Lake County’s congressional reps look to make services more accessible; ‘(That) ensures that Illinois families have someone nearby fighting for them’

Members of Congress who represent parts of Lake County — three of the four are new since January — are making their services more accessible with help from a variety of cooperative organizations and the internet.

Along with his Lincolnshire district office, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, has weekly office hours in Waukegan and Round Lake Park, as well as multiple dates set aside in three other parts of the county from Deerfield to Zion to Fox Lake.

“Having accessible local offices ensures that Illinois families have someone nearby fighting for them when they are dealing with the federal government,” Schneider said in an email.

Making use of virtual office hours representing a sprawling district, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, has his district headquarters in Aurora. New to Lake County residents, he said in an email he lets constituents know about virtual office hours on his website.

or in-person, Zoom and mobile office hours to make it more convenient and accessible for constituents to get the assistance they need,” Foster, whose district includes a portion of Lake County, including Volo and Wauconda, said in an email.

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston, and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, are both new to people in Lake County as well. They are seeking places to send staff for office hours in their respective new areas.

Schneider, Quigley, Schakowsky and Foster are finding ways or seeking opportunities to work closely with constituents as close as possible to the residents’ Lake County homes to help them with situations the federal government oversees.

All four representatives said in their emails areas where people need assistance include Medicare, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, immigration, federal taxes, passports and the United States Postal Service.

Both Schakowsky and Quigley, who represent parts of Chicago and suburban Cook County as well as their portions of Lake County, said lately passports are important to residents. Quigley said problems with the mail are a key concern.

Representing the major portion of Lake County, Schneider’s redrawn district — including all of Waukegan, North Chicago, Gurnee and Zion — extends along the Wisconsin state line from Lake Michigan into McHenry County. It hugs the shore to Lake Cook Road, goes west to eastern Buffalo Grove and then northwest on a jagged path through Mundelein and Fox Lake to other northwestern portions of the county.

Constituents seeking services from Schneider’s office can find a staff member at the Avon Township Center in Round Lake Park between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesdays and at the Waukegan Township office between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. each Monday.

Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones said he makes his office building available not only to Schneider but also to state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center and Coalition Legal providing free legal services for people seeking to seal or expunge records.

“Providing a multitude of resources in one place instead of different places is very convenient for people,” Jones said. “All of us provide services people need.”

Along with his locations in Waukegan and Round Lake Park, Schneider’s office plans office hours between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. May 18 and June 1 at the Deerfield Public Library, between 2 and 4 p.m. at the Fox Lake District Library May 26 and June 9 and between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. May 24 and June 7 at the Zion-Benton Public Library.

With her district officer in Skokie, Schakowsky said in an email her staff holds office hours in Fox River Grove. She is looking to secure a place for office hours at a library in the Lake County portion of the 9th Congressional District.

“We are here to help, no matter your political party or beliefs,” Schakowsky said in the email. “Often, my team and I are able to make a couple phone calls and save you a lot of time and stress. We will personally cut through the problems for you.”

When her office cannot solve the problem, Schakowsky said her staff will connect people directly with the appropriate government office. She represents a portion of Buffalo Grove, Tower Lakes and Hawthorn Woods.

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley talks about the election voting equipment and the importance of being an election judge with media, during a polling place training session at Block 37 at State St., in Chicago, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Quigley, who now represents Long Grove, Kildeer, Deer Park, the Barrington area and Lake Zurich, keeps his main office on Chicago’s North Side and holds office hours every other month between 9:30 a.m. and noon at the Des Plaines Library. The next one is June 13.

Though Quigley said help is also available online, he makes an effort to get around the district as does his staff because that is the best way to assist constituents in a variety of situations.

“I also recognize that not every constituent can access the internet to send an email or visit my website, which is why I make a point of being out in the community as often as possible,” Quigley said in an email.