|
Answers
to Frequently Asked Questions
Click a question to get the answer:
What is MAPS?
What does MAPS do?
How long has MAPS existed?
Where are your offices located?
Do you only serve Portuguese people?
Do you charge for your services?
How do I apply for a job at MAPS?
Do you help legalize undocumented immigrants or help
them get valid green cards?
How do I become a MAPS member?
What do I get from becoming a member?
Is MAPS a United Way member agency?
Where else does MAPS get money to run its programs?
How do I make a donation to MAPS?
What volunteer opportunities do you have, and how
do I become a volunteer?
Do you provide English language instruction?
Do you offer services for people suffering domestic
violence?
Do you help people find jobs or housing?
Do you have any lawyers on your staff who can help
me with legal problems?
Do you provide translation and interpretation services?
I know someone who is having a problem with alcohol/drugs.
Can you help?
I/someone I know needs to have an HIV test. How can
I get one?
Do you have notary public at MAPS?
Do you provide services outside greater Boston and
Lowell?
I have no health insurance and no money to pay for
it. How can I get health care?
Do you offer services for an elderly friend/relative
who is home alone and depressed?
Can you help someone who is having a mental health
problem and needs counseling?
Are MAPS services confidential?
Do you have statistics on numbers of Portuguese speakers
who live in Massachusetts?
I have a disability. Is MAPS accessible to disabled
persons?
Can I get a Social Security card at MAPS?
Do you give out money to people who need it?
I live outside your area. Does MAPS have a toll-free
number?
Does MAPS offer any cultural events or services for
Portuguese speakers?
How do I serve on the Board of Directors at MAPS?
Do you sell maps?
Q. What is MAPS?
MAPS is the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, a private,
non-profit, community-based organization. Back to
top.
Q. What does MAPS do?
We provide health and social
services for Portuguese speakers in Massachusetts. All of
our services are provided by bilingual, bicultural staff from the
Portuguese-speaking community. Back
to top.
Q. How long has MAPS existed?
MAPS in its present form was created in 1993 by the merger of the
Cambridge Organization of Portuguese Americans (COPA) and the Somerville
Portuguese Language League (SPAL), formerly the Somerville Portuguese
American League. Those two organizations had existed separately
since 1970, both serving Portuguese speakers. Back
to top.
Q. Where are your offices
located?
Our administrative office is located at 1046 Cambridge Street, Cambridge,
MA 02139. We have other offices in
Somerville, Allston, Dorchester and Lowell and Framingham. Back to top.
Q. Do you only serve Portuguese
people?
No, MAPS serves anyone who speaks Portuguese, including Brazilians,
Cape Verdeans, Portuguese and others. We also have some services
that are open to anyone who lives in the area. MAPS does not discriminate
in providing services on the basis of race, color, creed, ethnicity,
religion, age, handicap, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation. Back
to top.
Q. Do you charge for your
services?
Most services are free, but certain ones are fee-based, such as
ESOL, Citizenship and Portuguese classes. In addition, there are
certain services for which we are required to charge, including
Batterer Intervention classes and
Driver Alcohol Education courses. For specific fee information,
please contact the appropriate program staff. Back to top.
Q. I am interested in working
at MAPS. How do I apply for a job?
MAPS frequently has employment opportunities, and we especially
welcome individuals who are bilingual, bicultural Portuguese or
Cape Verdean Creole speakers who are from the communities we serve.
MAPS is an equal opportunity employer. Job opportunities are often
listed on the Employment page in this
Web site and are posted at MAPS office locations as well as being
advertised in English- and Portuguese-language newspapers. You may
respond to one of these advertisements by submitting a resume and
cover letter as outlined in the advertisement, or submit those at
any time to be kept on file for an appropriate opportunity. Back
to top.
Q. Do you help legalize undocumented
immigrants or help them get valid green cards?
No, but we can refer them to Portuguese-speaking attorneys who will
explain the process to them. They may also enroll in Citizenship
preparation classes and receive other assistance in becoming citizens
if they are eligible. Back to top.
Q. How do I become a MAPS
member?
By paying $25 per year ($15 for senior citizens and students) and
providing us with your name, address and other contact information.
You must be a Portuguese speaker,
a descendant or spouse of one, except by special vote of the Board
of Directors, and you must be at least 14 years old to become
a member. You must also reside in Massachusetts. Back
to top.
Q. What do I get from becoming
a member?
You receive the MAPS quarterly newsletter and become eligible to
vote in MAPS elections, such as the annual election of the Board
of Directors. You also help the community by supporting the programs
and services at MAPS. Back to top.
Q. Is MAPS a United Way
member agency?
Yes, we are supported by the United Ways of Massachusetts Bay
and the Merrimack Valley, and can receive money from donors in
other United Ways if they
specifically
request that their donations go directly to MAPS on their donor
forms. Back to top.
Q. Where else does MAPS
get money to run its programs?
From the local, state and federal government, foundations, corporations,
individual donations, special event fundraisers, program fees, membership
dues and other sources. Back to top.
Q. How do I make
a donation to MAPS?
Please send your donation to MAPS at 1046 Cambridge St., Cambridge,
MA 02139. Donations are tax-deductible. You may also make a donation
by credit card at that same address or by calling (617) 864-7600.
MAPS also takes credit card donations through
its Web site..just follow the link from the home page. Back to top.
Q. I am interested in volunteering
at MAPS. What volunteer opportunities do you have, and how do I
become a volunteer?
MAPS has more than 40 wonderful volunteers, who help with direct
services as well as fundraising and clerical work. Back
to top.
Q. Do you provide English
language instruction?
Yes, MAPS provides basic and conversational courses in English for
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at all of its offices. Back
to top.
Q. Do you have any services
for someone who is being abused in a marriage or relationship?
Yes, please call our Domestic Violence Prevention Program at (617)
864-7600. MAPS also provides Batterer Intervention Services to
help
men stop their abusive behavior. Back
to top.
Q. Do you help people find
jobs or housing?
Yes, our Immigrant Social Services case workers in Cambridge, Allston,
Dorchester, and Lowell can help you with information and referrals
on all kinds of basic needs if you are a Portuguese speaker with
limited or no English skills. In order to see the case workers,
you need to call or stop in and make an appointment first. MAPS
also helps people through the process of buying their first home.
Please call (617) 864-7600.
Back to top.
Q. I have a legal problem?
Do you have any lawyers on your staff who can help me?
No, but we can refer you to one who speaks Portuguese. We also can
refer you to other professionals such as doctors, dentists and so
on. Back to top.
Q. Do you provide translation
and interpretation services?
We provide translation at $40 per page, and we have a list of outside
interpreters whom you can call. For more information, please call
(617) 864-7600. For translations, you must provide original documents
and allow up to a week or more for them to be completed, depending
on the staff schedule. Back
to top.
Q. I know someone who is
having a problem with alcohol/drugs. Can you help?
MAPS offers limited substance abuse services and can refer you
to other resources. Please call us at
(617) 864-7600. Back to top.
Q. I/someone I know needs
to have an HIV test. How can I get one?
Our staff can provide HIV Counseling & Testing and referrals.
Please call 617-787-0557, or
toll-free
(800) 232-7725. Back
to top.
Q. I need something notarized.
Do you have notary public at MAPS?
Yes, we do in our Cambridge office. Call (617) 864-7600. Back
to top.
Q. Do you provide services
in Brockton or any other part of the state besides greater
Boston and Lowell?
There are some other organizations
there that might be able to help you with certain services. Some
of these
include:
- Immigrants Assistance Center, Inc. (IAC),
New Bedford, MA (508) 996-8113
- Portuguese Youth Cultural Organization (PYCO),
Fall River, MA (508) 679-0962
- Brazilian Organization for Service and Support
(BOSS), Hyannis, MA
(508) 778-8710
- CapeVerdean Association of Brockton, (508)559-0056.
Back to top.
Q. I have no health insurance
and no money to pay for it. How can I get health care?
MAPS Immigrant Social Services case workers can help you apply for
Free Care 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.
Back to top.
Q. I have an elderly friend/relative
who is home alone and depressed. Do you have any services that he/she
can use?
Yes, we have a Senior Center in our Cambridge office that provides
recreational and educational programs, daily nutritious lunches
and many other services. Please call (617) 864-7600.
Back to top.
Q. I/someone I know is having
a mental health problem and needs counseling. Can you help?
No, we do not provide counseling at this time, but we can refer you
to another program if you call (617) 864-7600.
Back to top.
Q. Are MAPS services confidential?
Yes, all MAPS services are confidential and violation of client
confidentiality is grounds for immediate dismissal of a MAPS employee.
Back to top.
Q. Do you have any information
on numbers of Brazilians, Portuguese, Cape Verdeans or Portuguese
speakers in general who live in Massachusetts/the Boston area or
any other area of Massachusetts?
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 and approximately 20,000-25,000 in the Lowell
area. Back to top.
Q. I have a disability.
Is MAPS accessible to disabled persons?
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. Back to top.
Q. Can I get a Social Security
card at MAPS?
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. Back to top.
Q. Do you give out money
to people who need it?
No, MAPS does not have funding to give out any money. We can only
connect you with government entitlement programs such as Food Stamps,
Free Care, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, etc. if you
make an appointment with an Immigrant Social Services case worker.
Back to top.
Q. I live outside your area.
Does MAPS have a toll-free number?
Yes, MAPS has a national toll-free number for questions about HIV/AIDS,
substance abuse and other health-related issues. It is (800) 232-7725.
Back to top.
Q. Does MAPS offer any cultural
events or services for Portuguese speakers?
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. Back to top.
Q. I am interested in serving
on the Board of Directors at MAPS. How do I become a Board member?
You must be a member of MAPS and either run for election in the
Annual Meeting in October, or be appointed by the Board of Directors
to fill a vacancy. For more information on Board membership and
responsibilities, please contact Lucinda Morais,
(617) 864-7600. Back to top.
Q. Do you sell maps?
No, we do not. Back to top.
|
