“We are very glad to honor Mr. Brandão and Mr. Barros with this award,” said Paulo Pinto, MAPS Executive Director. “They not only helped to promote delicious Cape Verdean cuisine in Massachusetts, but they are also highly involved with the community, often supporting initiatives that help thousands of Cape Verdean immigrants.”

The MAPS Álvaro Lima Outstanding Business Award is presented annually to recognize those businesses and their owners that, through their own regular activities or by supporting others’ initiatives, have made the lives of Portuguese speakers in our communities easier. The other 2012 MAPS Gala award recipients include State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, who will receive the MAPS Person of the Year Award, the highest award bestowed by the agency; the Deputy Director of Human Services for the City of Boston, Adalberto Teixeira, recipient of the MAPS Manuel N. Coutinho Outstanding Volunteer Award; Dayanne Leal, Outreach Manager at Health Care for All, who will be honored with the MAPS Jorge Fidalgo Community Service Award; and Eduardo “Eddie” Sousa, a longtime volunteer at St. Anthony’s Church in Cambridge, who will receive the MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers Lifetime Community Service Award.

The 2012 MAPS Awards Gala will feature a black tie-optional banquet and awards ceremony, dancing, entertainment, a Live and Silent Auction and more. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available! For more information, please call (617) 864-7600 or visit http://www.maps-inc.org/events/annual-gala/2012-gala/.

“Portuguese speakers are the largest minority group in the state, but we are consistently underrepresented,” said Paulo Pinto, MPA, MAPS Executive Director. “Our communities need to be recognized, heard, and have a much stronger impact in the political process at all levels. This workshop is an important way to build Portuguese-speaking leadership capacity and empower our communities to one day run for office.”

Anyone can participate in the workshop, which will be divided as follows:

• Session 1: Tuesday, March 6, 2012 – Why run for office? What does it take? How elected officials can affect society and what it takes to organize people to make a difference on issues like public safety or education.

• Session 2: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – How many votes does it take to win? The difference between victory and defeat, how to create a specific campaign strategy, the role of the candidate, and a plan for voter contact.

• Session 3: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 – How do I get volunteers and campaign money? How to build a campaign, from securing endorsements to recruiting volunteers to fundraising.

• Session 4: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 - What’s my message? How do I get elected and keep everything organized and legal? Campaign messages, public speaking & legal rules governing campaigns and elections.

The registration fee is $50. For more information and registration, please contact Deolinda Daveiga at (617) 864-7600, or dveiga@maps-inc.org.

Communications Coordinator

Full-Time – 30 hours per week

Job Description:

Under the direction of the Director of Development and Communications, the Communications Coordinator will be responsible for a variety of communications with key agency constituents and the media. He/she also acts as the organization’s translator. Primary responsibilities include:

1. Preparing and distributing press releases and other written materials about MAPS
2. Facilitating communications and building relationships with the media, especially Portuguese-language outlets
3. Maintaining news contact lists
4. Helping to manage agency website including producing and updating content in WordPress as well as maintaining contact with the Web consultant for advanced updates
5. Preparing the MAPS quarterly bilingual newsletter for print, with monthly e-newsletters in between
6. Using the Constant Contact online email marketing system to keep MAPS constituents informed
7. Updating Google Calendar and social media such as the MAPS Facebook page
8. Reviewing and helping MAPS staff prepare program promotional materials, especially in Portuguese
9. Translating internal and external documents from Portuguese to English and English to Portuguese
10. Taking, editing and managing digital photos with agency point-and-shoot camera
11. Assisting with design of agency Annual Report and other materials
12. Required to participate in MAPS Annual Awards Gala and other activities such as staff meetings, the MAPS Annual Meeting and staff trainings related to job duties
13. Other tasks that may be required from time to time
14. Some local travel required between MAPS offices, as well as to print houses and occasional outside meetings

Background, Skills and Experience:

• BA required
• Bilingual/bicultural professional with excellent written and oral communications skills in English and Portuguese required
• Strong knowledge and experience with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop and social media. Experience with WordPress or other website content management system, design software such as Publisher and InDesign, and Constant Contact or similar online email system, preferred
• Must be detail conscious, well organized and able to handle multiple tasks as well as to meet frequent deadlines
• Knowledge of the Portuguese-speaking community and of health and social services very helpful

Salary Range commensurate with experience: $17.00-$18.00/hour.

To apply for this position, please send resume and cover letter, with 1-2 page writing sample in English and Portuguese, by February 17, 2012 to:
MAPS Personnel Office
1046 Cambridge St.
Cambridge, MA 02139
Fax: (617) 864-7621
Email: lmorais@maps-inc.org

Affirmative Action/EOE

Sonia Chang-Diaz

With less than three months to go before its 2012 Awards Gala, the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) is proud to announce the recipient of the Person of the Year Award and the members of the Honorary Committee for its largest fundraising event, to take place April 28th, 2012, at 6 pm, at the Cambridge Marriott Hotel, Kendall Square.

The highest award bestowed every year by the organization, the MAPS Person of the Year Award, will honor State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz. She was the first Latina elected to the Massachusetts State Senate, now serving her 2nd term for the Second Suffolk District. Sen. Chang-Diaz is widely recognized as a strong advocate for public education, CORI reform, access and opportunities for low-income and immigrant communities, as well as for those affected by foreclosures, hate crimes and youth violence.

“Sen. Chang-Diaz is a living example of everything that MAPS believes in and fights for,” said Executive Director Paulo Pinto. “She takes pride in her immigrant roots and stands up for our communities in Massachusetts.”

The other 2012 Award Recipients include the Deputy Director of Human Services for the City of Boston, Adalberto Teixeira, recipient of the MAPS Manuel N. Coutinho Outstanding Volunteer Award; Dayanne Leal, Outreach Manager at Health Care for All, who will be honored with the MAPS Jorge Fidalgo Community Service Award; and Eduardo “Eddie” Sousa, who will receive the MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers Lifetime Community Service Award. The recipient of the MAPS Álvaro Lima Outstanding Business Award will be announced shortly.

As for the 2012 Awards Gala Honorary Committee, it is composed of distinguished individuals who support MAPS services: US Senator John F. Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; WBZ Radio Co-Host Anthony Silva; Álvaro Lima, Manuel Rogers, Jr., Mrs. Ana Fidalgo and Mrs. Frances Coutinho, representing the individuals and families after whom some of the awards were named; the Consul-General of Brazil in Boston , Fernando Mello Barreto; the Consul-General of Cape Verde in Boston, Pedro Graciano Carvalho; the Consul-General of Portugal in Boston, Paulo Cunha Alves; Rui Domingos, CEO of the CPCU Credit Union; and Mr. John B. Cruz III, President of the Cruz Companies.

The 2012 MAPS Awards Gala will feature a black tie-optional banquet and awards ceremony, dancing, entertainment, a Live and Silent Auctions and more. Co-chairing this year’s event are MAPS Board member Joseph J. Vasconcelos and MAPS Administrative Assistant Deolinda Daveiga. The Gala will be hosted for the second time by WBZ Radio co-host Anthony Silva. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available! For more information, please call (617) 864-7600 or visit http://www.maps-inc.org/events/annual-gala/2012-gala/.

Classes start on the second week of February, as follows:

• Basic ESOL – Classes meet twice a week, for 12 weeks, on Mondays and Thursdays, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, starting Feb. 6th, at MAPS’ Cambridge Office (1046 Cambridge Street);

• Basic Portuguese – Classes meet once a week, for 12 weeks, on Tuesdays, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, starting Feb. 7th, at MAPS’ Cambridge Office;

• Citizenship – Classes meet once a week, for 12 weeks, on Wednesdays, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, starting Feb. 8th, at MAPS’ Cambrdige Office;

• Basic Portuguese – Classes meet once a week, for 12 weeks, on Wednesdays, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, starting Feb. 8th, at MAPS’ Framingham Office (24 Union Avenue);

• Basic ESOL – Classes meet once a week, for 12 weeks, on Saturdays, from 9 am to 12 pm, starting Feb. 10th, at MAPS’ Lowell Office (11 Mill Street).

For more information or to sign up for the classes, please call (617) 864-7600 or email Júnior Catão at jcatao@maps-inc.org.

MAPS’ 2012

Awards Gala

Award Recipients!

MAPS 2012 Awards Gala

Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 6 pm

Cambridge Marriott Hotel, Kendall Square

Full Page Ad dimensions for Program Book: 6.5” wide x 9” high, 600 dpi requested for all graphics, logos and  camera-ready ads. For questions on ad format, please contact Sue Seger, sseger@maps-inc.org, (617) 864-7600.

* Donated Gala tickets will be given to youth and or elder clients who might otherwise not be able to attend the event.

Adalberto Teixeira

• MAPS Manuel N. Coutinho Outstanding Volunteer Award: Adalberto Teixeira, Deputy Director of Human Services for the City of Boston. He’s a major leader in the Boston Cape Verdean community, co-hosting the popular Nha Terra Cape Verdean radio show, now celebrating its 25th Anniversary. He also has volunteered in the community in many other capacities, including with youth through the St. Patrick’s Youth Soccer Program, and worked with MAPS and other organizations on the Portuguese-Speaking Complete Count Committee for the 2010 US Census;

Dayanne Leal

• MAPS Jorge Fidalgo Community Service Award: Dayanne Leal, Outreach Manager at Health Care for All, for her work signing up and helping tremendous numbers of low-income, immigrant and other community members to sign up for MassHealth and health insurance so they can access health care. She also has organized the charity program Tropical Angels for eight years, helping out children and families in need in Brazil;

• MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers Lifetime Community Service Award: Eduardo (Eddie) Sousa, a long-time key volunteer in the Portuguese community and a driving force behind the feasts at St. Anthony Church in Cambridge;

MAPS award recipients are nominated by the community and agency clientele, through forms available all year long in our six offices located in Cambridge, Allston, Dorchester, Framingham, Lowell and Somerville, and also online at www.maps-inc.org/events/annual-gala/2012-gala/nominate-someone/. Even though nominations for 2012 are closed, you can already indicate someone you think deserves recognition in 2013 for the work he or she has done for the Portuguese-speaking community.

Eduardo 'Eddie' Sousa

Apart from being an opportunity to honor distinguished individuals in our communities, the Awards Gala is MAPS’ largest fundraising event, supporting a wide variety of services the agency has been offering for more than 40 years. The black-tie-optional event also features a banquet, Live and Silent Auctions, entertainment and much more! Co-chairs for the 2012 Gala are Board member Joseph J. Vasconcelos and Deolinda Daveiga, MAPS Administrative Assistant. The event emcee will once again be WBZ Radio co-anchor Anthony Silva!

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities as well as other news about the Gala will be announced shortly.