Northern Illinoisans have been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of workers are unemployed or facing reduced hours, families are struggling to make ends meet, students and teachers are navigating online learning, and many have lost loved ones to this virus. This is a crisis that has impacted every single person in our community — no one has been spared.

In the coming months, as promising COVID-19 vaccinations become available, we must all do our part to keep our community safe and set our economy up for success as we rebuild together. But let’s be clear: a vaccine isn’t the end. The hard truth is that we’re in for a long road of recovery.

Recently, the House and Senate passed a fifth bipartisan coronavirus relief package. While this legislation does not provide the long-term relief included in the Heroes Act that the House passed twice earlier this year, it does include important provisions that will put us on a path toward recovery. This includes funding to safely and quickly distribute a vaccine and additional testing, send direct payments to individuals and families, extend unemployment insurance, and help small businesses and local employers, including non-profits and cultural institutions like museums and theaters.

As we look ahead, families will still need help — and even more so as they have been forced to suffer months too long without assistance. And it doesn’t stop with coronavirus relief. This crisis has put a bright spotlight on problems that existed long before this pandemic. Quality, affordable childcare is out of reach for too many working families, health care is too expensive, and women are carrying too much of a burden across our economy. The good news is, there are solutions with broad support from experts and the public — the House has passed them, and it’s long past time for the Senate to do their work.

As we rebuild our economy, we must do so in a way that addresses longstanding investment gaps in our rural economy to ensure Illinois farmers, producers, and small businesses can succeed. Before this pandemic, the rural economy was already struggling due to the president’s unsustainable trade war. The turnover of a presidential administration alone will not fix this crisis. We must support our rural economy by delivering financial relief to farmers who have not been able to sell their products due to no fault of their own. We must also make investments that ensure our rural communities have the infrastructure and jobs required to participate in the modern economy, including broadband internet. As a member of the House Task Force on Rural Broadband, I will keep working to ensure the Federal Communications Commission implements policies to improve broadband maps and reliable internet access in northern Illinois. Future economic relief packages and infrastructure investments must have inclusive broadband policies that allow everyone to fully participate in e-learning, commerce and recreation.

Supporting a strong economy in Northern Illinois also means delivering federal resources to Illinoisans, and I’m delivering just that. Since taking office in 2019, I have voted to support programs that have brought over $1 billion in federal funding to our communities and recovered over $12 million for people in the 14th District seeking help with matters including veterans’ benefits, tax refunds, and Social Security. A constituent from Island Lake reached out to my office seeking help to receive back-due Social Security benefits. In less than one week, my team pinpointed the paperwork glitch holding back the payment and delivered more than $41,000 in benefits to the constituent. There are people all over our community who need help, and I’m here to be a resource to cut through the red tape of federal agencies; this is your money, and I’m here to help. In fact, I’ve invested in additional staff to help bring resources back to Illinoisans. I encourage you to reach out to my office for assistance at (630) 549-2190 or underwood.house.gov.

While the last year has been challenging, this pandemic has only increased my resolve to be accessible, accountable, and transparent to the 14th District — we’ve just had to get a little creative. From online workshops to virtual town halls and telephone town halls, I expanded my reach virtually to connect with you even when we cannot meet in person. It’s always humbling to see so many of you step up to support our community, but this year especially, as you’re also playing so many news roles to get through this hard time. You’ve stepped up, and I will continue to go to bat for you every day in Congress. The next year is going to bring no shortage of challenges, but I’m ready to get to work.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood represents Illinois’ 14th Congressional District.