Latest news with #Avelar
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can't get your pet to vet? New mobile unit soon to visit Pierce County cities
Starting this weekend, a new mobile veterinary unit will be serving Pierce County and bringing animal care into new neighborhoods. On Monday, the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County unveiled its new service on wheels, named S.P.O.T. for Spay/Neuter, Preventative medicine, Outreach and Transport. Costing just under $400,000, the project was funded by donors, especially by a major donation from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, according to Leslie Dalzell, chief executive officer of the Humane Society TPC. Dalzell told The News Tribune that a national shortage of veterinarians has raised prices of animal healthcare, making services more difficult to afford. The mobile unit especially hopes to improve low-income pet owners' access to care through vaccines, microchip services and wellness exams right in their neighborhoods. The mobile unit primarily will serve cats and dogs for the time being, she added. Dalzell said building trust and relationships with the community will take time, but the Humane Society plans to begin to integrate the mobile unit with monthly wellness clinics. 'This first year is going to be a little bit ramping up those networks,' Dalzell said. 'We may even partner with some other community leaders in the area, some churches, community centers, and other rescues … so we can make as big an impact as possible.' Lauren Green, the Humane Society TPC's director of communications, told The News Tribune that S.P.O.T. is custom-made and will carry medications, vaccines, pet food and other tools, supporting monthly vaccine and wellness clinics, mobile adoption events and especially focus on a targeted Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program to help diminish local cat colonies. It also is equipped with a surgical suite for spay or neuter surgery in the field — although that service will not be immediately available for pets to focus on cat-colony management — and spaces for animals to recover after procedures, she said. The first monthly wellness clinic will occur Saturday, April 26, Dalzell said, adding that visitors can find information on future clinics and S.P.O.T.'s whereabouts on the Humane Society website at Christine Avelar, director of veterinary services at the Humane Society TPC, told The News Tribune that the mobile unit would be great for outreach to under-served communities across Pierce County. She added access to services has been a huge need for the area — many people have expressed issues with lack of transport or disability that create challenges to reaching the main clinic. Introducing S.P.O.T. to areas that lack access to pet wellness also will help the Humane Society disseminate information and educate people and animal caretakers about the best decisions and care for their animals. The Humane Society will be hiring a coordinator position to manage the mobile unit's programming, and veterinarians will rotate shifts in the vehicle, Avelar added. Avelar said she is excited to be one of the veterinarians working in S.P.O.T. in the future. 'We'll be able to vaccinate and do simple medical procedures for the folks in the community that can't get here, so I'm really excited to be able to help those pets,' Avelar said.
Chicago Tribune
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
State representatives: Here's why human service workers in Illinois deserve better pay
Front-line human service workers are the backbone of a compassionate society. Most often employed by nonprofit organizations, they provide critical care and support that help people thrive, maintain independence, and navigate daily stressors and crises. These professionals include home and health care workers, licensed counselors, social workers, after-school care providers, case managers for refugee families and homeless outreach workers. More than helpers, they are lifelines. Yet, due to inadequate public funding and alarmingly low wages, these 'essential' workers are pushed to the brink. Despite the vital nature of their work, front-line human service workers in Illinois and across the nation are underpaid and undervalued. The portion of Illinois' general revenue fund allocated to human services is 25% lower than it was 27 years ago. Chronic underfunding depresses wages, threatening not just the workers but also the essential services that safeguard the well-being of hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans. The economic impact of the human services sector cannot be overstated. In 2016, it equaled $4.5 billion in Illinois. Adjusted for inflation, that figure should have risen to $5.6 billion by 2023. Yet, service providers struggle with stagnant government reimbursement rates that fail to keep pace with rising costs. Reimbursement rates that determine how much the government repays nonprofit organizations providing human services have been woefully inadequate, leaving organizations with a funding gap that has devastating consequences: service reductions, high turnover and professionals working long hours for wages barely above minimum wage. The impact is real — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago recently walked away from 75 government contracts totaling $24 million because the actual costs on the organization amounted to $36 million, resulting in 300 eliminated positions. The instability driven by inadequate government reimbursement rates must end. That is why we are championing the Support Living Wages, Thriving Communities resolution (HR151 / SR123) to demand fair pay for front-line human service workers. The reality for many workers in this sector is stark, a truth deeply understood by those with experience on the front lines. We have worked in the human services sector — Rep. Avelar providing legal assistance to low-income immigrants and Rep. LaPointe in case management and homeless street outreach — and we understand firsthand the financial struggles front-line workers face. A survey released in 2024 by Illinois Partners for Human Service found that 82% of human service workers do not earn a living wage; 56% struggle to afford housing, and 50% have difficulty affording food. Among single-income households with children — most of whom are women — 92% do not earn a living wage. Those who dedicate themselves to caring for others should not have to choose between paying rent, buying groceries or seeking medical care. Without increased government funding, we risk losing a significant portion of our human service workforce to higher-paying industries. Two-thirds of surveyed workers have considered leaving due to financial stress. If they leave, who will care for aging parents, provide therapy to children in crisis or support individuals with disabilities? These services are not luxuries; they are necessities. As elected officials, we have a duty to advocate for increased state funding for human services and higher wages for front-line workers. Reimbursement rates, state grants, contracts and minimum overhead allowances must keep pace with rising costs. Furthermore, state funding must allow human service employers to pay a livable wage with annual cost-of-living adjustments, without increasing caseloads or reducing services. This is not just a workers' rights issue — it is a looming societal crisis. The 2015-2017 Illinois budget impasse under Gov. Bruce Rauner devastated human service providers, slashing support for nearly 1 million residents and causing widespread job losses. Those cuts disproportionately harmed low-income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities. While today's crisis has been a slow and sometimes invisible simmer, primarily borne by underpaid essential workers, we refuse to repeat past mistakes. Investing in human services is fundamental to our collective future. The struggles of those who dedicate their lives to caring for others cannot be ignored. Action must be taken now. With fair wages and adequate funding, we can build a stronger, more resilient Illinois — one that truly values the well-being of every individual. State Rep. Dagmara 'Dee' Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, represents the 85th District, and Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, represents the 19th District.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Groom in Tears After Bride Recreates His Favorite Scene from 'She's All That 'During Wedding Ceremony! (Exclusive)
Kelly Hazen married Christian Avelar on July 3, 2024 at Liberty House in Jersey City, New Jersey During their wedding ceremony, the bride surprised the groom by recreating the heartfelt staircase scene from his favorite romantic comedy . Hazen secretly had the DJ switch her wedding processional song to the 1999 movie scene's song, "Kiss Me" "I also started tearing up myself," Hazen tells PEOPLE. "I blew him a kiss from the top of the aisle once I could see that he realized the surprise" A groom couldn't help but cry when his bride surprised him during their wedding ceremony. When Kelly Hazen, 32, tied the knot with Christian Avelar, 32, on July 3, 2024 at Liberty House in Jersey City, New Jersey, she wanted to make the day extra special for him. So she surprised him by recreating an iconic scene from his favorite '90s rom-com. Videographer Kevin Fonash with Fonash Studios captured the heartwarming moment Hazen's wedding processional song switched from Disclosure's "You & Me (Flume Remix)" to Sixpence None The Richer's "Kiss Me." "I thought at first maybe the DJ messed up the songs," Avelar tells PEOPLE. "Once the song started playing and I saw Kel start smiling I realized — she's playing Laney Boggs' song!" Related: 'She's All That' : See the Cast of the Teen Classic Then and Now Romantic comedy classic She's All That follows high school hotshot Zach Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.) agreeing to the seemingly impossible challenge of transforming nerdy outcast Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) into the school's next prom queen in just six weeks. When "the new, not improved, but different" Boggs is revealed, Siler is left in awe as she walks down a staircase. "Kiss Me" was playing during the 1999 movie scene. "That's how I always pictured seeing my future wife before coming down the aisle," Avelar says. In the wedding video, which now has more than 2 million views on TikTok, Hazen stands at the top of a staircase with her original wedding song playing. Avelar's expression changes from happiness to confusion when the song suddenly switches to "Kiss Me." The bride locks eyes with the groom, who quickly realizes the song's significance and smiles tearfully. Like Boggs, Hazen left Avelar in awe as she gracefully walked down the steps in her stunning dress. "I also started tearing up myself," Hazen tells PEOPLE. "I blew him a kiss from the top of the aisle once I could see that he realized the surprise." She adds: "Our wedding guests picked up on the '90s rom-com cue — one guest said to me, 'That was so cute! I started falling in love with you at the top of the stairs too!' " She then made her way down the aisle, accompanied by her father, to "Canon in D." Hazen had been planning the sweet surprise for four months, with only DJ Ridd from Baseline Productions in on the secret. "A couple months into wedding planning I told my now-husband, Christian, I don't think I have ever seen She's All That from start to finish, only bits and pieces. He was so insistent it was a classic and I HAD to see it," Hazen recalls. "Once I saw his reaction to the scene, I knew the song for the ceremony intro would be perfect." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Hazen and Avelar's love story would also make for a great rom-com. The two met in sixth grade math class at Frelinghuysen Middle School in New Jersey in 2003. Their friendship blossomed into romance during their teenage years at Morristown High School when they had "nearly the same schedule" junior year. "We fell in love flirting in Italian class and joking around together in Social Studies before graduating together in June 2010," Hazen says. Related: Bride Leaves Groom in Tears at Altar After She Secretly Changed the Song She Walked Down the Aisle to (Exclusive) But it wasn't until Hazen graduated from Kent State University in Ohio in May 2014 and moved back to her home state that she reconnected with Avelar. The pair started hanging out to watch soccer games, and had their first date on July 12, 2014 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. "The rest is history," she says. "We got engaged July 3, 2021 and got married exactly three years later on July 3, 2024." Read the original article on People
