People Rebuilding Pathways (PRP) received a $5,000 grant from the SBB Research Group Foundation, which awards monthly grants to support impactful organizations.

“A shower, a meal, and respectful support can change the course of someone's day. When people are counting on us to show up, we show up, and in partnership with the Foundation, we can keep showing up for Chicago and wherever our community needs us,” said Melissa Hernandez, founder and director of People Rebuilding Pathways.

People Rebuilding Pathways, formerly known as the Puerto Rico Project, is a community and peer-led program that removes barriers by bringing showers, hot meals, and essential support directly to people wherever they are. The organization began in the fall of 2015, when Hernandez started cooking meals with her children three times a week for the encampments along Lake Shore Drive. Today, its Shower Connect mobile shower trailer brings private showers, towels, hygiene supplies, and clean clothing to outreach sites across Chicago, alongside hot meals, water, overdose-reversal kits, and peer support offered without judgment.

From June through September 2026 alone, PRP provided more than 2,000 showers, 3,360 hot meals, more than 3,500 bottles of water, and 2,240 overdose-reversal kits. The Foundation's grant will help sustain two new outreach sites on Chicago's West Side, covering the fuel, laundry, towels, and hygiene supplies that keep the shower trailer running, as well as meals and bottled water at each site.

Now in its third year, Shower Connect operates from a trailer with a 250-gallon water tank, allowing the team to set up anywhere without relying on a water hookup. PRP’s team is peer-led, made up of people with lived experiences who understand firsthand the challenges facing those they serve.

“Everyone deserves access to a hot shower, a warm meal, and care without judgment. People Rebuilding Pathways makes that possible for people experiencing homelessness across Chicago, and we’re proud to support their mission as they expand to two new outreach sites on the West Side,” said co-founder and board member of the SBB Research Group Foundation, Matt Aven.

About the SBB Research Group Foundation

The SBB Research Group Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that furthers the philanthropic mission of SBB Research Group LLC (SBBRG), a Chicago-based investment management firm led by Sam Barnett, Ph.D., and Matt Aven. The Foundation provides grants to support ambitious organizations solving unmet needs with thoughtful, long-term strategies. In addition, the Foundation sponsors the SBBRG STEM Scholarship, which supports students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees.

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