PATHFINDERS PREVENTION EDUCATION FUND, founded in 1998, is a nonprofit, community-based organization providing HIV/AIDS education/training, principally for Black African Americans from Chicago’s West Side and its near western suburbs.  PPEF casts a broad outreach net and, therefore, also serves other persons who are preteens to golden-agers and the disabled, based on requests for services.

PPEF provides programs/services for formerly incarcerated persons with HIV infection, bisexual/gay/lesbian/transgender/questioning youth and young adults.

Participants are offered leadership training, advocacy, and capacity-building workshops through PPEF’s promotion of self-worth, empowerment, and auto-advocacy via events which equip youths and adults to understand, resist, and fight back against the evils of racism, sexism, homophobia, substance/sexual/psychological/gender abuse, and low self-esteem.  Trainings held at schools, churches, community and other organization sites, and with families provide facts about abstinence, safer sex, human sexuality, and choices related to preventing HIV, other sexually-transmitted infections and AIDS awareness.  Pathfinds also provides internship opportunities.

Brenetta Howell Barrett is president and chief operating offices of Pathfinders Prevention Education Fund.

For information, call (773) 533.5755 or (773) 533-5753.  Please email at bhb@pathfindersprevention.org