and dedication to
homeless students goes well beyond his assigned duties; he
organized "Coats 4 Kids" in 2002, resulting in thousands of
donations of new winter coats, hats, and gloves by public and
private corporations and employee groups from surrounding

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communities; and
WHEREAS, In 2004, he was presented with a certificate of
appreciation from the Illinois State Board of Education in
recognition of exemplary service to the Illinois
McKinney-Vento Homeless Student Programs; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his valuable work, he has kept
alive his love for music as a guitar player, songwriter,
singer, and recording artist, with frequent performances
throughout Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan;
and
WHEREAS, His wife, Rachelle, also works for the students of
Waukegan, as a third grade teacher; he is an active member of
the Trinity Christian Center in Zion and is quite proud of the
fact that he is a lifelong "home-grown" resident of Waukegan;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we honor and thank Rafael Mendez Jr. for his hard work and
dedication to the homeless students of Waukegan, and commend
him for for the many ways in which he has enriched the lives of
the people of Illinois; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Rafael Mendez Jr. as a symbol of our respect and
esteem.