Newsroom

Published: August 20, 2012 The Resurrection Project and La Casa were featured in a Chicago Sun-Times article Marlen Garcia. The article can be read in its entirety here. Meanwhile, Crain’s Chicago Business continued to follow the developing story regarding the FDIC’s decision to sell Second Federal Savings Bank to Wintrust Financial Corporation. A letter written by Raul Raymundo, CEO of TRP, was published today in the Letters to the Editor. The letter can be read here.

Published: August 16, 2012 Dear TRP Friends and Supporters, The Resurrection Project reiterates its extreme disappointment at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) irresponsible decision to give away family deposits at Second Federal Savings & Loan Association to Wintrust. The statements released by the FDIC on August 14, 2012 are misleading and demonstrate the FDIC’s disregard of its statutory requirement to take reasonable steps to preserve minority banking institutions. The FDIC claims that it selected Wintrust’s bid over that of community partners The Resurrection Project, Self-Help Credit Union, and One Pacific because it was more “competitive.” Wintrust placed a lower bid of only $100,000. Our bid was over eight times that of Wintrust as we offered a bid for the deposits ($860,000) and another bid for the loans. The FDIC did not release any information indicating that it would accept deposit-only bids. I can only speculate that many more bids would have been submitted if the FDIC released that it was solely evaluating deposit-only bids. The FDIC’s estimated loss is completely subjective because Wintrust didn’t submit a bid for the loans and our community partnership submitted the only bid that they received for the loan portfolio. The FDIC is relying on a theoretical valuation to estimate that Wintrust’s bid was more “competitive.” 

Published: August 14, 2012 Dear Friends and Supporters, Today, an article in Crain’s Chicago Business voiced our discontent with the decision and lack of transparency by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) regarding their actions with Second Federal Savings Bank. We feel that the FDIC’s decision recklessly places Latino families on Chicago’s Southwest side at risk. The entire article can be read here. The FDIC essentially gave away Second Federal Savings Bank’s deposits—totaling $175.9 million—to Wintrust Financial Corporation for $100,000 despite a higher bid made by The Resurrection Project, One Pacific Community Bank, and Self Help Credit Union. Wintrust also declined to purchase Second Federal Savings’ $150 million in mortgage loans made to predominantly Latino families. These loans will now be auctioned off by the FDIC, and potentially expose thousands of Latino homeowners to a new wave of predatory lenders.

By Ulises Silva Published: August 8, 2012 On Tuesday, August 7, 2012, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL 4th District) came to The Resurrection Project (TRP) to hold a press conference to urge undocumented youth to attend the August 15 DREAM Relief Day Workshop organized by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) at Chicago’s Navy Pier. They also cautioned undocumented youth and their families from engaging unscrupulous attorneys and notary public officials seeking to exploit them. They were joined by two undocumented Latino youth whose stories served to inform and inspire the nearly 60 undocumented youth in attendance who would benefit directly from the DREAM Relief Day Workshop. The press conference was covered by WBEZ, Univision, WGN, KBC, and Telemundo.

by Julio Guerrero Published: March 5, 2012 Chicago, Illinois—March 5, 2012— Today, The Resurrection Project—joined by students, State Representative Edward Acevedo, State Senator Tony Muñoz, Alderman Danny Solis, Billy Ocasio, university administrators, and community leaders—held a press conference launching La Casa. The Resurrection Project announced that it is now accepting inquiries and applications for La Casa Student Housing. In addition, The Resurrection Project announced a social media competition whereby students can win a scholarship with one free year of housing at La Casa. For additional information about applying to La Casa or submitting an entry to the social media campaign, please visit: www.lacasastudenthousing.org. The event was covered by ABC7, Univision, WBEZ, and several other media outlets.

by Alex Morales Published: November 14, 2011 On September 7 Instituto Del Progreso Latino (IDPL) opened the doors of its Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy, a new charter high school that will pave the way for the next generation doctors, nurses, informatics professionals, and bio-technicians. The high school serves 600 Chicago youth in grades 9 to 12. The Resurrection Project was the lead developer on this $22 million project for IDPL. The Resurrection Project helped Instituto transform a 77,000 square foot warehouse at 2520 South Western Avenue into a 100,000 square foot, state of the art educational facility. The project involved the adaptive reuse of the existing facility and the addition of a new construction structure adjacent to the building.

by Alex Morales Published: November 14, 2011 We are proud to announce that in August 2011 The Resurrection Project began construction of La Casa, an innovative community-based dormitory in Pilsen that will serve 105 college students with housing, internships, and mentorship programs. The project is currently under construction at the intersection of 18th Street and Paulina Street. La Casa is a 6-story, 33,000 square feet building. The First floor structure will house a student educational resource center, recreational space, and commercial space.  The project will also have a lounge area, fitness area, classroom, and meeting space. The structure will feature ample glass curtain wall systems and vegetative green roofs.

by Alex Morales Published: November 14, 2011 Happiness naturally follows through giving and sharing, but Harry’s pathway to happiness was interrupted by obstacles that forced him to make life-changing decisions.  Born in New York’s Spanish Harlem in 1953 to Puerto Rican immigrant parents Harry has been a dedicated community volunteer since he was a teen and through his studies at Princeton University. After graduating from college he continued serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea and later as a Peace Corps recruiter in Chicago in 1981. Chicago offered him a chance to be civically engaged by working and volunteering in the Latino community at different local non-profit organizations where he taught English as a Second Language. Life was rewarding, productive and stable until Harry’s health began to decay.

by Alex Morales Published: July 15, 2011 On June 22, 2011 The Resurrection Project was selected by the Advisory Board of the Chase Community Giving campaign to receive an extra $43,000 award for building La Casa - the nation's first community-based student housing development - bringing the total award of $68,000! TRP thanks Chase Bank for their generous support!  

by Alex Morales Published: July 15, 2011 On Wednesday May 4, 2011 The Resurrection Project, Casa Juan Diego, the IL Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Cooper Dual Language Academy celebrated the graduation of the first Civic 2.0 class. The Civic 2.0 classes are designed to introduce community members to basic computer use, from turning on a system and operating a mouse to surfing the web and using email. The Civic 2.0 classes are part of the SmartChicago initiative which is currently bridging the digital divide in our communities via classes and community workshops.

by Alex Morales Published: July 13, 2011 On June 11 & 12, 2011 The Resurrection Project (TRP) - in partnership with the Alliance for Stabilizing Our Communities, led by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR, the National Urban League (NUL), and the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD), with the support of Bank of America— hosted a free Home Rescue Fair at Casa Esperanza in Melrose Park, Ill.  Loan specialists, housing counselors, and attorneys provided intensive counseling and offered home retention strategies through workshops and in-language assistance to 199 Illinois families facing financial hardship.

by Alex Morales Published: April 7, 2011 Sandy Guzman has been able to achieve her goals and, at 28 years old she continues pursuing life improving opportunities thanks to the Mujer Avanzando program. Her difficulties started when she became a mother at the early age of 18, as she was still in her junior year of high school living with her parents. After her first child was born she continued going to school but it was difficult to manage her time between school, being a mother, being in a romantic relationship and also maintaining a part time job as a bookstore cashier. Her days will start early, as she would take her son to daycare then go to school, pick him up, drop him off at her parents place and then going to work until 9pm, with very little time to spend with her kids and her partner. A year after having her first child, she became pregnant with a second child, moved in with her partner to raise the kids but due to her responsibilities her relationship started deteriorate. This unstable situation led to other more serious problems ultimately escalating into domestic violence.