Our Leadership
Jorge Vargas, President
An activist for over 30 years in the Boston community, where he has served on boards such as the Martha Eliot Center. He has served as Vice President of Jamaica Plain Community Centers and Treasurer of the same organization helping to raise funds for the community center before and during the pandemic.
Jorge has also been a small business owner and merchant for nearly a decade in the Charlestown area. Most recently he is prominent in labor activism in labor unions, especially in his union CEU LOCAL 888 where he has been on the executive board and is noted as President of Latinos Cacos. For over three decades he has worked for the City of Boston Facilities Department under the Boston Public Schools.
One of Jorge's focuses has been the welfare of his community and union members, which had already been affected financially and in terms of mental health benefits, making their situation much worse in the pandemic. As a result of all this, Jorge made a more personal contribution and decided to work hard and bring more holistic mental and emotional health benefits to families, thus organizing with a group of collaborators the EHR Boston Communities Corporation.
Maria Hart, Executive Director
Facilitator in life processes and specialist in human development. and a Master's Degree in Holistic Psychology, in addition to other studies. She has worked in the East Boston community for 3 years and her experience has allowed her to see the different difficulties that the community faces.
She is the creator of the ERR Program - RECONSTRUCTIVE AND REPARATIVE TEACHING IN FAMILY DYNAMICS; which brings a vision of reconstruction of non-functional patterns by patterns and emotions that bring wellbeing and that allows them to face the challenges of life, putting this tool at the service of the community.
Convinced that the reconstruction and peace are achieved with an inner work that only new beliefs and paradigms give. That is why she is committed to creating an organization together with the other founders because only by taking the first step and contributing from her experience and leadership, it will be possible to take many more steps in the company of all the members of this Corporation and the state entities, to create communities capable of building their own welfare.
Beatríz Contreras, Treasurer
Beatriz Contreras currently serves as a Paraprofessional for the ⅘ substantial grade - sub separate classroom at Guild School, where she has been an Engagement Coordinator for six years in East Boston. Residing in East Boston, Beatriz actively participates in various Family Early Childhood Development outreach initiatives. Originally hailing from Sonora, Mexico, she arrived in Boston two decades ago and initially worked as a nanny. Beatriz is a devoted mother to a 13-year-old daughter attending BPS.
Throughout her career, Beatriz has achieved numerous accomplishments, including establishing partnerships with WGBH for the testing of Spanish-language educational materials for PEEP and El Gran Mundo, geared for national distribution. She has also conducted workshops with Read Boston. Beyond this, she contributed her expertise as a member of the Boston Family Engagement Network Steering Committee and served as a board member for the Boston Public Health Commission's Defending Childhood Breakthrough Series. Additionally, Beatriz takes on the role of a leader in the East Boston playgroup for Countdown to Kindergarten.
As an immigrant mother, Beatriz's profound passion lies in working with families. Her own experiences as an immigrant enable her to deeply understand the struggles and needs of mothers and families in the Boston area. Beatriz aspires to support families during challenging times, particularly in the aftermath of trauma or the post-Covid-pandemic era. She firmly believes in the power of collaborative efforts to create healthy families, strong communities, and a better world for everyone.
Beatríz Cardona, Secretary
A loving woman committed to helping others, mother of 4 children and grandmother for the second time, a survivor of domestic violence, says she works in family reconstruction from all points, as she empowered herself to bring her children forward; Beatriz committed to various causes in the community of Boston, brings to this corporation wisdom, dedication and teamwork. With a special gift for working with children and helping them to find a sense of calm in their hearts, she has implemented the didactic classes of yoga and the corner of calm as a contribution to the welfare of children, with her commitment and sense of belonging we are sure that we can work together in the welfare of our community.