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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to honor Rafael Mendez Jr. on his
4work as the homeless liaison for the Waukegan School District;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, Rafael Mendez Jr. was born October 14, 1958 in
7Bayamon, Puerto Rico, the second of five children of Rafael and
8Ruth Mendez; he was educated in Waukegan public schools and
9received a General Education Degree in 1978; he has worked as a
10dishwasher, apparel store salesman, grocery clerk,
11carpenter/plastering apprentice, and metal heat treating tech;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, He now works for the Waukegan School District,
14where he has been a truant officer, security officer, and
15residency officer, and currently holds the position of homeless
16program liaison; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Since 2002, he has worked extensively with the
18homeless students of Waukegan; his duties include:
19        (1) identifying the homeless population and
20    coordinating activities, entities, and agencies that
21    benefit homeless students;
22        (2) ensuring that homeless children and youth enroll in

 

 

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1    and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in the
2    schools they are eligible to attend, including Head Start
3    and preschool programs;
4        (3) initiating referrals to health care, dental,
5    mental health, and other appropriate services;
6        (4) informing parents or guardians of homeless
7    children and youth about the available educational and
8    related opportunities and providing them with meaningful
9    ways to participate in the education of their children;
10        (5) promoting awareness of the educational rights of
11    homeless children and youth by posting public notices in
12    schools, family shelters, and soup kitchens;
13        (6) advising parents, guardians, and any unaccompanied
14    youth of the mediation process involving enrollment
15    disputes and fully informing them of procedures for
16    accessing all transportation services required by the
17    McKinney-Vento Act; and
18        (7) allocating funds to provide school uniforms,
19    backpacks, school supplies, access to field trips, outdoor
20    education, and assistance with summer school fees; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The endless giving of his time and dedication to
22homeless students goes well beyond his assigned duties; he
23organized "Coats 4 Kids" in 2002, resulting in thousands of
24donations of new winter coats, hats, and gloves by public and
25private corporations and employee groups from surrounding

 

 

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1communities; and
 
2    WHEREAS, In 2004, he was presented with a certificate of
3appreciation from the Illinois State Board of Education in
4recognition of exemplary service to the Illinois
5McKinney-Vento Homeless Student Programs; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In addition to his valuable work, he has kept
7alive his love for music as a guitar player, songwriter,
8singer, and recording artist, with frequent performances
9throughout Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan;
10and
 
11    WHEREAS, His wife, Rachelle, also works for the students of
12Waukegan, as a third grade teacher; he is an active member of
13the Trinity Christian Center in Zion and is quite proud of the
14fact that he is a lifelong "home-grown" resident of Waukegan;
15therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18we honor and thank Rafael Mendez Jr. for his hard work and
19dedication to the homeless students of Waukegan, and commend
20him for for the many ways in which he has enriched the lives of
21the people of Illinois; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to Rafael Mendez Jr. as a symbol of our respect and
3esteem.