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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CONGRATULATING CENTRO ROMERO ON ITS 35TH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, Centro Romero is a community-based, non-for-profit organization that serves the communities of Edgewater, Rogers Park, and Uptown on the northeast side of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero was founded in 1984 by Daysi J. Funes and Jose Manuel Ventura to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing Latino immigrant and refugee populations; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero was named in honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero, a Salvadoran Roman Catholic cleric who was killed while celebrating Mass in San Salvador in 1980 for his outspoken defense of human rights of his native Salvadorans during its long civil war; and
WHEREAS, the mission of Centro Romero is to empower those with the fewest options in the immigrant and refugee community by developing and strengthening the family unit, fostering community leadership and providing quality social and adjustment services; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, Centro Romero’s staff, with the help of 408 volunteers, provided 11,983 service hours, and empowered 13,695 people; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero’s Family Services Program is comprised of services that promote the development of healthy families and together serve 8,991 individuals; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero’s Youth Program, 69 children between the ages of 6 through 13 attend an intensive age specific after-school project that includes academic support, tutoring, recreational activities, and field trips to museums, and 23 older youth attend the BRAVE program, a violence prevention initiative; and
WHEREAS, additionally, 1,050 youth ages 8 to 17 participate in organized summer street activities, and 790 children and adults attend special events such as monthly educational workshops; and
WHEREAS, the Domestic Violence Project serves 131 women with individual counseling and group support, including 14 by means of court advocacy; and
WHEREAS, a total of 1,727 family members benefited from accessing public benefits programs; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero helps provide training on the importance of preventive health care measures and the availability of health care services through outreach activities: organizing community education projects, seminars, workshops, and health fairs; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero also has a New Americans Initiative which helps 479 immigrants eligible for citizenship, and the Community Navigators Program educated 3,047 immigrants about their rights, and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero’s Legal Services Program served 2,881 clients with immigration and naturalization issues, helping them become Legal Permanent Residents, citizens and processed renewal applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero’s work in the Adult Education Program helps adults with English as a Second Language (ESL), General Educational Development (GED), citizenship preparation classes and vocational training for a healthcare careers, as well as one-to-one tutoring in a volunteer literacy program, and job-readiness training.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The Cook County Board President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby congratulate Centro Romero on its 35th Anniversary.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, this text be spread upon the proceedings of this Honorable Body and that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Centro Romero in honor of its outstanding community work and may continue servicing the community.
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