Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers

No, we do not.

Although MAPS is not a cultural organization, we do provide classes in the Portuguese language and often hold educational and fundraising events with a cultural component.

No, MAPS does not have funding to give out any money. We can only connect you with government entitlement programs such as Food Stamps, MassHealth, etc. if you make an appointment with an Immigrant Social Services case worker.

No, you can only receive a valid Social Security card from the Social Security office. MAPS Immigrant Social Services case workers can give you information on how to contact the Social Security office nearest you.

Yes, we are able to provide services to all disabled persons. If you are hearing impaired, you may call any MAPS office number and be connected to a TTY/TDD machine. If you are blind/visually impaired, MAPS has an audiotape version of its brochures in Portuguese and English as well as large print editions of the brochures for you to read. All MAPS services are also accessible to individuals who use wheelchairs.

There has been no scientific study that truly tells us these numbers, however, we can make some estimates using information from the US Census, the various Consulates, the Archdiocese of Boston and our own client records combined with some scholarly research, school statistics and other information. Generally, we believe that there are up to 1 million Portuguese speakers in Massachusetts and that this population is the largest foreign language group in the state. There are an estimated 200,000 or more Portuguese speakers in the greater Boston area, approximately 20,000-25,000 in the greater Lowell area, and 20,000 in the Framingham area.

Yes, all MAPS services are confidential and violation of client confidentiality is grounds for immediate dismissal of a MAPS employee.

No, we don’t provide counseling at this time, but we can refer you to a Portuguese-speaking counselor if you call (617) 864-7600.

MAPS Immigrant Social Services case workers can help you determine your eligibility and apply for free health care through MassHealth, and other government entitlement programs for which you might be eligible. Please make an appointment with the case worker in Allston, Dorchester, Cambridge or Lowell.

Our staff helps anyone who contacts us as much as possible, but if we can’t provide the service you need, there are some other organizations there that might be able to help you. Some of these include:

•   Immigrants Assistance Center, Inc. (IAC), New Bedford, MA (508) 996-8113
•   Cape Verdean Association of Brockton, (508) 559-0056.