Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Hernandez.
Melissa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I went back to college to ensure my boys future and to teach them to follow their dreams. I major in human science. I started learning the societal norms and the effects on people and their individuality. I also learned that this society lacks empathy. I had a desire to do something, a desire to help and bring about change. I started feeding homeless people with my children then I started volunteering for a non-profit organization that fed homeless people throughout Chicago. I learned so much. I ran across a population that was neglected and lost and didn’t have an idea on where to go for help. It was then that I made it a mission to help in any and every way possible. I started a non-profit wrapped around services that they needed including direct aid. I acted as an advocate, activist, community leader, harm reduction specialist and case manager for these specific individuals. I joined their fight and made sure their needs were voiced loud and clear.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all. At first, the need was so high that I would receive a high volume of incoming calls that I would become extremely nervous thinking I wasn’t going to be able to deliver according to people’s needs.
Then, I started helping families track down their lost loved ones. Then, I started helping families with funeral arrangements, some families lost their kid to an overdose. It was a battle to find a balance for the first year. I’m in college and I work on top of running an organization and having two amazing boys. Once I started bringing awareness to the issue, I started to receive attacks through social media on how I am a fraud. People tried very hard to discredit my findings. I was prepared for these attacks considering a great leader is always loved and hated. This also became a spiritual journey as I witnessed changes in people that were miraculous and donors would show up in perfect moments.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
It’s a non for profit that collects anything from shoes, clothes, blankets, food, money, bus passes anything that people can use to survive. I walk the streets of the Southside of Chicago and pass it out to homeless people who can benefit from these items. I cook a homemade meal every week as a symbol of compassion towards their situation. I also pass out harm reduction supplies. Clean syringes, condoms, cookers, items that will prevent the spread of diseases. I also refer people to treatment programs. I act as the middle man assuring that their transition is as stress free as possible. I advocate for individuals who are mistreated. I am most proud of the affects my work has made. The people I helped were able to tap into their inner strength and fight for their lives back. Also, my advocacy spread across states and reached Philadelphia. Philadelphia was able to find that the same inhumane issues were going on over three. Then the news reached Puerto Rico and I worked with news investigators from there and helped them cover the harsh issues that made headway in PR. overall, the best experience was meeting all the amazing people along the way. Including my mentor Adriana Cardona who is news investigator for Univision News. Adriana is a compassionate soul who just kept triggering my compassion to keep going even when I wanted to give up. I also met amazing brothers from another mother from Tom Darts office, Michael Flannery and Abdon Pollasch (Abdon is now with the state comptroller). They are amazing humans who has helped in many ways. Not to mention the treatment programs where I met and still work alongside of beautiful souls. Then the most loving people, my donors from the communities. If it wasn’t for them then The PR Project wouldn’t even exist. Matilda has been a long timer and a devoted friend that I feel so blessed in many ways that my heart melts every time I think about all of this.
Contact Info:
- Address: State Senator Omar Aquino
4345 W. Armitage
60639 - Phone: 773-441-0958
- Email: mela30angel81@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePuertoRICOProject/
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