by Ulises Silva Photos by: Jan Terry - Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago How big of an impact would integrating 11 million undocumented immigrants into the national economy have? Big enough that a group of bipartisan business leaders, business groups, trade associations, and immigrant rights groups came together to form the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition (IBIC) to aggressively push both parties of Congress to pass common sense immigration reform. IBIC officially announced its formation on April 2, 2013 at a press event with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Doug Oberhelman, Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar, Inc., a Fortune 500® company headquartered in Illinois. “Comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue,” said Mayor Emanuel at the event. “It’s time to put partisanship aside and focus on the economic contributions that immigrants have made through our history in building our urban centers and strengthening our economy.”

By Angelica Cruz On March 26, 2013, hundreds of children held up handmade butterflies, many of them reading simple messages like, keep families together and families united can never be divided. This was the Children’s March to support comprehensive immigration reform, and it made a powerful statement to local legislators. Volunteers from The Resurrection Project joined hundreds of U.S. children and their families for the Children’s March in support of fair comprehensive immigration reform. The march began at Millennium Park and ended at the offices of Senators Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin.

by Alex Morales On Saturday March 23, 2013, The Resurrection Project (TRP) participated in the State of Illinois’ Homebuyer Expo that took place at the Illinois Institute of Technology campus. Organized by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), the event offered a variety of loan solutions that combined affordable mortgages and as much as $10,000 in down payment and closing costs assistance for first-time homebuyers. The Homebuyer Expo was created to help families understand the options available to them as prospective homebuyers, and of the products and services that could help them achieve their dreams. Buying a home helps a family build wealth, but it also benefits the local economy. For example, according to the Illinois Association of Realtors, 500 homes purchased supports 250 full-time jobs and generates almost $20 million in economic activity.

Photos and story by Diana Hinojosa The purchase of a first home can be a daunting task for any couple. Such was the case for Jesse Iniguez and Claudia Guzman, who were on the verge of giving up on the idea after a hard struggle. They’d been told by one organization that their debt-to-income ratio did not meet their requirements. They sought help from another non-profit organization but it also proved a dead end. “There were always issues,” says Claudia, issues that put the dream of buying a home on the back burner seemingly for good. But then Jesse and Claudia heard about The Resurrection Project’s (TRP) step-by-step home purchase program at an outreach meeting. It was there that they began to believe that, this time, they would finally be able to find a decent, affordable home and qualify for a loan.

by Diana Hinojosa Like many couples, Luis and Lucila Ortegon had dreams of retiring comfortably and spending their golden years in the company of their loved ones. So they packed up their things and immigrated to the United States to be closer to their children. Upon arrival, they invested their entire life savings in a down payment toward a house. As Lucila sits in her rocking chair, she tells of the countless memories their home holds for them and of how happy they are to have a place that echoes with the laughter of their grandchildren. “Now, we are content and at ease,” she says. But four years ago, this was hardly the case.

by Ulises Silva When concerned neighbors committed $30,000 to establish The Resurrection Project in 1990, even they couldn’t have imagined that, 23 years later, the organization would be part of a unique partnership to rescue a local bank—and potentially the thousands of people the bank had served. But that’s exactly what happened when Second Federal Savings (SFS) was being liquidated by the FDIC.

by Ulises Silva Run-down. Often-troubled. Unsafe. These are words often used to describe the Back of the Yards neighborhood in the southwest side of Chicago. But 23 years ago, the same words were used to describe Pilsen. Watch our five-year anniversary video for a glimpse of what Pilsen once looked like. Listen to the words used to describe it. Run-down. Often-troubled. Unsafe. These are words at odds with how Pilsen is described today.

Story and photos by Lyndsi Barboza The Resurrection Project (TRP) is proud to announce the continuation and expansion of its education enrichment programming—Early-Childhood Education Transition (ECET)—into Pilsen’s Cooper Elementary School. Launching with one classroom consisting of 20 students, ECET focuses on providing quality full-day early-childhood education for children and families most in need.

Photo by Eric Young Smith. La Casa Student Housing received another important accolade at the…

by Ulises Silva Trying something before buying it can sometimes make an important…