For 46 years, Primo Center has empowered homeless families to become productive, responsible, and independent members of their community.
Holding true to the values of Primo Center’s founder, the late Bishop Quintin Primo, Jr., the organizations’s goal is to create innovative and transformative programming for some of Chicago’s most vulnerable residents: families experiencing homelessness.
Thanks to your generous support, Primo Center is now Chicago’s largest provider of services to homeless families, helping them regain safety, stability and independence.
Our Mission: Empowering families to become productive, responsible, and independent members of their community.
Impact
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Interim Housing (2 sites) Permanent Supportive Housing (1 site) -
90 permanent supportive/scattered site housing units -
330 shelter beds -
1100+ people served annually -
97% retain stable housing
Our New CEO: Felicia Davis Blakley
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Primo Center for Women and Children and my wife and co-chair, Diane Primo, I am excited to share with you that after a comprehensive search, Felicia Davis Blakley began her tenure as the center’s new CEO on January 22, 2024, succeeding Christine Achre and her 16 years of transformative leadership.
As we bid farewell to Christine, we want to express our deep gratitude for her exemplary contributions. Under her guidance, the Primo Center experienced remarkable growth, with revenues increasing from approximately $500,000 to more than $11 million for this fiscal year. Notably, the center has consistently achieved industry-leading percentages for permanent placement, earning accolades for its service to Chicago’s homeless and under-resourced families. While we are sad to see Christine leave, we remain extremely optimistic about the future of the Primo Center.
Our board believes wholeheartedly that Felicia is the right person to take the organization to the next level. She has proven herself to be a socially conscious executive, who leads with authenticity, passion, and inspirational vision. She is a proven leader in the government, public policy, higher education, and philanthropic sectors who is deeply committed to community. Importantly, she has more than 30 years of professional experience and is passionate about empowering families and creating equitable and sustainable communities, critical to the vision of the Primo Center.
Sincerely,
Quintin E. Primo III
Board Co-Chairman – Primo Center for Women and Children
