By: Hanna Guerrero  

November 20, 2025

If you’ve spent any time in Pilsen, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with Jesse Rodriguez—whether delivering groceries to residents, stocking shelves at the Pilsen Food Pantry, or simply walking around the neighborhood that he’s always called home. 

Jesse is a lifelong Pilsen resident, now working full-time at the Pilsen Food Pantry where he helps provide healthy food to families across the community and is a resident of The Resurrection Project’s (TRP) Casa Queretaro. But his story with TRP began long before his current role—and it all started with a Halloween walk. 

Jesse was introduced to TRP’s work at a young age. His parents settled in Pilsen after immigrating from Mexico. He recalls one Halloween night as a child with his family walking by a home for sale in Pilsen, “it happened to be one of the TRP homes,” explains Jesse,» I just remember thinking—it was so cool.” 

Not long after that, Jesse’s family was able to purchase a home through TRP. It was a big moment—one that planted roots. To this day, Jesse’s mom still lives in that home. She plans to pass it on to her grandchildren, continuing a legacy of stability and generational wealth right in the heart of Pilsen.  

“Being part of the neighborhood, being part of the community, I just knew of [TRP] and what they did,” said Jesse. 

Fast forward to 2019, Jesse was in school and searching for a place to live. He ideally wanted something close to family. That’s when he came across a listing at Casa Queretaro, one of TRP’s affordable housing developments. 

While Pilsen has seen rising rents driving longtime residents out of the community – TRP’s affordable rental units and homes are keeping Jesse and his family in Pilsen.  

“I was very fortunate to get in there just because of it. I think it was when they first opened,” Jesse remembers, “it was just me looking for apartments and wanting to be closer to my family. I thought to myself, this is perfect. I get to live here and be close to my family and just help them out in any way that I can.” 

He’s been living at Casa Queretaro for six years and counting. 

Casa Queretaro is just one piece of TRP’s broader commitment to affordable housing on Chicago’s Southwest Side. With over 600 rental units built and another 98 on the way with TRP’s newest project, Casa Yucatán, the organization is working to ensure families like Jesse’s can stay rooted in the neighborhoods they love. 

When the pandemic hit, Jesse had to quit his jobs to help support his family in need but quickly found an opportunity to help his community too.  

“I was on Instagram one day and I saw that the Pilsen Food Pantry needed volunteers.  And I just showed up one day and I started showing up every day,” explains Jesse. “My background is in social work. I love being a part of the community. And then December of 2020 they’re like, hey, you know what, we’re going to bring you on part time.” 

Today, Jesse works full-time at the Pilsen Food pantry, and his work is helping build healthier communities. His work includes delivering food to seniors at TRP’s Casa Maravilla.  

“We really try to focus on fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. So, we are providing that for seniors. Fast forward like a year or so later. A senior calls us saying, ‘my doctor is happy that we’re getting healthier. My husband’s happier, he’s walking around more,» said Jesse. 

Jesse believes those calls make him see the “bigger picture” and the impact of his work on people’s lives. Jesse’s journey with TRP has come full circle—rooted in Pilsen, and always giving back. 

To learn more about The Resurrection Project and how to inquire about an apartment, visit our website at resurrectionproject.org.

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The Resurrection Project (TRP) builds trusting relationships to educate and propel individuals, immigrants, and families to achieve their social and economic aspirations, stable homes, and equitable participation in their community. TRP is a leading provider of affordable housing, financial education, and immigration services on Chicago’s Southwest side.

During the past three decades TRP has worked to improve the lives of individuals and families by creating wealth, building assets, and engaging residents to be catalysts for change. Rooted in the Pilsen community, TRP’s impact now extends across the City of Chicago and through the State of Illinois; we are making steady progress towards leveraging and preserving more than $1 billion in community wealth in 2025.