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Voz da Comunidade Spring 2013 Volume 22/ issue 2 The MAPS Newsletter O Boletim Informativo da MAPS If you prefer to receive only the electronic version of our Newsletter, please send an email to [email protected]. In this issue: MAPS Endow- ment (page 2) Immigrants’ Day (page 2) Citizenship Drives (page 2) Sexual Assault Awareness Month (page 3) White Ribbon Day Campaign (page 3) Kriola (page 3) Brazilian Com- munity Fair (page 3) Siliga on Facebook (page 3) Boston Pride Parade (page 3) MAPS Honors Community Members and Celebrates Cultural Pride at its 2013 Awards Gala in Boston More than 360 guests joined us for the MAPS 2013 Awards Gala on May 4, at the Renais- sance Boston Waterfront Hotel. The fundraising event honored six indi- viduals who have in- spired and made a differ- ence in the lives of many immigrants. The MAPS Gala logo, featuring a compass-rose on a sea-blue background, followed the event’s nautical theme inspired by the hotel’s Boston Seaport location; and guests were reminded that the main Portuguese-speaking regions of the world lie on oceans—from Macau and East Timor in Asia, to Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe in Africa, to Portugal in Europe and Brazil in South America. “Although our communities may be widely spread out in terms of geography, and we as immigrants came from many countries across the world, our language and our ocean-side origins bind us together,” said Paulo Pinto, MPA, MAPS Executive Direc- tor. Pinto briefly recalled the history of Portuguese speakers immigrating to New Eng- land, beginning early in the 18 th century and continuing today. “Their presence has continued to enrich our Commonwealth, infusing our existing communities with new energy, cultural customs and a strong entrepreneurial spirit that contributes much to the area’s economy,” said Pinto, adding that Portuguese speakers are one of the Bay State’s largest linguistic minority populations. Like other immigrants, they pay taxes, start businesses and support job growth. The MAPS Person of the Year Award went to Radio WBZ’s New England Business Editor and Afternoon News Co-host Anthony Silva, himself the son of a Portuguese immigrant who also contrib- uted to the community in many ways. Silva has been an award-winning reporter, editor, producer and host for nearly 35 years. “We could not ask for a better role model in the media than Anthony Silva,” said Elizabeth Chaves, President of the MAPS Board of Directors, presenting the award with Paulo Pinto. “It takes a community to make a village strong, and that is what MAPS does,” said Silva. “I speak on the radio. You deal with real people with real problems every day, and I respect you so much for that.” Manuel Rogers, Jr., presented the MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers Life- time Community Service Award named after his late parents to Donaldo Ma- cedo, Ed.D., Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts & Education at Continued on Pg. 5-Gala Photos, P. 4 Festa de Gala em português, páginas 6 e 7 Presented by Award Recipients and Presenters All Gala photos by Elias Polcheira, Lucilene Mascena & Mércia Novais Anthony Silva

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Page 1: Spring 2013 Newslettermaps-inc.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/Spring-2013.pdf · VOZ DA COMUNIDADE—SPRING 2013 Page 3 MAPS OFFICES (ESCRITÓRIOS DA MAPS) : CAMBRIDGE /SOMERVILLE

Voz da Comunidade

Spring 2013

Volume 22/ issue 2

The MAPS Newsletter

O Boletim Informativo

da MAPS

If you prefer to receive only the electronic version of our Newsletter, please send an email to [email protected].

In this issue:

MAPS Endow-ment (page 2)

Immigrants’ Day (page 2)

Citizenship Drives (page 2)

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (page 3)

White Ribbon Day Campaign (page 3)

Kriola (page 3)

Brazilian Com-munity Fair (page 3)

Siliga on Facebook (page 3)

Boston Pride Parade (page 3)

MAPS Honors Community Members and Celebrates Cultural Pride at its 2013 Awards Gala in Boston

More than 360 guests joined us for the MAPS 2013 Awards Gala on May 4, at the Renais-sance Boston Waterfront Hotel. The fundraising event honored six indi-viduals who have in-spired and made a differ-ence in the lives of many immigrants. The MAPS Gala logo, featuring a compass-rose on a sea-blue background, followed the event’s nautical theme inspired by the hotel’s Boston Seaport location; and guests were reminded that the main Portuguese-speaking regions of the world lie on oceans—from Macau and East Timor in Asia, to Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe in Africa, to Portugal in Europe and Brazil in South America.

“Although our communities may be widely spread out in terms of geography, and we as immigrants came from many countries across the world, our language and our ocean-side origins bind us together,” said Paulo Pinto, MPA, MAPS Executive Direc-tor. Pinto briefly recalled the history of Portuguese speakers immigrating to New Eng-land, beginning early in the 18th century and continuing today. “Their presence has continued to enrich our Commonwealth, infusing our existing communities with new energy, cultural customs and a strong entrepreneurial spirit that contributes much to the area’s economy,” said Pinto, adding that Portuguese speakers are one of the Bay State’s largest linguistic minority populations. Like other immigrants, they pay taxes, start businesses and support job growth.

The MAPS Person of the Year Award went to Radio WBZ’s New England Business Editor and Afternoon News Co-host Anthony Silva, himself the son of a Portuguese immigrant who also contrib-uted to the community in many ways. Silva has been an award-winning reporter, editor, producer and host for nearly 35 years. “We could not ask for a better role model in the media than Anthony Silva,” said Elizabeth Chaves, President of the MAPS Board of Directors, presenting the award with Paulo Pinto. “It takes a community to make a village strong, and that is what MAPS does,” said Silva. “I speak on the radio. You deal with real people with real problems every day, and I respect you so much for that.” Manuel Rogers, Jr., presented the MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers Life-time Community Service Award named after his late parents to Donaldo Ma-cedo, Ed.D., Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts & Education at

Continued on Pg. 5-Gala Photos, P. 4 Festa de Gala em português, páginas 6 e 7

Presented by

Award Recipients and Presenters All Gala photos by Elias Polcheira, Lucilene Mascena & Mércia Novais

Anthony Silva

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Voz da Comunidade is a quarterly publication of MAPS. Please contact us at (617) 864-7600 or email [email protected]: Voz da Comunidade é uma publicação trimestral da MAPS. MAPS Executive Director (Diretor Executivo) Paulo Pinto; Dir. Of Development & Communications (Dir. de Desenvolvimento e Comunicações) Lois Josimovich; Editor Renan Leahy. Deadlines for newsletter submissions by issue:

Spring – March 1; Summer – June 1; Fall – September 1; Winter – December 1

Page 2 VOZ DA COMUNIDADE—SPRING 2013

Recent Funding Announcements Many thanks to our funders for their ongoing support: additional grant from Health Care for All for health insurance outreach and education; and Sailor’s Snug Harbor of Boston for Cambridge Elder Services.

Are you Ready to Become an American Citizen?

MAPS is offering a series of free US Citizenship Clinics for naturalization information and application assistance through the Greater Boston Citizenship Initiative (GBCI), a collaboration of community partners funded by the Fish Family Foundation. For infor-mation on dates and locations, please call (617) 864-7600. Pre-registration and eligibility screening are required for all the drives.

Staff Update: We are pleased to introduce Adriana Fernandes (left in the picture), our new Citizenship Program Coordinator. Welcome, Adriana!

MAPS Endowment Nears $250,000 Goal in 10th Year

MAPS celebrates the creation of three new Funds as the MAPS Endowment approaches its goal of $250,000 and com-pletes its 10th anniversary year on June 30th. MAPS created its Endowment to engage in long-term financial planning, and to help develop programs vital to the community. As a non-profit organization, we depend to a large degree on govern-ment grants and contracts to fund our services and operations. “Often this leads to gaps in services because the contracts dictate what services and communities they would like to cover,” said Paulo Pinto, MPA, MAPS Executive Director. “Programs for the elderly, children and immigrants in general are often overlooked.” The MAPS Endowment currently includes 17 different funds totaling more than $234,000 as of March 2013, including three that were just created: the Joe and Dorothy Chaves Family Fund, for Citizenship Services; the Sal Couto Family Fund, for Elder Services; and the Carlos Lima Family Fund, for Citizenship and Civic Activism.

“MAPS is grateful for the leadership, insight and support of Sal Couto, Álvaro Lima, and Dorothy and Phillip Chaves for establishing funds that will be there for the long-term to promote and support our community, while creating an ever-lasting legacy for their own families,” announced Pinto. As soon as it reaches the critical $250,000 level, the Endowment will start contributing annu-ally to the program areas designated by those who created each of the funds—general operating, elder services, youth services, social services, promoting civic engagement, and more. “MAPS, as an institution, will be there to meet the needs of our community well into the fu-ture,” said Pinto. New funds can be added at any time with contributions of as little as $1,000. For more informa-tion, please visit www.maps-inc.org/participate/endowment. The MAPS Endowment is managed by the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF).

Celebrating Immigrants’ Day

MAPS had a strong presence on Monday, April 8th, at the annual Immigrants’ Day at the State House. Staff, Board members, volunteers and a large and energetic group of seniors from the Cambridge and Lowell areas attended the event, which was hosted by the Massachusetts Immigrants and Refugees Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition.

The seniors also enjoyed a special lunch, prepared by MAPS Cambridge Senior Cen-ter Coordinator Julia Evora.

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Page 3 VOZ DA COMUNIDADE—SPRING 2013

MAPS OFFICES (ESCRITÓRIOS DA MAPS) : CAMBRIDGE /SOMERVILLE (617) 864-7600

BRIGHTON (617) 787-0557 DORCHESTER (617) 825-5897 LOWELL (978) 970-1250 FRAMINGHAM (508) 872-2652

MAPS Joins in Sexual Assault Awareness Month & White Ribbon Day Activities April was the national Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and MAPS engaged in several activities to raise com-munity awareness about sexual assault and how Portuguese-speaking victims can get help in their own language.

The MAPS Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (DV/SA) Services team and several vol-unteers were among the nearly 1,300 people participating in the annual Walk for Change held by the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center on April 7 starting at Canal Park in Cambridge. Team members joined in Lowell's Take Back the Day AND Night activi-ties on April 24 as well. Staff also set up informational tables with materials such as Por-tuguese-language posters, bracelets, buttons and flyers about sexual assault, in the

MAPS Cambridge, Brighton, Dorchester, and Lowell offices. The agency's Sexual Assault Services, and part of its Domestic Violence Services, are funded by a federal grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. Among other projects, the grant supported development of the Juntas (Women Together) Task Force, a collaboration between MAPS, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, the Center for Hope and Healing in Lowell, and other organizations providing sexual assault and domestic violence-related services. The Task Force has produced a new Juntas bilin-gual Portuguese/English website, www.bastaviolenciasexual.org, with detailed informa-tion about sexual violence and how to get help.

In March, MAPS joined the CPCU Credit Union to host a White Ribbon Day (WRD) Campaign event at the credit union’s branch in Somerville. More than 20 Portuguese-speaking men took the WRD pledge in their language: “From this day forward, I prom-ise to be part of the solution in ending violence against women.” MAPS also partici-pated in a statewide WRD event at the State House. The WRD is an international ini-tiative that asks men and boys to make a commitment to refrain from abusive behav-iors towards the women in their lives, and to help prevent violence against women. For more information on the MAPS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services Programs, please call (617) 864-7600, (978) 970-1250, or (617) 825-5897; or visit http://www.maps-inc.org/services/domestic-violence-services/.

Congratulations Gabi! MAPS Lowell Office Intern graduate student Gabriela Silva Pinto was awarded the Commu-nity Leadership Award by UMass Lowell. Ms. Pinto was chosen by the De-partment of Psy-chology to receive this award on April 30th, 2013 at a Recogni-tion Ceremony for her outstanding work with the Domestic Violence and Sex-ual Assault Services Program in the Portuguese-speaking com-munity in Lowell.

MAPS hosts Kriola in Dorchester

MAPS hosted the free Kriola event on Satur-day, March 30, at its Dorchester office, to em-power Cape Ver-dean women, providing them with an opportunity to network and to learn about important health issues. Kriola in-cluded a presentation about HIV and sexually trans-mitted infection (STI) prevention, testimony from a woman living with HIV, and a live musical perform-ance by Cape Verdean artist Cee Jay Sena. Kriola was organized by MiMudjer, a special group within MAPS’ Disease Prevention and Education Pro-gram (DPEP) focused on Cape Verdean women, funded by the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). To learn more about MiMudjer, please contact Laura Rodrigues at (617) 596-6510.

Siliga is on Facebook!

MAPS special health pro-gram focused on Portuguese speakers is now on Face-book! Visit us at www.facebook.com/SiligaMAPS

Join us for Pride!

MAPS will have a float in the 43rd Boston Pride Pa-rade, to take place Satur-day, June 8. Please call (617) 787-0557 for volun-teering opportunities!

Brazilian Community Fair

The Massachusetts Alliance of Por-tuguese Speakers (MAPS) joined the Mt. Washington Bank and other community organizations to provide a wide variety of services at a free Brazilian Community Fair, which took place Friday, April 26, at the Mt. Washington Bank in Allston. MAPS offered free assistance for im-migrants applying for US Citizen-ship, as well as health screenings (in partnership with Health Innova-tions), including prevention, educa-tion, and free and confidential test-ing for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Other participating organizations include the Joseph Smith Health Center, the Brazilian Women’s Group, and the Brazilian Immigrant Center.

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VOZ DA COMUNIDADE—SPRING 2013 Page 4

Airam da Silva

Bronze Sponsors

Maria Carvalho

Nelson Augusto da Silva

Liz Chaves, Donaldo Macedo & Paulo Pinto

Silver Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

MAPS Staff

Robert Flax

Filipe Zamborlini & Laura Rodrigues Grooversity with Marcus Santos

Paula Coutinho & Alírio Pereira

The Cafua, Rodrigues, Carvalho & Couto Families—Dunkin’ Donuts Franchise Owners MAPS 2013 Awards Gala Platinum Sponsors

João Silva Ballroom See More Gala Pictures at www.maps-inc.org

Sal Couto

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VOZ DA COMUNIDADE—SPRING 2013 Page 5

MAPS 2013 Awards Gala (ctd. from Page 1) UMass Boston. A Cape Verdean immigrant, Dr. Macedo is well-known as a critical theorist, linguist, and expert on literacy and education studies. He’s also beloved in the community for securing $30 million in grants to support stu-dents of many backgrounds who would otherwise not have been able to pursue their university studies. “I am emotional to receive this award from an agency that I have always respected,” said Macedo. The MAPS Jorge Fidalgo Community Service Award was presented by the late Mr. Fidalgo’s son, Joshua Fidalgo, to Airam da Silva, MPH, president of the Icla da Silva Foundation, a non-profit organization which for more than 20 years has done community outreach all over the country and in Puerto Rico to register bone marrow donors, especially those from minority communities. Airam da Silva and his family came to the US from Brazil seeking medical interven-tion for his sister, Icla da Silva, who eventually lost her battle with leukemia at the young age of 13. “Our work could not be done without the help of organizations like MAPS,” da Silva said, thanking the agency for helping him open the doors to churches, community organizations, health fairs, and other donor recruitment sites. He invited listeners to help the foundation connect with many more donors, adding, “Please join us in saving lives.”

This year, Cissy Coutinho presented two of the MAPS Manuel N. Coutinho Outstanding Volunteer Awards named after her late father. The first went to Maria Carvalho, LICSW, volunteer Board President of the Portuguese School of Cambridge and Somerville for the last four years and a volunteer there for much longer. Carvalho stressed the importance of learn-ing foreign languages, especially the languages of their heritage, in her case Portuguese. “Learning Portuguese matters!” she said, sharing credit for her award with the other Portuguese School leaders, students and parents. The other Coutinho Award recipient was Nelson Augusto da Silva, a longtime Cape Ver-dean community volunteer who, according to Ms. Coutinho, “might have come from humble beginnings, but used this experience and his passion for reading and writing to pass on to others one of the most useful and empowering gifts someone can give – literacy.”

“My soul pushed me to do that,” said da Silva. “The best thing people can do is to serve their fellow man.” Sal Couto, CEO of the Couto Management Group, received the MAPS Álvaro Lima Outstanding Business Award from Álvaro Lima himself, for his success as an entrepreneur. He started his first Dunkin’ Donuts establishment in Allston more than 25 years ago, and now employs over a thousand people while supporting more than 60 Dunkin’ Donuts establishments. “I am a proud member of the Portuguese-speaking community that has made of this country a better place,” said Couto, recalling that he learned English at the Cambridge social service office that now serves as MAPS’ headquarters. Earlier that evening, a red-carpet reception lit with paparazzi flashes, and a serenade by violinist Robert Flax, welcomed Gala guests into the ballroom foyer for a cocktail hour. The banquet and awards ceremony followed in the main ballroom, decorated with seashell table centerpieces and blue stage backlighting complementing the evening’s nautical theme. Traditional Azorean music performed by Portuguese guitarist João Silva completed the ambiance, and guests were also treated to a lively performance by the popular Brazilian drumming and percussion group Grooversity, with Marcus Santos. Guests also saw a short video featuring testimonials provided by grateful MAPS clients. Gala Co-Chairs Paula Coutinho, a member of the MAPS Board of Directors, and Alírio Pereira, MAPS Child Social Worker and Batterer Intervention Program Coordinator, welcomed all the guests and thanked them for their support. The Gala Co-Hosts—MAPS Board Member Filipe Zamborlini and Laura Rodrigues, who is a MAPS Women’s Health Educator—commanded the stage with youthful elegance and charisma. Albeit a festive celebration, the MAPS 2013 Awards Gala did not ignore the recent tragedy at the Boston Mara-thon. Guests stood for a moment of silence to honor victims of last month’s terrorist attacks in the Boston area. The night ended with fun on the dance floor, accompanied by a mix of Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Brazilian and American music played by DJ Manny Morais. There was also a drawing for nine prizes in the Sea of Luck raffle, avail-able exclusively for Gala attendees, and the four exciting prizes in the Grand Raffle, won by: • 1st Prize - $5,000 CASH- Winner: Tom Quinn, Ticket #713 • 2d Prize - Trip for 2 to Portugal! (Round trip airfare for 2 sponsored by SATA Airlines; 4-night stay for 2 with break-

fast, sponsored by Hotel Mundial in Lisbon) – Winner: R. Lima, Ticket #809 • 3rd Prize - Weekend Getaway for 2 (2-night weekend stay with breakfast, sponsored by the Renaissance Boston Water-

front Hotel; Dinner for 2 with drinks at Cuchi Cuchi in Cambridge—$100 value, sponsored by Cuchi Cuchi)-Winner: Paulo Martins, Ticket #1811

• 4th Prize - $200 CASH (Sponsored by MAPS Leadership) – Winner: Rui Gomes, Ticket #673

Social Hour

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VOZ DA COMUNIDADE— SPRING 2013 Page 6

MAPS Homenageia Pessoas de Destaque na Festa de Gala 2013

Mais de 360 convidados se juntaram a nós na Festa de Gala da MAPS 2013, realizada no dia 4 de maio, no Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. O evento de arrecadação de fundos comemorou as tradições marítimas dos povos de língua

portuguesa, e homenageou seis pessoas de destaque que inspiraram e fizeram a diferença na vida de muitos imigrantes.

O Prêmio de Pessoa do Ano foi para Anthony Silva, Editor de Negócios para a Nova Inglaterra e Âncora da Rádio WBZ. Filho de um português que, por sua vez, também fez importantes contribuições para a comunidade, Silva é um repórter, editor e produtor premiado, e âncora de rádio, há quase 35 anos.

“Ele pode ser humilde em relação a isso, mas certamente elevou o padrão de realizações em nossa comunidade, e nós não poderíamos pedir por um melhor modelo de conduta na mídia que Anthony Silva,” disse Elizabeth Chaves, Presidente da Diretoria da MAPS, que entregou o prêmio ao lado de Paulo Pinto, Diretor Executivo da agência.

“É preciso haver uma comunidade para que uma vila seja forte, e isso é o que a MAPS faz,” disse Silva. “Eu falo na rádio. Vocês lidam com as pessoas diretamente, com seus problemas reais, no dia-a-dia, e eu os respeito muito por isso.”

Sal Couto, CEO do Couto Management Group, recebeu o Prêmio MAPS Álvaro Lima Empresa de Destaque das mãos do próprio Álvaro Lima, por seu sucesso como empreendedor. Ele adquiriu sua primeira loja Dunkin’ Donuts em Allston há mais de 25 anos. Hoje, o Couto Management Group emprega mais de mil pessoas e possui mais de 60 lojas Dunkin’ Donuts.

“Eu tenho orgulho em fazer parte da comunidade de língua portuguesa que ajudou a fazer deste país um lugar melhor,” disse Couto, lembrando que aprendeu inglês no escritório de serviços sociais em Cambridge onde hoje funciona a sede administrativa da MAPS.

O Prêmio MAPS Jorge Fidalgo de Serviço Comunitário foi apresentado pelo filho de Jorge Fidalgo, Joshua Fidalgo, a Airam da Silva, Presidente da Fundação Icla da Silva, uma organização sem fins lucrativos que há mais de 20 anos faz campanhas em todo o país e em Porto Rico para recrutar doadores de medula óssea, especialmente entre as minorias comunitárias. Airam da Silva veio do Brasil para os Estados Unidos com sua família em busca de tratamento médico para sua irmã, Icla da Silva, que viria a falecer vítima de leucemia, aos 13 anos.

“Nós não poderíamos fazer este trabalho sem a ajuda de organizações como a MAPS,” disse da Silva, agradecendo à agência por tê-lo ajudado a abrir portas de igrejas, organizações comunitárias, feiras de saúde, e outros locais de recrutamento. Ele convidou os presentes a ajudarem a fundação a encontrar mais doadores: “Juntem-se a nós e nos ajudem a salvar vidas.”

Manuel Rogers, Jr., apresentou o prêmio MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers da Vida Dedicada ao Serviço Comunitário, com o nome de seus pais, a Donaldo Macedo, Professor de Artes Livres e Educação da UMass Boston. Um imigrante de Cabo Verde, Dr. Macedo é bastante conhecido como um teórico crítico, linguista, e expert em estudos de alfabetizaçào e educação. Ele é também adorado pela comunidade por ter conseguido $30 milhões em verbas para apoiar alunos de várias origens que, de outra maneira, não poderiam estudar numa universidade. “Eu me sinto emocionado por receber este prêmio de uma agência que eu sempre respeitei,” disse Macedo.

Anthony Silva e esposa

Sal Couto e esposa

Lexi Alessandra e Airam da Silva

Donaldo Macedo (segundo à direita) e família

Álvaro Lima

Família Fidalgo

Manuel Rogers, Jr.

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Page 7 VOZ DA COMUNIDADE— SPRING 2013

Festa de Gala (cont.)

Este ano, Cissy Coutinho apresentou dois prêmios MAPS Manuel N. Coutinho de Voluntariado de Destaque, que levam o nome de seu pai. O primeiro foi dado a Maria Carvalho, há quatro anos presidente voluntária da Diretoria da Escola Portuguesa de Cambridge e Somerville, e voluntária no local em outras funções há muito mais tempo. Sra. Carvalho destacou a importância de se aprender outras línguas, especialmente aquelas de suas origens, como o português, em seu caso.

“É importante aprender português!” ela disse, dividindo o crédito por seu prêmio com os demais líderes, alunos e pais de alunos da Escola Portuguesa.

O outro prêmio de Voluntariado de Destaque foi para Nelson Augusto da Silva, voluntário de longa data na comunidade cabo-verdiana que, de acordo com Coutinho, “pode ter origem humilde, mas usou sua

experiência e sua paixão pela leitura e a escrita para passar a outras pessoas o maior e mais útil presente que alguém pode dar – a alfabetização.”

“Minha alma me levou a fazer isso,” disse da Silva. “A melhor coisa que se pode fazer é servir aos semelhantes.” Mais cedo, uma recepção em tapete vermelho, iluminada pelos flashes dos paparazzi, e com uma serenata do violinista Robert Flax, deu as boas-vindas aos convidados na área do coquetel social. O jantar gourmet e a cerimônia de premiação se seguiram no salão principal, decorado com arranjos de mesa com conchas marinhas e luzes de fundo azuis no palco, como parte do tema náutico da noite. A música tradicional açoriana do guitarrista português João Silva completou o ambiente. Os convidados ainda foram brindados com uma animada apresentação do grupo de percussão Grooversity, com Marcus Santos. Também foi apresentado um vídeo, com depoimentos de clientes da MAPS.

Os Co-Presidentes da Festa de Gala Paula Coutinho, integrante da Diretoria da MAPS, e Alírio Pereira, Assistente Social e Coordenador do Programa de Intervenção de Agressores da organização, agradeceram o apoio de todos os convidados. Os apresentadores Filipe Zamborlini, da Diretoria da MAPS, e Laura Rodrigues, Educadora de Saúde Feminina da agência —comandaram o palco com graça, elegância, carisma e personalidade. Apesar de ser um evento festivo, a Festa de Gala 2013 da MAPS não ignorou a recente tragédia na Maratona de Boston. Antes do jantar, os convidados se puseram de pé para um momento de silêncio em homenagem às vítimas dos ataques terroristas em Boston no mês passado.

A Festa de Gala também contou com o sorteio de quatro prêmios na Grande Rifa (incluindo $5,000 em dinheiro no primeiro prêmio, uma viagem com acompanhante para Lisboa, doação da SATA Airlines e Hotel Mundial, no segundo prêmio, entre outros), e nove outros prêmios da rifa Sea of Luck, disponível apenas para os presentes. A noite terminou com muita dança ao som do DJ Manny Morais, que tocou músicas portuguesas, cabo-verdianas, brasileiras e americanas.

Além dos Patrocinadores Nível Platina, Ouro, Prata e Bronze, a MAPS agradece o apoio dos Patrocinadores de Mídia: Brazilian Times, O Favorito, ForCV.com, O Jornal, Jornal dos Sports,

Portuguese Times, Radio Nha Terra, e Radio Voz do Emigrante.

Maria Carvalho (segunda à esquerda) e família

Nelson Augusto da Silva (terceiro à esq.) e família

Michael Childs e Cissy Coutinho

Mesa da Rifa Sea of Luck

Laura Rodrigues e Filipe Zamborlini

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Serving the Portuguese-speaking

community in partnership with

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 56858

Boston, MA

MAPS Massachusetts Alliance of

Portuguese Speakers

1046 Cambridge St.

Cambridge, MA 02139

www.maps-inc.org

VOZ DA COMUNIDADE—SPRING 2013 Page 8

Participe de uma Campanha de Cidadania

A MAPS oferece uma série de Clínicas de Cidadania gratuitas para informações sobre naturalização e assistência no preenchimento dos formulários da imigração, por meio do Greater Boston Citizenship Initiative (GBCI), uma colaboração entre agências parceiras financiada pela Fish Family Foundation. Para informações sobre datas e locais, ligue para (617) 864-7600.

Pelo Fim da Violência Sexual e contra a Mulher

Abril marcou o Mês de Conscientização sobre Violência Sexual, e a MAPS participou de várias atividades para informar a comunidade de língua portuguesa sobre o problema e como procurar ajuda em seu idioma. O Programa de Serviços de Violência Doméstica e Sexual da agência também celebrou o Dia do Laço Branco na sede da CPCU Credit Union, em Somerville, no mês de março, quando homens de língua portuguesa fizeram o juramento de combater a violência contra as mulheres (foto).