The projects we are working on
Matria Project
A Transitional Housing Program that serves women and LGBTQ+ communities who are experiencing active domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, or human trafficking and who lack safe and dignified housing.
The program offers vouchers for up to 2 years while our case manager supports the participant using our Empowerment and Human-Economic Development Model, which takes into account the Social Determinants of Health to guide participants towards a self-sufficient future.
What does the Gaia Transitional Housing Program include?
“We Are Here for You” 24/7 Help Line
787-489-0022
What is the 24/7 Help Line?
A virtual telephone response program for women seeking help, with a person-centered, trauma-informed sensitivities approach in response to gender-based violence. This emergency line, operated collaboratively among expert organizations addressing sexist violence in Puerto Rico, was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and government measures such as the lockdown, which left victims trapped with their abusers.
The line is operated through a partnership between Proyecto Matria, Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos, Hogar Ruth, Casa la Bondad, Casa Pensamiento, and Casa Juana Colón.
What do we do through the line?
At Proyecto Matria, We Are Here for You 24/7
For safety reasons, we do not return calls. If you believe it is safe to be contacted, you may leave your phone number and include a time when you feel safe to receive a call.
Through this brief survey, we seek to understand perceptions of the services received from the Help Line and continue our process of improvement.
AMARE LGBT: 24/7 Help Line Specialized for the LGBTQ+ Community
787-802-8910
What is AMARE LGBT?
A telephone response program serving exclusively LGBTQ+ individuals seeking help, with a person-centered, trauma-informed sensitivity approach in response to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. This program is operated in collaboration with Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos, Casa Juana Colón, Casa Pensamiento, Hogar Ruth, and Casa la Bondad. Through this emergency line, we offer the following free and confidential services:
Pro Bono Legal Program
A network of legal professionals who volunteer their time to support participants of Proyecto Matria and our 24/7 Help Line.
Matria has been accredited since 2019 by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico to certify pro bono hours for legal professionals.
Public Policy Program
We promote public policies that guarantee the human rights of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other populations made vulnerable by inequalities. We base our work on research, legal frameworks, input from other organizations, and experience gained through direct service.
What do we do at Matria?
CASA SOLIDARIA
Sector Miraflores, Orocovis, Puerto Rico
A disaster-recovery project created in 2017 after Hurricane María, located in the Miraflores Sector of the Saltos neighborhood in Orocovis. Grounded in a human-rights perspective, and following reconstruction projects, a community school, and a community garden, we provide support to the community in their processes of organization, community economic development, and disaster preparedness and response.
Since 2023, Casa Solidaria has been undergoing a transition in which, through the Community Council and its corporation, Centro Comunitario de Miraflores, Inc., the community continues its organizing and development efforts with the support of Matria.
Mission
To accompany the community in building the capacities needed to advance its community economic development and secure access to human rights.
Vision
A Miraflores where the community has the ability to plan and manage its future, is resilient to natural disasters and events such as pandemics, and where dignified jobs, educational opportunities, and safety are available.
Areas of work:
LA RUTA DE LAS MUJERES
Who are we?
La Ruta de las Mujeres is a social and political empowerment project aimed at educating women across the archipelago to understand electoral and political processes and develop the skills to participate effectively in them. Through feminist popular education, we seek to empower women to recognize their rights and equip them with advocacy tools to defend them.
What do we do?
LIBERA
A microenterprise incubation program created to support women and people in marginalized communities in Puerto Rico as they develop their own businesses that promote economic self-sufficiency and overall well-being. Libera is grounded in the understanding that poverty is not a choice, but the outcome of structural inequalities. Through a series of workshops, participants receive the tools they need to create and successfully operate businesses that contribute to social well-being and advance equity. Libera is a transformative platform that walks alongside entrepreneurs as they become agents of change in their communities.
What Libera offers:
ALQUIMIA
A comprehensive economic development program that supports women and people in marginalized communities in Puerto Rico on their path toward self-sufficiency and full human development. Inspired by a feminist and human-rights based model, Alquimia seeks to provide practical tools and personalized support to promote equity and collective well-being.