The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) recently created an Endowment Legacy Fund in honor of Carmen Pacheco Medeiros, a community leader and MAPS Board member for more than 20 years, who passed away on May 31, 2022.

Following her family’s generous request for donations to MAPS instead of flowers, the health and social services organization received more than $2,000. Subsequently, on June 28, 2022, MAPS’ Board of Directors approved the contribution of another $3,000 from MAPS revenues to create the Legacy Fund within the MAPS Endowment, managed by the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. The new fund will support all the many free health and social services that MAPS provides to the community.

“The Carmen Pacheco Medeiros Memorial Fund will help us preserve Carmen’s legacy as a builder of MAPS during its creation in the 70s and then as a Board member for the past 20 years,” said Paulo Pinto, MPA, MAPS CEO. “She was an inspiration in many ways, especially as a role model of community engagement and leadership. Carmen truly loved MAPS and our mission of promoting unity among our communities.”

In addition to requesting contributions to MAPS, the Medeiros family donated several personal items that the organization plans to sell at a fundraising Yard Sale to support the MAPS Senior Center in Cambridge. The event will happen on Thursday, July 28, from 10 AM to 3 PM at the MAPS Cambridge Office at 1046 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139.

To donate to the new Carmen Pacheco Medeiros Memorial Fund and learn more about the MAPS Endowment, please visit www.maps-inc.org/endowment.