title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CELEBRATING CENTRO ROMERO ON THEIR 40TH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, Centro Romero is a community-based, not-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 the 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, Centro Romero’s Family Services Program is comprised of services that promote the development of healthy families; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero’s Youth Program allows children between the ages of 6 through 13 to attend an intensive age-specific after-school project that includes academic support, tutoring, recreational activities, and field trips to museums, and older youth attend the BRAVE program, a violence prevention initiative; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero’s Domestic Violence Project serves women with individual counseling and group support; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero has been able to help more than 10,000 family members benefit from accessing public benefits programs; and
WHEREAS, Centro Romero’s Legal Services Program served more than 10,000 clients with immigration and naturalization issues, helping them become Legal Permanent Residents, and citizens and processing 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 healthcare careers, as well as one-to-one tutoring in a volunteer literacy program, and job-readiness training; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, Centro Romero’s staff of 60, with the help of 241 volunteers provided 5,920 service hours and empowered 34,644 clients across three programs, including 24,041 persons educated in community education activities; and
WHEREAS, in 2024 alone, Centro Romero supported nearly 2,000 new arrivals, with a total of close to 6,700 newly arrived migrants assisted since buses began arriving in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, for 40 years, Centro Romero’s mission has been to empower immigrants and refugees with the fewest options by supporting and enhancing family units, promoting community leadership, and offering social and adjustment services.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby congratulate Centro Romero on its 40th Anniversary; and
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
end