La Fondita de Jesus in the Community

Distinguished Donors:

Greetings on behalf of Corporación La Fondita de Jesús' family. With great respect, we are reporting our achievements and challenges while providing services to vulnerable communities through the "La Fondita de Jesús en la Comunidad" (La Fondita de Jesús in the Community) program from May through August 2026.

During this quarter, our project delivered 19,390 service units to 1,269 unique individuals and families across 27 communities, 7 (26%) of which were impacted by our project for the first time. In other words, there is an average of 15 service units per participant. These communities are in the following 10 Puerto Rican municipalities: Bayamón, Coamo, Guayama, Guaynabo, Loíza, Naranjito, San Juan, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, and Utuado.

Trying to keep you as informed as possible regarding the demographic descriptions of the people we provided services to during this period, the distribution per gender was as follows:

• Females = 44%
• Males = 56%

56% of the population served (n=714) were older adults (ages 55+), 3% (n=40) were children (ages 0-17), and 7% (n=94) were young adults (ages 18-24); all from vulnerable communities. We always point out that these individuals, families, and communities are at imminent risk of losing their homes, given their needs, life circumstances, and social determinants of health.

 Donating materials needed for participants in serviced communities is always part of our work. Some of the donations provided during this quarter were disinfecting wipes, water bottles, towels, clothing, educational materials, medical equipment, snacks, Narcan and Fentanyl Test Strips, vitamin C bottles, anti-stress balls, emergency groceries, over-the-counter medications, prescriptions, STIs prevention kits, COVID tests, hygiene kits, and house cleaning kits.

Workshops were developed and provided regarding the following themes:

• End the Stigma: Young Men's Mental Health
• What is a Specialist on Substance Abuse and Mental Health?
• Loneliness and Isolation
• Leadership Academy: Community organization
• Leadership Academy: Community leadership
• Preventing Elder Abuse
• Basic Use of Cellular Phones
• Using Online Search Engines
• Basic Computer Use
• Using the Internet
• Creating and Using Email
• Exploration of Solitude
• Gratitude Journal
• Law 35: Prevention of opioid overdose deaths
• Mediterranean Diet
• Influenza and other viruses
• Harm Reduction
• Chronic Diseases: Diabetes
• Chronic Diseases: Hypertension

Some of our most important achievements during this period were as follows:

• During this period, we had the opportunity to impact 7 new communities.
• Among this month's achievements was the facilitation of access to services tailored to the LGBTQIA+ population, acknowledging the vulnerabilities and barriers they may face in accessing essential resources and services. These efforts promoted inclusive, equitable, and non-discriminatory care, strengthening access to support services and resources that address their specific needs and improve their well-being and quality of life.
• Also noteworthy is the active, consistent involvement in coordinating and conducting health fairs in vulnerable communities, thereby bringing essential services directly to populations with the greatest needs. These initiatives have facilitated access to comprehensive health services—including medical care, nursing, mental health support, guidance, and prevention, as well as support services and case management. This ongoing effort has enabled expanding service reach, identified specific needs, and promoted more equitable access to resources that support the well-being and quality of life of the communities served.

Challenges:

• A significant increase has been identified in the number of vulnerable individuals and families requiring care, guidance, and timely access to essential services. This rise poses a challenge for effectively meeting an ever-growing, diverse demand, necessitating the strengthening of strategies for outreach, resource coordination, and linkages to comprehensive health services, social support, and other community resources to address the identified needs adequately.         
• Effectively connecting vulnerable populations with resources and services available through government agencies remains a challenge. Administrative processes, eligibility criteria, required documentation, and response times can hinder timely access to essential benefits and services, such as housing and healthcare. Given this reality, it is crucial to continue strengthening guidance, support, and interagency coordination to facilitate access to resources that help meet the needs of those served and improve their quality of life. 

As always, we are very grateful to all of you, our social investors, who believe in our work and our commitment to our mission, and who continue to allow us to have an impact on the lives of so many people! Should you need additional information or have any questions regarding this report, please do not hesitate to contact us through the GlobalGiving Foundation. Thank you!

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