Dear Community,

Starting in 2019, Chicago Community Bond Fund decided to close for five days annually to give staff a chance to rest and rejuvenate. This year, CCBF will be closed August 1-5th for what is now known as Staff Wellness Week. Traveling, spending time with loved ones, visiting amusement parks, and returning to personal projects are just some of the plans on our team’s radar. Most importantly, nearly everyone plans to take a good nap, or five! 

CCBF is aware of how the non-profit industrial complex exploits employees and volunteers’ passions and political commitments, and we seek to dismantle that by prioritizing wellness through generous paid time off, equitable pay, and curating intentional spaces for reflection and imagination. Our team is composed primarily of Black, Indigenous, and people of color, many of whom are from communities constantly facing overcriminalization and incarceration. It is rare that we get to carve out time to focus on well-being and cultivating joy, and not just survival. 

We are all working through a global pandemic while navigating (and disrupting) the prison industrial complex and its inaccessible, bureaucratic systems. Many of us are also involved in activism and organizing in addition to our work at CCBF. We are parents, caregivers, and active community members. As much as we show up for others, we also have to show up for ourselves. That said, a week of rest is the least CCBF can do for our team.

Thank you for giving us space for honesty and transparency. We appreciate your patience as our team spends the next few days preparing for the office closure. There will be a manager on call* to respond to urgent emails, but please expect a delay in response time. The team will return to the office on Monday, August 8, and will respond to emails and inquiries as soon as they are available. 

In solidarity,

Chicago Community Bond Fund 

*Don’t worry, this person will adjust their schedule accordingly so they also have five days with no interruptions.