Kica Matos, Executive Director, JUNTA for Progressive Action - New Haven, Connecticut

Kica Matos took over a dying organization when she agreed in 2001 to be executive director of JUNTA, formed to address the needs of the largely Latino, poor, and often immigrant and undocumented residents of New Haven. Within a year, Matos transformed the organization, greatly increasing its budget, effectiveness, and reach. About 4,000 people now participate in JUNTA’s nine programs. JUNTA offers GED classes in Spanish and English, computer classes, English-language instruction, and training in economic development, housing, and legal and immigration advocacy. Children can participate in after-school programs and summer camps. JUNTA helps develop grassroots leadership through its advocacy for the rights of Latino community members, including undocumented immigrants, and by addressing important public policy issues. In one recent effort, the group successfully opposed a bill that would have restricted an immigrant’s ability to get a driver’s license in Connecticut. Matos also forms coalitions to achieve community goals. One example is the Immigrants Rights Project, which seeks to address issues faced by immigrants, including issues uniquely affecting undocumented immigrants.

Kica Matos
JUNTA for Progressive Action
169 Grand Ave.
New Haven, CT 06513
Phone: 203-787-0191
Fax: 203-787-4934
Email: kica.matos@juntainc.com
Web: www.juntainc.org