Winter Newsletter - Final Draft
Transcrição
Winter Newsletter - Final Draft
Volume 17, Issue #4 WINTER 09 The MAPS Newsletter O Boletim Informativo da MAPS The 2009 MAPS Awards Gala Recipients Conheça os premiados da Awards Gala 2009 da MAPS The MAPS Annual Awards Gala honors important contributions to the community every year; people who with their hard work have made the lives of hundreds, even thousands, of Portuguese-speaking men and women better. This year, the event will be held at the Hilton Boston Logan Airport Hotel, on May 9th at 6 pm. Six individuals will receive the awards as recognition for the difference that they made to the community. In this issue you will get to know a bit more about each one of them. MAPS Person of The Year Award Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino “We are honoring Mayor Menino for his incredible leadership in support of the city’s immigrants through his Office of New Bostonians initiative and his direct work with immigrant neighborhoods of the city of Boston,” said MAPS’ Executive Director Paulo Pinto, MPA. Board President Joseph J. Vasconcelos said, "Mayor Menino is constantly striving to make Boston a better place to live, work and visit. He will be joining a list of great community leaders who have received the highest honor MAPS can bestow upon a person.” MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers Lifetime Community Service Award Jack Hamilton MAPS Manuel N. Coutinho Outstanding Volunteer Award Elisa Garibaldi WWW.MAPS-INC.ORG Voz da Comunidade Articles in Portuguese on pages 4 and 5 Artigos em Português nas páginas 4 e 5 After 27 years, Jack Hamilton recently retired as Executive Director of the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS). He has spent most of his adult life in non-profit organizations that help low-income community members—many of them Portuguese speakers. “His service has touched the lives of countless Portuguese-speaking immigrants in the Somerville area and beyond,” said MAPS Board member Mary Lu Mendonça, the co-chair of the 2009 Annual Awards Gala. An employee of the Lowell Community Health Center, Elisa has been in the forefront of immigrant rights campaigns, Brazilian cultural projects, and community health work. “She is a community leader and always ready to fight for immigrants’ rights,” said Maristela Tosato, a member of the MAPS Lowell office staff. MAPS Jorge Fidalgo Community Service Awards Maria José Soares, Maria dos Santos and Rhea Tavares The sisters Maria José Soares and Maria dos Santos are two long-time volunteers at St. Patrick’s Church in Roxbury. “They are very dedicated to the Cape Verdean community and always offer a helping hand to anyone in need,” said Julia Evora, a MAPS staff member who was one of several people to nominate the two volunteers for an award. Rhea Tavares, a Brazilian immigrant who has had to overcome a physical disability herself, works tirelessly as Coordinator of Portuguese Outreach for the Federation for Children With Special Needs in Boston. “I really have a passion to help those people, families that have special needs, and I look forward to establishing a special relationship with MAPS to help those families,” she says. Would you like to receive the MAPS newsletter by email? In an effort to save resources, MAPS is offering to send out this newsletter by email. If you would like to stop receiving it by mail and just receive it electronically, please email Renan Leahy at [email protected] with the subject line “newsletter” for the email list.. Thank you! MAPS VOZ DA COMUNIDADE MAPS Board Officers re-elected for 2009 Page 2 Dirigentes da Diretoria da MAPS reeleitos para 2009 The four officers on the MAPS’ Board of Directors have re-affirmed their commitment to the agency. They were re-elected for 2009 at the Board’s November 25 meeting at theMAPS’ Cambridge office. In the photo at left, Executive Director Paulo Pinto is beside Treasurer Victor M. Do Couto, MMHS, of Somerville; Secretary Carmen Pacheco Medeiros, MA, of Arlington; Vice President Mary Ann Lomba, MBA, of Dorchester; and President of the Board Joseph J. Vasconcelos, of Woburn. Inside MAPS * Por dentro da MAPS In this issue we welcome new staff members: Suzana Bucciarelli, full-time Health Communications Specialist; Gabriel Roncancio, full-time Latino Men’s Health Educator for the Framingham/Marlborough area; Dan Mattingly, part-time Development Specialist; Renan Leahy, part-time Communications Coordinator; Jose Henrique Oliveira, full-time Portuguese-speaking Men’s Health Educator, Boston area; Mirna Festi, part-time Energy Efficiency Program Coordinator, is also joining the Disease Prevention & Education Program staff part-time to assist in providing Men’s Health Education in the Boston area; Carlos Cruz, part-time Health Insurance Outreach Worker, is now working 20 hours per week out of our Framingham office; MAPS is still seeking a full -time Youth Coordinator for the Dorchester Youth Program and a part-time Men’s Health Educator for the Framingham Office. Since the last newsletter issue, MAPS received the following additional funding: From state Salary Reserve funds for additional support of various MAPS state-funded programs; additional funding from the state Dept. of Public Health for the Men’s Health Program in Framingham/Marlborough; funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mass. Foundation, and from the state Office of Medicaid, for outreach and enrollment for MassHealth and related health insurance coverage; from TJX Foundation for Domestic Violence Prevention; from the Bushrod H. Campbell & Adah F. Hall Fund for the Elder Services Program in Cambridge; from Cambridge Community Foundation for services to Cambridge residents; from the Americo J. Francisco Charity Fund and the Americo J. Francisco Elder’s Fund for East Cambridge at Cambridge Community Foundation for Elder Services; and from the Heinz Family Foundation for the MAPS Annual Awards Gala. Many thanks to our funders for their ongoing support. homem: achievements and challenges across Portuguese-speaking cultures SAVE THE DATE! A conference sponsored by the Applied Linguistics Dept. of UMass/Boston, the Boston Portuguese Festival, MAPS and the CPCU Credit Union Saturday, June 6th, 2009 - University of Massachusetts/Boston For more information, please write [email protected] or stay tuned at the MAPS Website. Award-Winning Staff Maristela Tosato (left), Women’s Health Educator and Case Worker at the Lowell office, was honored recently by the University of Massachusetts Lowell as an “Everyday Advocate for Working Women,” for her tireless work for the community. Martha Vasconcellos (right), Domestic Violence Program Supervisor, was unanimously voted by the Women’s Bar Foundation’s Board of Trustees to be honored for her longstanding assistance to and support of the Family Law Project for Battered Women. MAPS is deeply proud and thankful for their dedication and commitment to their clients. 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 (Director Executivo) Paulo Pinto; Editor (Editora) Lois Josimovich; Assistant Editor (Editor Assistente) Renan Leahy. Deadlines for newsletter submissions by issue: Spring – March 1; Summer – June 1; Fall – September 1; Winter – December 1t MAPS Page 3 2009 MAPS Annual Awards Gala Gala Anual da MAPS 2009 Fifteen distinguished community members have given their key support to the Annual Awards Gala, on May 9th, by joining its Honorary Committee. MAPS is proud to announce their names. Some of the members have joined MAPS for the second year, including: US Sen. Edward M. Kennedy; US Sen. John Kerry; his wife, philanthropist Teresa Heinz Kerry; Consul-General of Brazil Mario Ernani Saade; Consul-General of Cape Verde Maria de Jesus Mascarenhas; Consul-General of Portugal Manuela R. Bairos; and Mrs. Ana Fidalgo of Dorchester, Mrs. Frances Coutinho of Hopkinton and Mr. Manuel Rogers, Jr. of Cambridge, representing the families after whom some Gala Awards are named. MAPS also announced six newcomers to the Honorary Committee: E. Denise Simmons, Mayor of Cambridge; Lowell Mayor Edward C. Caulfield; Joseph A. Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville; Andrea J. Cabral, Suffolk County Sherriff; M. Teresa Cardoso, Somerville School Committee Member; and Jason Smith, Chair of the Framingham Board of Selectmen. The Gala is the largest annual MAPS fundraiser, and supports all its services for Portuguese speakers throughout the area. Besides a banquet and awards ceremony, the black tie-optional event will also include a Silent Auction, a raffle, dancing and entertainment. Seating can be reserved at the cost of $65 per person by calling (617) 864-7600. Eight major companies to be sponsors at the Gala Oito grandes empresas confirmadas como patrocinadoras da Gala We are excited to have already confirmed these sponsorship to the Annual Awards Gala. Other companies can still contribute with sponsorships, program book advertising, and donations of Silent Auction items. Additional sponsors and contributions at the 2009 Gala will be presented in the next newsletter to be published in April. More information is available at (617) 864-7600, and at www.maps-inc.org. MAPS also thanks the support of four confirmed Media Sponsors: The Brazilian Journal, Bisado.com, Bate-Papo Magazine and Bate-Papo TV Raffle tickets on sale! Você já pode comprar a sua rifa! You can already purchase your raffle tickets for the MAPS Annual Awards Gala. Tickets cost only $5 and are available at all MAPS’ offices and at the Gala, as well as on the Gala link at www.maps-inc.org. The winners will be announced at the Gala event, on May 9. Buy more tickets and increase your chances to win: FIRST PRIZE SECOND PRIZE THIRD PRIZE Dell 15.4-inch, 3GB Laptop Computer Windows VISTA 32” Panasonic $250 Flatscreen TV Shopping Spree MAPS OFFICES (ESCRITÓRIOS DA MAPS) : CAMBRIDGE /SOMERVILLE (617) 864-7600 ALLSTON (617) 787-0557 DORCHESTER (617) 825-5897 LOWELL (978) 970-1250 FRAMINGHAM (508) 872-2652 MAPS VOZ Page 4 NOTÍCIAS DA MAPS EM PORTUGUÊS Comunidade unida no combate ao HIV/AIDS Brasileiros, cabo-verdeanos, portugueses e outros membros da comunidade se reuniram no escritório da MAPS em Cambridge no dia 5 de dezembro para marcar o Dia Mundial da AIDS com uma festa de reconhecimento das empresas e voluntários que ajudaram a lutar contra o HIV/AIDS. “Nós atingimos pessoas em clubes, nas ruas, em áreas diferentes onde trabalhamos,” disse Washington Ramos, um educador de saúde para homens da MAPS com base na agência de serviços sociais e de saúde do escritório de Framingham. “Nós fazemos muitas coisas criativas para atingir a comunidade.” Entre os parceiros homenageados estavam os donos do Somerville’s Samba Bar na Somerville Avenue, o jornal Brazilian Times, sete voluntários da comunidade e os donos do Café Belo, um restaurante brasileiro famoso em Allston onde os educadores de saúde da MAPS frequentemente faziam campanhas de prevenção. Norma Malkiel, que supervisiona o Programa de Educação e Prevenção de Doenças na região de Boston, destacou a importância da colaboração dos empresários: “Os donos abriram as portas para nós e facilitou bastante nosso trabalho.” Voluntários individuais que também receberam certificados de reconhecimento incluem John Gabriel Roncancio-Blanco; Sergio Ianelli; Marieta Laranjo e Poliana de Sousa, voluntários no escritório em Lowell da MAPS do Programa de Prevenção e Educação; Luis Matos; Eduardo Santos; e Alex Zaiken. Anabela Quelha, que administra os serviços do Programa, lembrou a todos que “nosso trabalho é extremamente importante se quisermos mudar o fato de que hoje uma pessoa é diagnosticada com HIV/AIDS em cada 15 minutos no mundo.” O Dia da AIDS também incluiu uma exposição de arte brasileira das artistas locais Celia Toschi e Margarette Mattos, decorando quadrados para uma colcha/ manta de retalhos da AIDS, música e refrescos para todos. A colcha, iniciada em Lowell, é diferente da mundialmente famosa Colcha da AIDS que homenageia aqueles que morreram de AIDS. Seus quadrados foram feitos a mão pelos funcionários da MAPS e membros da comunidade que incluíram várias mensagens sobre educação e consciência da prevenção da HIV/AIDS. Com o apoio do Mass. Department of Public Health e o Boston Public Health Commission, a MAPS oferece educação, prevenção, aconselhamento, exames e assistência para brasileiros, cabo-verdeanos, portugueses e outros moradores da região. MAPS NOTÍCIAS DA MAPS EM PORTUGUÊS Page 5 Reunião Anual—MAPS segue firme, apesar da crise Os cortes no orçamento estadual ainda não atingiram as contas da MAPS, conforme relatado na Reunião Anual realizada em outubro. Mas a diretoria da agência continua atenta às oscilações da economia. “O tsunami global que estamos enfrentando é muito assustador e terá efeitos duradouros. Tenho certeza que causará um impacto na MAPS e em nossa comunidade. Nós precisamos navegar estas águas com muito cuidado” disse o Diretor Executivo, Paulo Pinto. Durante a Reunião foi feito um balanço do ano fiscal que terminou no dia 30 de junho de 2008, com resultado positivo. Entre as realizações da MAPS, destacam-se • criação de um novo programa de Prevenção ao Câncer de Mama; • expansão dos trabalhos contra Violência Doméstica e HIV/ AIDS; • lançamento de campanhas de cidadania comunitária, registro de eleitores e inscrição de pessoas nos planos de saúde; • mudança do escritório de Framingham para um local maior e mais accessível; • atendimento de mais de 8400 clientes. Presidente do Conselho da MAPS Joseph J. Vasconcelos Também na Reunião Anual, os membros da MAPS re-elegeram os membros do Conselho Carmen Medeiros, de Arlington, Marcony Almeida, de Everett, e Tina Silva, de Medford, para novos mandatos de três anos; elegeram um novo membro do Conselho, Elisabeth Chaves de Framingham; aprovaram as mudanças nos estatutos reduzindo o tamanho do Conselho de 18 para 15, e adicionaram uma categoria nova de sociedade da MAPS, chamada de “membro organizacional;” homenagearam o membro do Conselho Stephen Pereira por 15 anos de serviço na MAPS, bem como o membro do Conselho Antero Lomba e o funcionário Jackson Santana pelos cinco anos de serviços de cada um. O jantar oferecido para os funcionários teve bacalhau, salada e pudim, mas as equipes dos Programas de Violência Doméstica e de Apoio à Família acrescentaram ingredientes especiais à refeição. Gongos, sinos e apitos foram ouvidos durante os 30 minutos que antecederam a reunião. A explicação veio de Osvalda Rodrigues, diretora de Serviços Familiares e do escritório de Lowell: “Cada batida que vocês ouviram, a cada dez segundos, representa uma mulher sendo agredida em algum lugar do País; cada apito, de minuto em minuto, uma mulher sendo estuprada; e o sino que vocês ouviram algumas vezes simboliza uma mulher sendo assassinada”. A cada dia, mais de três mulheres morrem nos Estados Unidos, vítimas de violência doméstica. Um varal de camisetas com mensagens escritas à mão por vítimas de agressões traduziu o sentimento das mulheres assistidas pela MAPS: “Dói no meu coração”, dizia uma delas. O varal faz parte de um antigo projeto iniciado em Cape Cod e repetido em várias comunidades ao redor do País para conscientizar as pessoas sobre o problema. Essa foi a primeira vez em que o trabalho foi realizado para a comunidade de língua portuguesa em Massachusetts. Para mais informações sobre os serviços de ajuda confidencial em Português, ligue para Kate Lessard ou Osvalda Rodrigues no número (978) 970-1250; Martha Vasconcellos, (617) 864-7600; ou Dulce de Pina, (617) 825-5897. Page 6 V O Z D A C OM UN I DA DE MAPS MAPS Leaders Report Strong Agency Performance MAPS has weathered the latest state budget crisis and remains in excellent fiscal health, leaders of the agency reported at the Annual Meeting on October 27. But they remained wary of future funding cuts. Board President Joseph J. Vasconcelos thanked Executive Director Paulo Pinto, the Board of Directors, staff and volunteers for their endless hard work and dedication to the people MAPS serves. Vasconcelos said MAPS is doing well during these difficult economic times facing our nation and state, and called on all members to help in any way possible. Pinto told the assembled MAPS members that the agency again served more than 8,400 clients during the last fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. Among other accomplishments for the year, MAPS added a new Breast Cancer Prevention Program; continued expanding Domestic Violence Prevention, HIV Counseling & Testing, and HIV Education and Prevention programs; launched major community citizenship, voter registration and health insurance enrollment drives; moved its Framingham office to a larger and more accessible location; made improvements to its Allston, Dorchester, Somerville and Cambridge offices; celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Lowell office; and ended the last fiscal year with a fiscal surplus. Pinto said good financial planning and commitment to its mission have helped MAPS thrive and continue meeting the needs of the Portuguese-speaking community in spite of the poor economy. “We have a staff, Board and group of volunteers that are passionate about our work” Paulo Pinto Executive Director “We have a staff, Board and a group of volunteers that are passionate about our work, committed to the cause, provide the highest quality in culturally competent services and are very caring of our clients – a group committed to improving the lives of community members and in many cases saving the lives of our clients,” Pinto said. Also at the Annual Meeting, MAPS members re-elected Board members Carmen Medeiros, of Arlington, Marcony Almeida, of Everett and Tina Silva of Medford to new three-year terms; elected one new Board member, Elizabeth Chaves of Framingham; approved by law changes reducing the Board size to 15, from 18, and adding a new organizational membership category; and recognized Board member Stephen Pereira for 15 years of service to MAPS, as well as Board member Antero Lomba and staff member Jackson Santana for five years’ service each. Domestic Violence Awareness Month During dinner at the MAPS’ Annual Meeting, the staff from the agency’s Domestic Violence Services and Family Support Services programs arranged an unusual dinner show to graphically demonstrate how pervasive domestic violence is in this country, and to stir Portuguese-speaking community members into action on the issue. Along with their codfish, salad and flan, members had to digest the constant sounds of gongs, bells and whistles during the half-hour before the business meeting began. And then there was the mysterious clothesline full of shirts strung up in a front corner of the MAPS Cambridge Senior Center. “It surrounds us, it’s very real, and it hurts. It’s alarming how many people are affected.” Osvalda Rodrigues Director of Family Services and Director of MAPS’ Lowell Office The reason became clear when Osvalda Rodrigues, Director of Family Services and Director of the MAPS Lowell Office, took the podium after dinner. “Every bang that you heard on the gong, which is supposed to be every 10 seconds, symbolizes a woman being battered somewhere in this country,” she explained. “Every time you heard the whistle, about every minute, represented a woman being raped. And the bell that you heard, not as often, represents a woman being murdered.” More than three women are murdered every day in the US in domestic violence situations, according to national statistics. “It surrounds us, it’s very real, and it hurts,” she said. “It’s alarming how many people are affected.” The shirts on the clothesline, she explained, were part of the longstanding Clothesline Project begun on Cape Cod many years ago and shared with communities around the country to air the problem of domestic violence. This was the first time it was aimed at the Portuguese-speaking community in Massachusetts. “Each shirt is decorated to represent a particular woman’s experience about violence directed toward her,” said Kate Lessard, MAPS’ Lowell-area Domestic Violence Prevention Advocate. The shirts, decorated by survivors as well as the friends and family of victims and survivors, express the effects of domestic violence in words and pictures. “Yelling. Humiliation. Fear. Shame. Threats. NO MORE.” MAPS Joins Jane Doe Inc. for White Ribbon Day Page 7 MAPS se junta a ONG Jane Doc. para o Dia do Laço Branco MAPS representatives including Executive Director Paulo Pinto, MPA, stood with other members of Jane Doe Inc. and hundreds of supporters to watch Governor Deval Patrick declare Valentine’s Day, February 14th as White Ribbon Day 2009 in Massachusetts. It was a wonderful day of celebration both at the State House and in communities across the Commonwealth as men and boys took the pledge to end violence against women and put on their white ribbons. Teens involved with the MAPS’ Dorchester Youth Program created white ribbons of their own for White Ribbon Day and joined in a discussion about violence against women. Then they headed to the streets to hand out the ribbons and educate their community on the issue, according to Lyzz Almeida, MAPS Youth Program Supervisor. MAPS’ male staff taking the pledge to end violence against women: “From this day forward, I promise to be part of the solution in ending violence against women” Lowell office reopens the “Cantinho da Mulher” Cantinho da Mulher de volta no escritório de Lowell After a short break, MAPS’ Lowell office is offering again the opportunity to Portuguese-speaking women get together and share their stories. The “Cantinho da Mulher” (Women’s Space) is a valuable occasion for women to open their hearts and find the support and confidence they might be seeking. “It is a place where they do not have to be afraid to be themselves,” according to Osvalda Rodrigues, Director of MAPS Family Services and of the Lowell Office. “Even the hardest experiences are discussed in a cheerful and respectful environment.” Kate Lessard, who helps facilitate the group, adds, “Our mission is to unify a group of women who want to socialize and feel comfortable with themselves. We want them to take charge of their own plans, in every single aspect of their lives.” Heloisa Cunha from the Rape Crisis of Greater Lowell runs the group, bringing a wealth of knowledge about women’s issues. For more information contact MAPS’ Lowell office at (978) 970-1250. Breast cancer campaign on the billboards Anuncios da campanha contra o cancer de mama nas ruas This March you will probably see this poster on the streets, if you are in Eastern Massachusetts. MAPS’ Breast Cancer Prevention Program and The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Massachusetts affiliate allied their forces to fight the disease. “One in every eight women has cancer,” says the billboard, which will be posted at nine different locations throughout greater Boston, Framingham and Lowell. The goal is to get people informed. The chances of cure of a breast cancer patient are much bigger if the problem is detected early. Thais Neiva, coordinator of the Breast Cancer Prevention Program, will be in the Framingham area in March. More information is available by calling 1.800.232.7725 or MAPS’ Framingham office, (508) 872.2658. MAPS and CPCU Team Up Again to offer English Classes MAPS e CPCU juntas mais uma vez para aulas de Inglês The partnership between MAPS and the CPCU Credit Union— a non-profit financial institution, celebrating 80 years of serving the Portuguese-speaking community—have already helped 16 people to improve their English skills. A second CPCU-sponsored class will begin very soon at the MAPS Cambridge office, located at 1046 Cambridge St. It will take place two evenings per week at two hours per class. Anyone interested should immediately contact Julia Evora, program coordinator, at (617) 864-7600. The classes will be free for CPCU members, and remaining class slots are open to other community members at half-price for only $60 per person due to CPCU support. “We hope that through sponsoring English classes, we will have a positive impact on our members’ quality of life and prevent them from becoming victims of financial fraud and other scams known to target immigrant communities in general,” said Rui Domingos, CEO at CPCU. Inauguration Watch Party Festa para assistir a posse Members of the Portuguese-speaking community joined MAPS’ staff at the Senior Center in the Cambridge office, to watch the Inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20th. With their eyes fixed on the TV screen, they had lunch while following every minute of that historic event. www.maps-inc.org Of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley Cambridge, MA 02139 1046 Cambridge St. Portuguese Speakers community in partnership with Massachusetts Alliance of Serving the Portuguese-speaking MAPS Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 56858 Boston, MA
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Voz da Comunidade is a twice-yearly publication of MAPS. Please contact us at (617) 864-7600 or email [email protected]: Voz da Comunidade é uma publicação semestral da MAPS. MAPS Executive Direc...
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