As the Community Engagement Coordinator, Esmeralda Gonzalez focuses on grantmaking via the Crisis Response Fund for Survivors as well as community outreach. She recently worked as a Youth Care Worker at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Prior to that, she worked at La Casa Norte as a Rental Assistance Intake Specialist.

Esmeralda has a background in community organizing. She considers herself a proud product of Little Village. Much of the work she is involved in is to ensure that the Little Village neighborhood remains safe for all people of all ages. As a Youth Advisory Board member at The Network, she oversaw the planning and implementation of Youth Hood Fairs in Pilsen, Little Village, and Gage Park in 2021 and 2022.