When Evelyn Rodriguez left Erie Neighborhood House in 2014 to become the director of community outreach for Chicago\u2019s 1st Ward, she was following a growing passion she experienced for public service.<\/p>\n
That same passion has now led her into a new role with the City of Chicago, where she began serving as advisor for neighborhood development and community engagement in December.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m most excited about having the opportunity to serve residents citywide,\u201d says Rodriguez, who works directly with Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp on initiatives to strengthen all 77 of the neighborhoods across the city.<\/p>\n
The daughter of Mexican-American immigrants, Rodriguez looks forward in particular to serving as a liaison to and advocate for the city\u2019s Latino residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a vision,\u201d she says. \u201cWe want to give all citizens of Chicago a voice; we want residents to feel empowered and be heard. It\u2019s a collaborative effort in building a better Chicago for all.\u201d<\/p>\n
She explains that her office seeks to increase engagement with individuals and build more collaborative partnerships between the mayor’s office and city services, community organizations and the neighborhoods themselves.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez joined the staff at Erie House in 2011, following 3 productive years working on policy in Washington, D.C. While at Erie House she helped launch the agency\u2019s Buen HOGAR program, a Chicago Housing Authority partnership aimed at delivering greater access to Spanish-speaking residents in need of information and resources on housing opportunities.<\/p>\n
For Rodriguez, the role helped ground her upon her return to Chicago from the nation\u2019s capital. \u201cIt was a perfect starting point for me to re-engage with my neighborhood and with folks in the city,\u201d she says. \u201cNot only does Erie House deliver services, it reinforces a sense of community. I got so much from the community while working at Erie House.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvelyn is clearly grounded in her desire to help others,\u201d says Erie House executive director Kirstin Chernawsky. \u201cHer passion and skill set in the area of community engagement will prove to be strong assets for the city of Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n
To that end, Chernawsky invited Rodriguez to speak at a recent Welcoming Action Lunch hosted at Erie House in collaboration with My Block, My Hood, My City; the Indo-American Center; Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights; Alderman Joe Moreno (1st). It was the perfect setting for Rodriguez to gather input from a diverse set of voices as Chicago seeks to embrace its welcoming stance for marginalized communities in even greater ways.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez now lives in the same neighborhood where her parents lived when she was born\u2014a short walk from the agency\u2019s historic settlement house site in West Town\u2014and serves as a community representative on the local school council for James Otis Elementary School.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents came here from Mexico in the 1970s to create a better life,\u201d Rodriguez explains as she talks about her commitment to public service. \u201cThat has been my main drive\u2014it\u2019s rooted in the dream my parents had for my family.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Evelyn Rodriguez left Erie Neighborhood House in 2014 to become the director of community outreach for Chicago\u2019s 1st Ward, she was following a growing passion she experienced for public…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":2411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[40],"class_list":["post-2410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-board"],"yoast_head":"\n