Chicago Blackhawks center Adam Gaudette (11) shoots against Minnesota Wild goaltender Cam Talbot (33) with defense from Wild defensemen Matt Dumba (24) and Jonas Brodin (25) in the first period of an NHL preseason hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in St. Paul, Minn. | Andy Clayton-King/AP

Gaudette and other roster bubble players composed most of the Hawks’ lineup in their 3-2 loss Thursday against the Wild.

For many of the Blackhawks’ roster bubble players, the 3-2 loss Thursday against the Wild was their last chance to make an impression. Coach Jeremy Colliton has said the lineup for the preseason finale Saturday will look very similar to their regular-season lineup.

Adam Gaudette was one of those guys playing Thursday, but he’d likely already done enough to earn a spot regardless.

Coming off his much-discussed summer of diet change and weight stabilization, Gaudette’s work ethic and physicality have stood out throughout training camp — a good thing for him, considering how much Colliton has prioritized physicality when evaluating options for bottom-six roles.

“My whole life, ever since I was a little kid, I played physical,” Gaudette said. “But being undersized, it was a struggle to do that. I would have to go out of my way to make a hit, and — being so light — I wouldn’t put a dent in a guy.

“But now [being] stronger, heavier, it’s a part of my game and I’m not going out of my way to hit a guy. I’ll take the hit if it’s there and play smart that way. [I’m] definitely trying to be more physical in the corners and on the forecheck.”

Gaudette was flying in his preseason debut last week. But Monday in his second appearance, he got off the plane in Detroit and could tell he “didn’t have” his legs. He was able to overcome that and still play well, though, because he has so much more energy nowadays.

“I still felt [Monday as if] I could keep up and didn’t struggle with speed or anything,” he said. “Whereas the past couple of years, if I didn’t feel right on a game day, I’d be waiting myself out, a little nervous and struggling to keep up . . . It’s coming more naturally now and it’s definitely helping with my confidence.”

Colliton praised Gaudette for his “knack for getting inside people offensively” and has clearly moved him up the Hawks’ depth chart since camp started.

Reichel sent down

The Hawks cut their camp roster to 36 on Wednesday, sending down another group to the AHL.

Among those reassigned were Brett Connolly, who cleared waivers, and top prospect Lukas Reichel, who was previously thought to have a shot at making the opening NHL roster. Reichel excelled in the Hawks’ prospect scrimmages earlier this month, but didn’t stand out as much in tighter-checking NHL preseason games.

“We want him to thrive,” Colliton said. “We want him to be a top player, an elite player, in Rockford and enjoy his time there. Is he going to be here at some point? Probably. But we’ll just let it play out.”

Kane’s high hopes

Patrick Kane described this year’s Hawks training camp as one of the toughest he has been a part of, with Colliton working the team strenuously on the ice for six days a week.

Kane is nonetheless thankful for it, saying the hard camp is something he “needed” after he “didn’t really skate super hard over the summer.” And he also expects it to whip the Hawks into a team capable of outperforming league-wide expectations this season.

“Coming into this year is . . . [different] than years in the past, where there’s a lot more confidence, a lot more excitement about the team we have and the season we could have,” Kane said. “And it still feels like people aren’t really expecting us to be a good team, or maybe better but not necessarily like a playoff team. Our goal [is] to prove people wrong and get into the playoffs and hopefully hit our stride.”

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State Rep. Lakesia Collins speaks Wednesday outside Evergreen Tower II demanding that the owner of the building invest more for residents’ safety. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Residents of River North’s Evergreen Towers I and II call on management to restore safety measures that they said were scaled back during the coronavirus pandemic.

Senior tenants at two affordable housing buildings are calling for management to increase security services that they say were scaled back during the coronavirus pandemic.

Residents of Evergreen Towers I and II, in River North, and the Jane Addams Senior Caucus, a Chicago-based senior citizen advocacy group, this week demanded that management invest in their safety with 24-hour security and an independent, full-time service coordinator. Currently, one of the buildings has a part-time service coordinator who is affiliated with management.

UPholdings, the affordable housing and management company, first met with the tenants in the spring, according to the the Jane Addams Senior Caucus. In May, the tenants organized a 311 call campaign, where they collectively filed complaints with the city about the building conditions.

In August, management added a security camera monitoring system and personnel to monitor the security footage. Cullen Davis, the property owner, said the change expanded security services.

“Management and ownership are completely committed to making sure that our residents have a good experience,” Davis said. “We understand that change the technology can be difficult sometimes but think that, ultimately, this is going to provide a better, more long-term secure, affordable housing for seniors in a neighborhood where affordable housing is rapidly diminishing.”

But tenants maintain the monitoring service does not adequately meet standards for care. Lisa Johnson said she has lived at Evergreen Towers about 10 years. Without 24-hour security, she said emergency vehicles do not have easy access to the building, which can be life-threatening for tenants in need of medical treatment.

In the past, Johnson called an ambulance for herself and had to take the elevator to give the paramedics building access.

“I had to be treated by the ambulance in the lobby because they could not get let in,” Johnson said.

Jacqueline Reynolds, the president of Evergreen Towers I, wants to see personnel monitor who is entering the building. She said the buildings gets a lot of unwanted guests, and tenants are currently afraid to leave their apartment after 5 p.m because they do not feel safe.

Tenants like Reynolds said Wednesday that before the pandemic, security personnel was monitoring the front desk around the clock. Davis, the owner, however, said there has never been 24-hour security at Evergreen Towers.

A city ordinance passed in July 2020 requiring owners of senior buildings to conduct well-being checks twice a week. Management paid residents of Evergreen Towers to conduct these check-ups, but tenants have repeatedly said an independent, full-time service coordinator needs to fill that role.

“Seniors all over Chicago came together with an ordinance that you did not follow,” Reynolds said, speaking about Davis, the owner. She said she was one of the tenants who carried out wellness checks at the start of the pandemic. “You stripped away our security and our service coordinator, and that made seniors start to feel unsafe.”

Davis maintains that UPHoldings is in compliance with the city ordinance.

State Rep. Lakesia Collins said she has been in conversation with the owner about addressing the needs of senior tenants. “It is simple. Do what you’re supposed to do, Cullen Davis. Make sure that our seniors have 24-hour security, make sure that they’re doing wellness checks in these facilities,” Collins said.

The tenants also demanded on Wednesday that Davis and building management implement fire safety drills and monthly extermination of all units.

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Tom Verducci has been with MLB Network since its launch in 2009. | MLB Network

Verducci, who has covered baseball for more than 30 years, is serving as the reporter for the White Sox-Astros series for Fox and MLB Network.

No one is better at unearthing golden nuggets about baseball than Tom Verducci.

Considering he’s a New York Times bestselling author and three-time national sportswriter of the year, that shouldn’t be a surprise. But even though he never played professionally, his ability to provide context for all types of game situations makes him an excellent addition to any baseball broadcast.

Verducci, who has covered the sport for more than 30 years and has written for Sports Illustrated since 1993, is serving as the reporter for the White Sox-Astros series for his TV employers, Fox and MLB Network. For Game 2 on Friday, he’ll join play-by-play voice Bob Costas and analysts Jim Kaat and Buck Showalter on MLB Network.

“When I first started out, which was obviously a long time ago, if you wanted anything in real detail other than triple crown categories, you would call the Elias Sports Bureau, and they would come back and say, ‘Yeah, but it’s going to take a couple of days,’ ” Verducci said. “I’m talking about splits of how a guy is with runners in scoring position, things you take for granted today. We’re so lucky in today’s world where we have this information so available.”

Case in point, in the top of the fourth inning of Game 1 on Thursday, Verducci broke down Astros starter Lance McCullers’ success against the Sox with his slider. To that point, McCullers had thrown 78 sliders in 17 at-bats and had yet to allow a hit. He had struck out 10 with the pitch.

But he won’t overlook the Sox’ pitching. To Verducci, the most interesting aspect of the series is the Sox’ strikeout pitchers against the Astros’ contact hitters.

“The White Sox have the best swing-and-miss staff in baseball, and the Astros have put the ball in play more than any team in baseball,” Verducci said. “It’s a fascinating matchup between the White Sox’ strikeout staff and a team that doesn’t strike out. I think that’s the Astros’ greatest advantage, that they can wear people out. We’ve seen that in postseasons past.”

We’ve also seen a reliance on bullpens, even in the early stages of this postseason. Both wild-card games saw managers pull their starters earlier than usual. Verducci said that’s the new nature of postseason baseball.

“We used to, and still do, make a big deal out of starting pitchers,” he said. “Before every game, you’ll get breakdowns on who the White Sox’ starting pitcher is against the Houston starting pitcher and who has the edge. That was great in the 80s, when two-thirds of games were decided or won by a starting pitcher. Now it’s pretty much 50-50 a postseason game will be won by a bullpen or a starting pitcher.

“Starting pitching always will be important. But the way the game is played now, they’re not pitching as deep into games, and there are more decisions because a manger, even on the bad teams, has a lot of good options in the bullpen. I think most games are decided by the bullpen and how a manager uses them.”

Verducci said he asks people all the time to name the last manager who was roasted for leaving a starter in too long. His answer, with a laugh, is that it might be former Red Sox skipper Grady Little, who left Pedro Martinez in during Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series against the Yankees. The Red Sox had a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning, but it evaporated with Martinez on the mound.

“The numbers show and the depth of bullpens show that you’re better off taking a guy out too early rather than too late,” Verducci said. “That kind of proactive managing is a part of what postseason baseball is now. I would give Chicago an edge in the bullpen with the depth of options that Tony La Russa has. The Houston bullpen is good, don’t get me wrong. But I’d give a slight edge to the Sox.”

Verducci has other projects in the works. In June 2020, MLB Network launched the series “The Sounds of Baseball,” showcasing the greatest announcers of all-time. Verducci, who co-hosts with 2018 Ford C. Frick Award winner Bob Costas, expects to add new episodes.

“There’s many other great personalities we could get to,” Verducci said. “It’s part of the charm of baseball. The connection between broadcasters and fans I think is stronger in baseball than any other sport. We would love to do it again. It’s fantastic working with Bob.”

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Sullivan’s Gile Niyomutabazi (13) attempts an interception in the first half against Schurz receiver Tyrice Larry (11). | Quinn Harris/For the Sun-Times

The Tigers have allowed only one opponent to score more than eight points all season. The stout defense continued in a 21-0 shutout of Schurz on Thursday at Lane Stadium.

Sullivan took its knocks in the spring season, winning just one of four games. But everything has turned around in the fall.

The Tigers have allowed only one opponent to score more than eight points all season. The stout defense continued in a 21-0 shutout of Schurz on Thursday at Lane Stadium.

“The spring was a development year, especially with all the COVID going on,” Sullivan coach Calvin Clark said. “These guys attacked the weight room after the season and they just believe in each other and believe in the culture. Now we are seeing the product of that on the field.”

It’s the second shutout of the season for Sullivan (6-1, 3-1 Illini Windy City). The Tigers lost to Mather 7-6 last week.

“Our defense has been balling all year,” Clark said. “We believe in simple blocking and tackling.”

Sophomore quarterback Chris Askew provided the offensive fireworks for Sullivan. He had eight carries for 33 yards, including a short touchdown run for the first score of the game.

Askew threw just two passes, but both went for touchdowns. The first was a 70-yard strike to fellow sophomore Marceluis Barber, who was streaking all alone down the center of the field. Askew found him in perfect stride to make it 14-0.

Then Askew connected with junior Bayo Aina on a nine-yard pass in the final two minutes to seal the win.

“[Askew] has the heart of a lion,” Clark said. “He keeps growing up every week. I’m just proud of his development. The best is yet to come from him.”

Askew played defense as a freshman. This is his first year as a quarterback.

“I’m pretty comfortable running the ball,” Askew said. “I just have to keep working on my passing and I’ll be straight. This team has a lot of heart and motivation so that has helped.”

The Tigers’ running game wasn’t spectacular, but it was solid enough to get the job done. Kazeem Komolafe (58 yards), Keonta Franklin (31 yards) and David Henry (18 yards) all contributed.

Komolafe also plays linebacker.

“The last few games our offensive line has been shaky but I’m proud of the guys today, they did a good job stepping up,” Komolafe said.

Sullivan also has a rare weapon in Public League football: an excellent kicker.

Senior Gile Niyomutabazi is all over the field for the Tigers. He’s an excellent athlete that plays punter, kicker, safety and some offense.

Niyomutabazi made all three extra points, pinned the Bulldogs (1-6, 1-3) back with long punts and grabbed an interception in the fourth quarter.

“This my first year playing football,” Niyomutabazi said. “I just want to keep pushing and make my family proud. My first game I was scared of getting hit. But I kept working hard and listened to my coaches.”

Clark, who has been the head coach at Sullivan for seven years, spotted Niyomutabazi on the soccer field.

“We have an excellent soccer team at Sullivan and maybe don’t tell them but we stole a couple players that were good with kicking,” Clark said.

Next up for the Tigers is a massive game against undefeated Amundsen, the leaders of the conference.

“I’m so proud of this team,” Clark said. “This junior and sophomore class came in not knowing anything about football and they believed in the coaching and the coaches worked their butts off developing these guys.”

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Giolito will start Game 2 for the White Sox in Houston. | Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Giolito has pitched some of his best games against the Astros. Does he have another in Game 2 … and maybe in Game 5 after that?

HOUSTON — Lucas Giolito digs everything about pitching at Minute Maid Park.

There’s something about the mound here that just feels right to him. Maybe that’s why he has a 1.57 ERA in three road starts against the dangerous Astros, including the complete-game shutout early on in 2019 that marked his sudden turn-around from potential bust to ascending All-Star.

He likes the whole look and layout of the place, too, especially the roof. What’s so special about it? No. 1, it exists.

“Any time it’s a ballpark with a roof, I enjoy it,” he said. “Air conditioning.”

Whatever blows your hair back, big fella.

Whatever keeps Giolito cool in the cauldron of this best-of-five division series, with the Astros out to a 1-0 lead and the White Sox already in serious danger of getting cooked.

Giolito wasn’t manager Tony La Russa’s choice for Game 1, but that’s over with. Thoughts of Lance Lynn getting rag-dolled by the American League’s top-ranked offense are best forgotten as soon as possible.

Lynn hasn’t been nearly as effective against the Astros as Giolito, who also went the distance against them in a July three-hitter at Guaranteed Rate Field. Maybe La Russa is already off to a questionable postseason start, having picked the wrong guy for the series opener. Is that something we should chew on? Probably not yet.

Because, right, back to forgetting.

The point is: It’s Giolito’s series now.

What Lynn didn’t get started, Giolito can. All it’ll take is another gem Friday in Game 2. Sure, the Astros led the AL in runs, hits, average and on-base percentage this season. So what? It doesn’t matter if Giolito stares them down and does what he has done before.

And not to get ahead of ourselves, but let’s do exactly that. Giolito is lined up for a potential Game 5, too. He can save the Sox from disaster in Game 2 — come on, there’d be no coming back from an 0-2 deficit for this team — and then he can save their postseason in Game 5 right back here at this cool, quirky park with the choo-choo high above left field.

Do that, and we’re talking about an instant Sox legend. Not the choo-choo. Giolito.

“I’m going to pitch whether it’s Game 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, it doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “That’s my day, and I’m going to take the ball and do my absolute best. That’s all I care about.”

Giolito has been ascending for a while now. After a terrible 2018 when he led the AL in walks and earned runs allowed and had the highest WHIP in the majors, he roared to life in 2019. His first All-Star season led him into the role of Opening Day starter in 2020, when he would also throw his first no-hitter and — even better — take the mound for the Sox in the postseason opener in Oakland and deliver a lights-out performance in the team’s only victory against the A’s.

Nothing this season has indicated that Giolito can’t take things up another notch. Even though Lynn was brought in via offseason trade to at least temporarily shoulder the title of staff ace. Even though Lynn and Carlos Rodon — and not Giolito — were 2021 All-Stars. Even though young Dylan Cease, the likely Game 3 starter, has ridiculous talent above and beyond Giolito’s.

Yes, there’s a next notch for Giolito, and it’s this: to load this team on his back and carry it to the next round.

It’s a hell of a big ask, but as the narrator says in that Guaranteed Rate commercial that features Giolito and appears on my TV an unofficial 74 times per day: “If you believe, you will.”

Belief is what Giolito is all about. This is a guy who battled terrible anxiety before starts and came home depressed after them in 2018. Who was ridiculed and tormented by idiotic Sox fans on social media. Whose wife, Ariana, would spend time deleting nasty messages before he could go online after crummy outings and see them.

“At one point,” she told me in 2019, “it seemed like the whole world was just completely against him and awful.”

So what did he do about it? After the misery of 2018, he dove full-on into neurofeedback training and became fascinated and inspired by what it did for him. His anxiety and stress lowered. His self-doubt stopped getting the better of him. The fear he’d felt went away, replaced — he was sure of it — by what would become an ability to perform under pressure.

Giolito wants that pressure.

And now he has it, like never before.

By the way, that commercial? It’s a bit dated.

“Lucas Giolito,” the narrator begins, “2018 worst pitcher in baseball. But he had something you couldn’t see in the stats: belief that those numbers didn’t define him. And one season later, this dude was an All-Star.”

Great. We’re well aware. But it’s 2021 — and it’s going to get away from the Sox unless Giolito goes from All-Star to world beater.

Can he do it? Can he carry this giant load by meeting this mammoth moment?

If he does, we’re going to need a new script.

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The Water Tower, located at 806 N. Michigan Ave. in the Gold Coast neighborhood, is seen in this photo, Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 14, 2021. The Water Tower had survived the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

On Oct. 8, 1871, a terrible fire burned through Chicago, causing untold destruction. Now the city is honoring the 150th anniversary of the disaster.

Few other historical moments have defined the city as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Despite the catastrophic disaster, the residents banded together to rebuild the city and later commemorate their success with the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

The fire broke out Oct. 8 on DeKoven Street in the O’Leary family’s barn. No one knows for sure exactly what caused the flames to spark. Rumors claimed Catherine O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern, which started the blaze, but that story has been proven false. The fire did start, however, in that barn on the Southwest Side.

From there, the fire spread north, leaping across the river not once but twice. It burned across downtown and then headed for the North Side. Finally, on Oct. 10, firefighters extinguished the inferno.

The result of the fire devastated the city. Over 300 people had died while another 100,000 were left homeless. The flames destroyed over 17,000 buildings, causing millions of dollars in damages.

Instead of abandoning their city, the residents joined together and rebuilt Chicago. Thousands of donations poured in from all over the world. By 1893, the city looked bigger and brighter than ever, just in time to welcome guests to the World’s Fair.

Now 150 years later, the Chicago Sun-Times and other institutions are honoring the anniversary of the fire.

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AP Photos

White Sox fall 6-1 to McCullers, three Astros relievers; Lynn allows five runs in 3 2/3 innings

HOUSTON — White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn has been one of baseball’s top pitchers the last two seasons.

But not against the Astros.

Not this season, not last year and certainly not Thursday, when Lynn was peppered for five runs in 3 2/3 innings in a mostly flat 6-1 Sox loss in Game 1 of a long-awaited American League Division Series. The best of five series shifts to Friday (1:07 p.m), with Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito opposing Astros lefty Framber Valdez.

Lynn gave up five runs on six hits and two walks and was pulled by manager Tony La Russa with two outs in the fourth in a game that looked, with Astros righty Lance McCullers in command allowing one hit in 6 2/3 scoreless innings, all but over. The 33-year-old Lynn has allowed 34 runs in 32 2/3 innings over his last six starts against the Astros, good for a 9.37 ERA and 0-6 record.

The Astros’ second run scored in the third inning when Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada threw late to catcher Yasmani Grandal trying to get Jose Altuve for the second out. Moncada made a good stop on Alex Bregman’s ground ball to his left, but had a slim chance of getting Altuve after spinning around to make the throw.

Altuve, the Astros leadoff man who led off the inning with a walk, had advanced to third when Grandal couldn’t keep Lynn’s bounced wild pitch in front of him. After Altuve scored, Yordan Alvarez banged a belt-high fastball doubled off the left center field wall, scoring Bregman to make it 3-0.

Michael Brantley’s two-run single in the fourth knocked out Lynn in favor of Reynaldo Lopez, who gave up a home run to Alvarez in the fifth.

Lynn seemed amped up, touching 97 mph to strike out Yuli Gurriel in the second, but he needed 76 pitches, 46 for strikes, to record 11 outs.

The Sox lineup, held to seven singles, was not amped. Designated hitter Jose Abreu’s two-out single against Kendall Graveman in the eighth scored Tim Anderson with a run that offered a glimpse of hope bringing Grandal up with two on. But Grandal (0-for-4, four left on base) flied out to medium deep center to end one of the only Sox threats.

Abreu’s status was in doubt until he took batting practice. He did not travel to Houston with the team Tuesday because of flu-like symptoms not related to Covid-19.

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AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith

The Sox offense was only able to score one run in their 6-1 loss to the Astros in Game 1 of the ALDS.

HOUSTON — Throughout the regular season, the White Sox’s offense bludgeoned pitching staffs into submission. Even with the team missing Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez for significant periods throughout the year, when they fired on all cylinders, they were one of the best offense in baseball

But there were also times during the season when their high-powered offense would go dormant, leaving people scratching their heads.

Unfortunately, for the Sox, their offense was quiet in their 6-1 Game 1 loss to the Astros on Wednesday, dropping the first of the five-game series.

The Sox had no answers for Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr, who dominated over 6 2/3 innings, as the offense looked lethargic against the Astros. The Sox didn’t scratch out their first hit until Yoan Moncada’s single in the fourth inning.

The Sox weren’t able to barrel up the baseball against McCullers Jr. and while he mixed his pitches well, it was his slider that kept them off balance.

McCullers Jr.’s slider is one of the best in MLB, allowing just a .150 batting average against it this season, which was the fifth-lowest among starting pitchers. The White Sox ranked 22nd in slugging against sliders this season and didn’t have success in Wednesday’s loss.

When the Sox hit the ball in the air, it usually leads to success, but they weren’t able to do that. They hit into 11 groundouts and had only one runner reach third base, allowing McCullers Jr. to dominate without having to get swings-and-misses or work deep into counts.

The Sox finally got some offense going late in the game with an RBI-single by Jose Abreu in the eighth inning to make it a 6-1 game. But it was too little, too late.

The Sox are hoping that Game 2 brings them better results at the plate as they face lefty Framber Valdez. They’ve notoriously torched southpaws over the past two seasons and hit a .261 against left-handers this season, which ranks fifth in the American League.

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Angela Gregg and Mychal Moultry Sr., mother and father of slain 4-year-old Mychal Moultry, speak to reporters about their son at Saint Sabina Church on Sept. 9. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file

Tucked into Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed city budget is $12.25 million to help devastated victims of crime in simple and practical ways.

Last month, 4-year-old Mychal Moultry Jr. was shot twice in the head and killed while sitting in an apartment in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood. The bullets flew in a window from the front yard.

Mychal and his mother, Angela Gregg, had been visiting from Alabama. She was devastated, of course, and likely will continue to be devastated for the rest of her life. Ask any parent.

Talking to reporters later, Ms. Gregg pleaded for the killer to turn himself in.

“Give us some type of peace. Don’t take that away from us, too. Don’t take our son and take our peace,” she said. “Give us something. You’ve taken everything.”

Gregg talked soon after, as well, with the mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, who promised her the police would do all they could to bring the killer to justice. The mayor also expressed her sorrow, speaking as one mother to another.

As mayor, Lightfoot has had many such conversations with grieving mothers and fathers, and those quiet talks have no doubt taken their toll. Ask any mayor. They have also made Lightfoot particularly aware, as she will tell you, of the need to help the families in quick and practical ways to ease their burden.

With that in mind, Lightfoot has included in her proposed new city budget a $12.25 million fund, the first of its kind for Chicago, to pay for services for the victims of crimes, including funeral arrangements, counseling and the inevitable filling out of piles of paperwork.

“The list of victims in our city is so long and so deep, we have an obligation to make sure we are providing a space for them and we advocate for them, but also that we bring them the services that they need to heal,” Lightfoot recently told the Sun-Times Editorial Board.

In a proposed $16.7 billion budget, $12.25 million is not a great deal of money, but it would allow the city to expand on services currently provided by nonprofit groups and the state. In a small way, it could help build trust and relationships between the Chicago police and communities hardest hit by violence. The fund would include $10 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

At the moment, the city works with a network of 11 social service partners to help victims of crime.

In Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, for example, there’s Universal Family Connection, which offers family reunification and stabilization programs, domestic violence prevention and survivor services, such as counseling and employment programs. In Humboldt Park and Little Village, there are the New Life Centers of Chicagoland, which offer gang mediation and family support services to head off any possible further acts of violence. New Life offers one-on-one mentorship for young individuals and runs sports programs in safe spaces.

Another valuable resource for local victims of crime is the Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Program, which is intended to reduce the new financial burdens. It provides eligible applicants with up to $27,000 in state aid for expenses that stem from a violent crime.

Chicago’s $12.25 million victim-assistant fund would be overseen by the Department of Public Health and focus on providing services in neighborhoods where crime is at its worst and, consequently, the need for family support is greatest. It is no small matter in a time of crisis, when the world feels upside down, to get a little practical help in planning a funeral or filling out a form for state aid.

When Lightfoot presented her proposed new budget two weeks ago, we described it as an admirable plan for people living through hard times. It would provide, on an experimental basis, $500 a month to 5,000 low-income families — a guaranteed minimum income. It would invest $202 million in services to reduce homelessness, $150 million for youth programming, $52 million for mental health services, and even funding to plant 75,000 trees to fight global warming.

Tucked into the budget, as well, is that $12.25 million for crime victim services. We trust the fund will make it into the city’s final, approved spending plan.

We owe it to grieving mothers such as Angela Gregg, who did nothing to deserve such sorrow. Her only mistake was to come up from Alabama with her little boy to visit friends.

Send letters to [email protected].

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