Esperanza Health Centers Brighton Park

If ever there was a year that highlighted the importance of affordable, accessible, and supportive healthcare, 2020 was that year. In the midst of a year of anxiety and difficulties for all, on Chicago’s Southwest side there was a bright spot – the opening up of Esperanza Health Centers Brighton Park. Esperanza Health Centers was founded in the Little Village community in 2004 and today, with three other centers, still serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking population. Esperanza leaders recognized that members of its target population were moving further south and west, and that a center south of the I-55 Stevenson Expressway was needed. Working with award-winning architect Juan Moreno and his firm JGMA, Esperanza has transformed both a long-vacant corner at 47th Street and California Avenue and the lives of community residents. The brightly-clad structure conveys both hope and respect. On the first floor, a brightly colored entryway leads to the stairway to well-lit medical offices and private exam rooms, and to the social services for women and families provided by Mujeres Latinas en Accion, and a window-walled hallway leads to a community kitchen and a generously-sized meeting room. Outside, emphasizing a holistic approach to health, a playground and benches beckon children and adults alike. Was Esperanza correct in its assessment of need? The answer is a resounding yes. Expecting to serve 10,000, the Center received 40,000 visits in this, its inaugural year.