The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) reopened its Cambridge Senior Center on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, after 15 months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Seniors who have been fully vaccinated and have completed the recommended 2-week waiting period since the second dose have slowly been returning to the center. In adherence to the latest CDC guidelines, masks and social distance will not be required in the Center but will still be recommended in public areas of the MAPS office and while traveling to and from the Center.

“We are so excited to be able to safely reopen our Senior Center and finally welcome back our beloved seniors,” said Paulo Pinto, MPA, MAPS Executive Director. “After more than a year of isolation, we are happy to provide them with a safe space where they can socialize and be with friends.”

The health and social services organization is once again serving daily nutritious and culturally appropriate lunches, following strict safety guidelines, and all MAPS staff in contact with the seniors are fully vaccinated.

“It was heartbreaking when we had to close the center to keep our seniors safe,” said Diane Joly, MAPS Senior Center Coordinator. “I am so excited to finally see them all again, and we are going to have lots of fun this summer exercising, dancing, doing arts and crafts, and socializing.”

The MAPS Senior Center provides case management, nutritious lunches, social, recreational and educational activities, and much more to over 40 Portuguese, Brazilian, and Cabo Verdean seniors from Monday to Thursday on the second floor of MAPS’ Cambridge office at 1046 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA.