South Side Chicagoans may soon access timely trauma care thanks to joint efforts between community leaders and lawmakers encouraging the medical community to address years of protest.

"This is a big win for the South Side. Years of protest and state hearings have helped this come into fruition," said State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), who spearheaded a first-of-its-kind state hearing on the lack of trauma centers in poorer neighborhoods.

 Former wards of the state will soon have access to internships and potential employment opportunities. A youth employment jobs plan, creating the Foster Youth Summer Internship Program, was signed into law today.

“Our at-risk youth face the harsh challenges of either finding employment or facing joblessness, homelessness and even incarceration. Preventing a pipeline to prison will empower our future leaders and grow our economy,” said State Senator Mattie Hunter, the bill’s sponsor.

A 2011 Northwestern University study showed Illinois had the third largest number of youth in the country who were aging out of the foster care system without parental support at 21 percent.

Over the weekend, several hundred Chicago youth, adults and seniors attended State Senator Mattie Hunter’s 12th Annual Health, Fun and Fitness Fair on the South Side. Free health services and back-to-school supplies were offered.

Mourning families joined the Hunter family for commemorative balloon releases for violence prevention and breast cancer awareness. Hunter released pink balloons with Carolyn Adams’ family, the namesake of the Carolyn Adams Ticket for the Cure, in honor of those who lost loved ones to breast cancer. Gatherers released red balloons alongside the Hunter family while calling out the names of victims of violence.

A new act to protect medically-complex individuals with developmental disabilities was recently signed into law. State Senator Mattie Hunter’s initiative ensures residents in specialized care facilities will be afforded the opportunity to address issues that are unique and distinct to their population.

“Residents with life-long developmental disabilities receive care from as young as three months to 75 years of age,” said Hunter, a career advocate for public health and human services. “Protecting the ten specialized facilities across Illinois will make sure patients receive better care.”