Dessy Bones Colón

Dessy Bones Colón holds a master’s degree and academic training in Sociology from the University of Puerto Rico. She has over 23 years of experience working on women’s issues, starting in 1999 as Educational Coordinator for the community-based feminist organization Coordinadora Paz para las Mujeres. Later, in 2001, she joined the team of attorney María Dolores Fernós López Cepero at the Women’s Advocacy Office to lead efforts in the Development and Monitoring Division to diversify state and federal funds, strengthening services offered by non-profit organizations. She also provided support in interagency coordination and response to domestic violence cases within the Justice System. In 2009, she joined the team at the Corporation for Support of Educational and Community Programs, Inc. (CAPEDCOM), where as Program Director she supervised the coordination of Community Dialogues, an island-wide consultation initiative on safety, health, and education, among other topics. Furthermore, in 2011, she began providing direct services in the newly created transitional housing program at Hogar Ruth, Inc., a shelter for victims of gender-based violence, aimed at addressing the housing needs of domestic violence survivors.

In 2013, she moved to the Municipality of San Juan, where she eventually directed the Office for the Integral Development of Women. Within the municipal government, she created significant initiatives in response to domestic violence. Notable among these were the strengthening of services for underserved populations such as immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and men, the 24/7 emergency hotline 939-CONTIGO, and the CONTIGO App for monitoring protection orders. In 2021, she returned to Hogar Ruth as Programmatic Coordinator for Housing Programs, where she focused on strengthening and systematizing the services offered.

Dessy brings to the Foundation her experience in effective fund and resource management, especially her ability to align budgets to meet programmatic needs. She also brings expertise in program creation and accountability to funding sources, as well as the development and administration of projects aimed at facilitating gender justice and a gender perspective. Additionally, she is a passionate cook.