Over the years, De Colores Ice Cream & Coffee Shop has been a safe space for all, most notably Curie students. And it's more than just great coffee and company; De Colores also patronizes and supports the local art scene, which we absolutely love. Finally, Dolores opened the café to SWC in its inception, and continues to host our monthly meetings, when we can meet in person. For all of these reasons, we chose to create this award and name it for Dolores, who is a pillar in our community.

​

Each year, we at SWC look to honor someone that embodies this spirit of community. And, in 2022, that honor goes to our friend and neighbor, Jeanette Arteaga, of Monarca Insurance in Chicago Lawn. Jeanette is a strong supporter of small and local businesses, and regularly hosts our SW Chi Chamber workshops, in addition to community events, to bring people together. For her unwavering support of community building activities, we are proud to present her with the Dolores Award for this year.