For Edy Dominguez, community has always been at the heart of his life’s work. Growing up in Back of the Yards, Edy found mentors through his church and quickly discovered a passion for supporting others. He led a youth council, taught music, organized community theatre, and even ran an afterschool program called Community Café that offered students homework help and a safe space. “I was so involved that it felt natural to be involved in community,” Edy reflects.
That sense of responsibility led him to focus on supporting undocumented students—young people whose dreams of higher education were often cut short by financial barriers. Alongside peers from his church’s immigration committee, including members of his band Quinto Imperio, Edy helped create the Dreamer and Allies Run. For 12 years, they raised scholarship funds by mobilizing neighbors and building local support. “I had seen the struggle of what it meant to pursue higher education for undocumented students,” Edy explains, “and I wanted to make sure we had something right here in Back of the Yards for them.”
When the pandemic disrupted the scholarship program, Edy’s journey took another turn. Out of work and searching for purpose, he joined a COVID-19 vaccination site at 61st and Western. What started as a role registering people soon became something deeper. Many community members were fearful or hesitant about the vaccine, so Edy took it upon himself to research, connect with Esperanza Health Centers, and share accurate information. “I liked that—I appreciated being in a space where I could help those who were coming in. People were living in difficulty due to the pandemic, and their stories really moved me.”
His role expanded into door-to-door canvassing, where he heard firsthand about families struggling with illness, job loss, and housing insecurity. One encounter in particular changed everything for him. Edy remembers knocking on the door of a darkened apartment, where a woman raising two children, ages eight and ten, answered. She was visibly ill. In their conversation, Edy learned she was living with a chronic illness, unable to work, and barely making ends meet. “That moment really stuck with me,” Edy recalls. “She was trying to take care of her kids while dealing with her own health, and the pandemic had made everything worse. That was when I realized this work was a lot more critical than I thought.”
From then on, Edy made it his mission to ensure families like hers weren’t left alone. He helped connect neighbors to food pantries, deliveries, and any resources SWOP could provide. “There were people who needed organizations like SWOP,” he explains, “and I wanted to take my work more seriously to make sure they were being connected.”
Recognizing his leadership, SWOP invited Edy to serve as the Community Health and Outreach Coordinator. Today, he works with the Healthy Southwest team, connecting residents to resources through the IRIS system and building stronger networks of care. For Edy, it’s not just about handing out flyers or pointing people toward providers—it’s about creating genuine relationships. “Once we connect with a community member, it’s about letting them know we are there. We follow up with both them and the provider to make sure they’re getting the assistance they deserve.”
Edy also has a clear vision for what would strengthen this work: more funding. “If we have the funds, we can get the resources to the people who need them right away. Everybody I’ve met is really committed to the work, but the cruel truth is that sometimes it’s money that holds up a lot of good that can happen.”
Looking ahead, Edy dreams of expanding resource networks so that help is available everywhere—schools, businesses, and local hubs—not just official offices. “We have PHAs out there in the community, but they can’t be everywhere. I want everyone to be connected and able to point out resources through one another.”
For Edy, organizing is about intention, relationships, and building power with others. “I’m really impressed with the commitment of the different people I have been able to work with here at SWOP,” he says. “It has got me thinking how much more I can do to make sure I am intentionally meeting people where they are and working to build power with them.”
