2024: A Year of Progress, Pride, and Community Impact

2024 was a year of meaningful progress, learning, and pride for Waves Ahead Puerto Rico. Throughout the year, we continued strengthening our commitment to mental health, inclusion, community leadership, and the well-being of vulnerable and underserved populations in Puerto Rico.

From our Empodérate Academies in Isabela and San Juan to the creation of historic spaces for dialogue and civic engagement, we worked to help build a more inclusive, just, and supportive Puerto Rico.

One of the most significant milestones of the year was hosting the first LGBTQ+ dialogue with candidates for governor and resident commissioner. This space represented an important step toward making the needs, priorities, and voices of LGBTQ+ communities in Puerto Rico more visible.

We also led the first study on anxiety among the LGBTQ+ community in Puerto Rico, an initiative that generated relevant data on mental health and emotional well-being. The study results were presented at local and international conferences, expanding the conversation on the importance of developing evidence-based services, policies, and initiatives.

In 2024, Waves Ahead Puerto Rico provided mental health services to more than 207 people and distributed food boxes to more than 120 individuals, reaffirming our commitment to the holistic well-being of the people and communities we serve.

We also closed the year by celebrating diversity, community, and resilience through events such as Vive tu Orgullo Block Party, For the Love of Glitter, and Pa’Fuera Pa’Lante Fest. These spaces helped strengthen community connections, celebrate identity, and promote messages of support, inclusion, and hope.

None of this would have been possible without our community, allies, participants, team members, volunteers, and partner organizations. Thank you for walking with us through a year of growth, challenges, and shared accomplishments.

We continue moving forward together toward a more inclusive, healthy, and resilient Puerto Rico.

Thank you for being part of this journey.