Fundación Fondo de Acceso a la Justicia is a non-profit organization that was created in 2013. Its mission is to ensure the availability and effectiveness of civil legal services offered by non-profit entities to people and communities with limited economic resources and social vulnerability. The organization’s vision is to contribute to strengthening and expanding access to justice in Puerto Rico, addressing poverty and ensuring that individuals have equal access to the legal mechanisms that protect their lives, property, and human dignity.
Currently, the organization has five programs that provide free legal assistance and support: (1) Foreclosure Prevention, (2) Community Economic Development, (3) Civil, Family and Administrative, (4) Post-Disaster Emergency Legal Services, and (5) Charles Hey Maestre Scholarship. The primary populations served by the entity include women, the elderly and very low-income population. Funds received from Sagrado’s Philanthropy Lab, will contribute to the implementation of a project for the low-income elderly population who have been impacted in some way by Hurricane Fiona or other natural disasters in Puerto Rico. This project will provide free legal assistance in matters such as ownership, eviction defense, and navigating the administrative processes involved with FEMA, SBA, and the Department of Housing programs. The project will also provide any other civil legal support service related to promoting decent housing and a better quality of life for the elderly. Additionally, the project will offer comprehensive social work services to attend to the needs of the elderly through an interdisciplinary and therapeutic justice approach. Furthermore, sign language interpreters will be provided to assist deaf seniors and/or their caregivers.