Another year is coming to an end, and as we look back, we can’t help but rejoice in appreciation of the significant progress we have made. We would like to thank all our supporters, donors, partners, volunteers, friends and TRP staff for your hard work, loyalty, and continued commitment during these past 12 months; without you, none of this would be possible!

While this has been a year of uncertainty and change, and we know there are further challenges ahead, we end 2016 standing taller, with our hope for a better future intact. In a year marked by strong partnerships, collaborations and growth for our organization, our job remained the same: we continued to work for the empowerment of the communities we serve.

Special highlights of the milestones we achieved include the opening of Casa Hidalgo, TRP’s first full-service office in the Back of the Yards neighborhood; the acquisition of Casa del Sol, the only Single Room Occupancy operating in Pilsen, granting affordable housing to underserved community members; and the preservation and reopening of Casa Heritage, featuring the rehabilitation of 142 units of affordable rental housing in Melrose Park. The completion of these projects has meant so much for so many deserving individuals and families, and it has taught us to aim even higher on the road ahead.

We have also thrived with the many programs that our departmental teams have spearheaded throughout the year. We hosted a Camp Out for Peace event to fight violence in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Twenty community organizations united for the event and 200 community leaders and residents attended the vigil to honor the victims of gun violence. Also, along with The Chicago Sunday Evening Club, we hosted an On the Table Panel Discussion with Latina mothers who lost children to gang violence.

The turnout and success of these events proved that our work in grassroots peace movements is deeply needed and welcomed. Lastly, through our immigration services department, we have and will continue to work with our partners and elected officials to ensure the preservation of the rights and dreams of millions of immigrants.

As with everything in life, the New Year will bring a mix of successes to celebrate and challenges to overcome, but our commitment is unwavering and our motivation is so deep and so strong that we cannot look back, only forward. A renewed sense of enthusiasm about the future is inevitable as we chart our Vision 2020 course.

This strategic plan entails the expansion of our model so that it has as much or more impact in the next five years than it’s had in the last 25. We know this is an ambitious goal, but the wellbeing of our communities will be our inspiration.

It’s for them and for you that we must look forward to all the milestones we can achieve together, as we start to pave the way towards a healthier and happier 2017!

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Raul I. Raymundo, CEO, The Resurrection Project

Fr. Charles W. Dahm, Chairman, TRP Board of Directors