The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) recently promoted Maria Matos to Program Manager of its Immigrant Integration Services (IIS).

Currently the longest-serving employee at MAPS, Matos was in high school when she started working as a part-time clerical assistant at the Somerville Portuguese American League (SPAL) in 1989, one of the two organizations that merged in 1993 to create MAPS.

“There are many reasons why Maria is the right person to lead this program,” said MAPS CEO Paulo Pinto, MPA. “Most of all, she has been a passionate, welcoming, and dedicated case worker for over 36 years, helping thousands of immigrant families, seniors, and other community members with a variety of challenges. Her work’s impact on our communities is vast. Through her new leadership role as Managing Case Worker, we are confident that we will be able to continue to achieve our mission of building healthy lives and successful communities.”

Matos is partially accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to represent clients before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and to review and supervise all Citizenship applications before they are submitted. As a case worker, in addition to helping community members achieve American citizenship, she provides personalized assistance with housing, employment, nutrition and fuel assistance, access to other public benefits, health insurance enrollment and renewal, and many other daily life issues.

“My favorite part about my job is being able to help those in need, to advocate for them,” said Maria Matos. “We do almost everything here at MAPS, and clients don’t need to go to other agencies to fill out applications to access services and benefits. We provide a lot of those resources here.”

Her long career at MAPS has equipped her with the tools to effectively manage, supervise, and support the MAPS team of IIS case workers. She takes great satisfaction from helping community members understand their rights and access all the benefits they qualify for, and has seen firsthand how people’s lives can be changed for the better when they have someone to help them navigate complex processes in a foreign country and break down barriers to essential services.

“Maria’s journey reflects the story of MAPS itself,” said Alirio Pereira, MA, MAPS Chief Program Officer. “It is one built from community, sustained by compassion, and always moving forward to open doors for those seeking a better life. Her new leadership position is well-deserved, and her dedication to our community’s success is an inspiration to us all.”

She frequently receives messages from former clients who became U.S. citizens thanks to her assistance, or from community members who finally accessed housing, food assistance, or other essential services.

“I have a big heart, and many clients have told me, ‘You were placed on this earth to help those in need’. I truly believe that,” she said.

The Immigrant Integration Services Program is among the most sought-after programs at MAPS, having served nearly 10,000 community members in fiscal year 2025. To learn more about this resource, please visit maps-inc.org/cause/immigration-integration-services.