The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) is marking this year’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) with several community events, including a series of tennis lessons with survivors of domestic violence with the goal of promoting self-care and self-empowerment.

On Sunday, October 20, from 12 pm to 2 pm at the Shedd Park, in Lowell, MAPS launches “Topspin With a Purpose”, a tennis lesson for beginners featuring a group of survivors of domestic violence and MAPS staff members, facilitated by MAPS Advocate João Corga. The goal, according to Dulce Ferreira, MA, MAPS Director of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, is to promote empowerment and self-care by learning new skills and taking part in physical activities.

“Physical activity and learning new skills are great tools to increase self-esteem,” said Ferreira. “We regularly work with survivors to improve their self-image and help them regain confidence, and learning a new sport is a great and fun way to achieve that.”

On Saturday, October 5, MAPS Advocate Helena Mancini will moderate a conversation about healthy relationships with a group of seniors of the Our Lady of Fatima Parish, in Peabody, Massachusetts, and on October 26, from 2 to 6 pm, advocate Fania Resendes will do a presentation about domestic violence during a tea gathering for women at the Saint Joseph church in Worcester, MA.

On October 27, MAPS joins Casa Myrna, the Family Nurturing Center, District C-11 of the Boston Police Department, and a group of Cabo Verdean social workers for the Annual Paint the Town Purple event, taking place at 11 am at the Saint Patrick’s church in Roxbury. The theme for this year’s event is “Life, Love and Relationships”.

On social media, MAPS is adapting the “Domestic Violence Dictionary” – a project developed by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) – to the Portuguese and Cabo Verdean Creole-speaking communities, by posting a daily concept or word relating to domestic violence, and the resources available for victims of this crime.

“The availability of resources, paired with an increased understanding of the issues of domestic violence and a stronger engagement from all of us can have a greater preventive impact,” said Dulce Ferreira. “This requires that all of us put aside the uncomfortable feelings that talking about this issue can give rise to, and to check in regularly with our loved ones, our neighbors, and the members of our communities.”