More than 75 community members gathered on October 22 in Cambridge for the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers’ (MAPS) 2019 Annual Meeting, where they had the opportunity to learn about the health and social services organization’s main achievements of fiscal year 2019, including having served more than 20,000 people from the Portuguese-speaking communities and others, and helping almost 500 people become U.S. citizens.

Speaking before an audience of MAPS staff, board members, volunteers, community members and friends of the organization, MAPS Executive Director, Paulo Pinto, MPA, highlighted the “very strong” state of MAPS.

“This past fiscal year was one of our most successful years ever,” said Pinto. “We made a positive difference in the lives of more than 20,000 clients, empowered 492 people from 35 different countries with U.S. Citizenship, sustained our Senior Center through budget cuts thanks to the generous support from our community’s business leaders, and finished FY19 with a healthy surplus of $177,456.”

Susan Pacheco, president of the MAPS Board of Directors, along with Paulo Pinto, handed certificates of appreciation to the organization’s group of volunteers, and recognized several staff and board members for their years of service.

Paulo Pinto, Executive Director, was surprised with a certificate celebrating his 25 years of leadership at MAPS, while Patricia de Oliveira, Board Secretary; Elen Freitas, Brighton Office Manager; Claudinei DeSouza, Framingham Office Manager and Immigrant Integration Case Worker; Monia Bodenmueller, M.Ed., Child and Family Therapist; Alvaro Santo, Non-Medical Case Manager; and Isidro Fagundes, Director of Communications, received certificates commemorating 5 years at MAPS.

Antonia Alves, Non-Medical Case Manager and Driver Alcohol Education Program Coordinator celebrated 15 years of service; Lucinda Morais, Administrative Manager, was recognized for her 20-year career at MAPS; while Lois Josimovich, Director of Development, and Maria Matos, Supervisor of Immigrant Integration Services and Case Worker were recognized for their impressive 30 years of service.

At the meeting, MAPS Board Members Mary Ann Lomba, MBA, Stephen Pereira, M.Ed., and Filipe Zamborlini were re-elected by MAPS members to serve another 3-year term at the organization’s Board. Former Board member Antonio Massa Viana, Esq., was also elected to rejoin the MAPS Board for a 3-year term. More details and information about MAPS’ Fiscal Year 2019 can be found in the agency’s 2019 Annual Report. Copies can be picked up at any of MAPS’ six offices in Boston, Framingham and Lowell, or downloaded from the organization’s website at maps-inc.org/annual-report/.