Dear Friends,
I hope you enjoy a very healthy and safe beginning of this new year.
Thinking about this year, one word that stands out about Primo Center and the clients we serve is resiliency. With all of the disruption happening on an almost daily basis in Chicago and worldwide, Primo Center’s team continues to provide best-in-class services for our clients. In addition, our team continues to create a safe and nurturing place for everybody at Primo Center.
I am impressed with our staff’s ability to continue to tap into any new resources coming down the pipeline from local and federal government agencies that would benefit the clients. As a result, our organization thrives and ensures that people stay housed and keep their utilities on during difficult times.
Our organizational resiliency has been made possible by generous support from donations and foundations, including the Topfer Family Foundation and others. As a result of this generosity, we can give start-up welcome kits to families when they go into housing. We also have clients taking advantage of the match savings program, made possible by the Day 1 Families Fund and Jeff Bezos.
Primo Center helps build our clients’ resiliency by looking holistically at what they need when they enter our shelters. For more than a decade, we have been evaluating our clients through a trauma-informed system of care. By understanding each client’s history and what they have been through, we address their behavioral, physical, and financial health needs. Once we have a care plan, we utilize a 360-degree wraparound approach to providing services to strengthen their overall health and well-being.
Resiliency is really about building safety and security. But unfortunately, you don’t feel safe or secure when you are homeless. With this in mind, we help our clients build resiliency from day one when they come into Primo Center and continue building it with them for up to 18-months after they leave the Center. Employing this strategy ensures that we continue to lower the percentage of people returning to the shelter system after being housed.
My ask for you this year is that you join us. Join us in ensuring a safe future for all families at Primo Center. With your help, we can continue our mission to empower homeless families to become productive, responsible, and independent members of their community.
With gratitude,
— Christine Achre, CEO, Primo Center
