<p>Joey Thurman:<br />Welcome back to Talking Cities Aurora, I'm Joey Thurman.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />And I'm Nicole Astra. Joey, how was your birthday? What was your favorite gift?<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />My gifts. I mean, yes I got actual gifts, but running around with my son doing a treasure hunt at the end, I got a jacket and some shoes, and it was nice to see how excited he was for me.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Yes, birthdays are always more fun when there's a little one around.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Yeah, they are, right?<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Even if you're turning 39.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />That's fine, I'll take it. I look great.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is getting a big boost to his campaign from the CEO of a Chicago investment firm. Ken Griffin announced he's donating $20 million to Irvin's bid for governor. Griffin is a billionaire running Citadel, a firm with $46 billion in investment capital. He says that he is supporting Irvin because the policies of governor JB Pritzker are hurting his firm and other Illinois businesses.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />And get ready to see more developments along the Fox River. The City of Aurora approved another residential deal that would be located on the west side of the river. The $53 million deal will have 160 rental units, including 140 apartments and 20 town homes. This development, plus the recent approval with DAP will bring more than 400 new residential units to the area.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />400.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />That's a lot.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />We need more big businesses then to come to Aurora. So we have so much to offer, but that's a lot of housing going in lately.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />I would like to see it get filled up, but I have the same question you do. I mean, who's going to be living there?<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Yeah, kind of I know they are expecting a reverse commute, maybe some of the people closer to the city will be joining us in Aurora soon.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Maybe.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Juneteenth is now paid holiday for the City of Aurora. Last week mayor Irvin was joined by black staff and city council members during the signing of the new resolution. The holiday goes into effect this year.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Joining us now at the table is Diane Moca.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />Thank you Nicole.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />It's funny because we've known each other a little bit longer, I did a segment and then we actually did one with your own app as well. And fast forward, you are a business reporter now.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />That's right. I found out about it through the story you did. I contacted our CEO Jimmy Allen, said I love what you're doing here with this community news, and then I started doing it myself and it's journalism with capital J, which is what I love.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Yes, now she's stuck with us.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />Yes.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Tell us what you're working on.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />So the Annual Health Fair, actually it is coming back. The Aurora African American Health Coalition has been putting on the fair for more than a decade, offering annual screenings and doctor consultations to underserved communities. After skipping the past two years because of COVID organizers are making some changes to be able to have that fair this summer. I sat down with coalition volunteers Cynthia Miller and Markisha Woodson to get details about the fair and about a program that helps those impacted by COVID.<br /><br />Cynthia Miller:<br />The Annual Health fair, they have done the blood test, blood pressure has been taken, and so therefore these things that people may not have gone in to do.<br /><br />Markisha Woodson:<br />Well I know with the health fair one of the things that we get as Miss Cynthia said was a lot of people don't see physicians regularly, and they wait for this health fair. And when they get their screenings and their urine analysis, and they're able to connect with someone and talk to someone about what's going on with them, and that's been significant because that health fair is the only time they see a primary care physician.<br /><br />Cynthia Miller:<br />We are looking at having it outside, the majority of it outside, those lab things that have to be done, we're looking for a venue that will also allow us to have inside and outside spaces at the same time. So therefore we would be able to do what we've done in the past, although everything wouldn't be right in one area. So that's the most exciting thing.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />Yeah. And so you may have some vaccine available?<br /><br />Cynthia Miller:<br />Yes.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />You may have some testing available, and this is a way to do this in the community so people don't have to go to a clinic or a hospital to get this done. And I understand that you've done such a good job with outreach that you've been able to tap into a program, the Pandemic Health Navigator Program, and that is what you Markisha Woodson are supervising now, and so explain to me what that program is and how it came to be in Aurora.<br /><br />Markisha Woodson:<br />So what our role has mainly been is to address that disparity that you see in minority populations in terms of the resources that have been limited due to COVID. So we work with individuals that have been impacted by COVID, either they tested positive or isolating because of it, or in quarantine, have to take care of kids and things like that. We've helped people get connected to have their rent paid, to have their utilities paid. We have delivered a lot of groceries to families who aren't able to get out and do it themselves, or just financially aren't able to have that because of the impact of COVID. We've also made sure that we've got masks out to the community. We've hosted vaccine clinics. We've been delivering diapers and medicines. We've helped people make sure they get their prescriptions filled if they didn't have the means to do it. So just being able to be a support for people in a time of need and looking at those different metrics has made a significant impact.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />How did the pandemic impact communities of color more significantly, and do you think that has changed over time since the beginning of the pandemic because there's programs like this, and because there's awareness of that.<br /><br />Markisha Woodson:<br />I would like to say it has changed, but it hasn't. Health disparities are not new. I think what the pandemic did was just shed more of a light onto it where you could no longer deny that it was happening, because it was in your face. Just in December alone we have helped over a hundred families get resources. January was also a significant month where we helped a lot of families. We've gotten handwritten letters to the CHWs that are just, and that's community health workers, that are just like, thank you. Thank you for answering, thank you for listening, thank you for helping me figure it out. But I love seeing the ones that call them god sends, and one of them was called an angel. So I was like that's nice. So they spend a lot of time talking to people in addition to giving in those resources and people have been isolated for a long time, so that's huge.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />That program was originally scheduled to end last year but funding from the state was renewed so it could extend into this year.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />As for the fair it's usually held in March but this year it will be in June though no date or location has been locked in yet. When it's finalized of course we'll share that info with you through Talking Cities Aurora.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Thank you so much Diane. I'm Joey Thurman.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />And I'm Nicole Astra.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />And I'm Diane mocha.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />I like that, three as a team.<br /><br />Diane Moca:<br />That's right.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />We'll see you next time.</p>