The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) has selected four of the five individuals to be honored at the non-profit health and social services provider’s 2018 Awards Gala on April 28th at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA. The event will once again be supported and presented by Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owners Apres, Cafua, Couto and Riverside Management Groups, Diamond level sponsors.
The MAPS Jorge Fidalgo Community Service Award will be presented to Dr. Lourenço Garcia, Principal of the Revere High School. Dr. Garcia is a nationally recognized and award-winning educational leader with more than twenty-four years of teaching, research, leadership, and consultancy experience. A Cape Verdean-American, Dr. Garcia has restructured the school by designing and implementing innovative, student-centered, and results-driven structures and programs rooted in the 21st century learning model. Under his leadership, the school has won various prestigious awards, including the Schools of Opportunity National Award (Gold, 2016) and the Best Urban High School in America (Gold Medal, 2014).
Osvalda Rodrigues, MA, a former Program Director at MAPS, will receive the MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers Lifetime Community Service Award. During her time working with the health and social services organization, Rodrigues, a Portuguese-American, was instrumental in growing the MAPS’ Domestic Violence program, adding support services for victims of sexual assault, and planning and implementing many other events and programs.
The MAPS Álvaro Lima Outstanding Business Award will honor Fernando Castro. One of the most successful entrepreneurs in the Brazilian community in Massachusetts, Castro is the owner of Income Tax Plus and other businesses, and a philanthropist who has helped many organizations in the area, such as the Brazilian Women’s Group and the Brazilian Immigrant Center. He is also a co-founder of the “Digaai Space” in Boston, an organization that aims to aggregate and curate Brazilian cultural manifestations abroad, serving as a bridge for Brazilian immigrant communities across the world.
MAPS will award the MAPS Manuel N. Coutinho Outstanding Volunteer Award to Regina Rodrigues. A native of Brazil, Regina has been doing volunteer work for many years with several different community organizations. Since 2015, she has been a regular volunteer with the MAPS HIV/ STI Services, collaborating with the organization’s team of Community Health Workers and supporting MAPS ‘mission of building and growing a healthy community.
Final details regarding the MAPS 2018 Person of the Year Award are under way, and the award recipient will be announced soon.
“The theme for this year’s Gala is ‘Diversity’, and we’re very excited to have such a wonderful and diverse group of extraordinary award recipients,” said Paulo Pinto, MPA, MAPS Executive Director. “Their stories are ones of hard work, persistence and dedication to our communities, and we can’t wait to honor them at our 2018 Gala.”
The organization is still looking for more sponsors for the April 28th event. There are six different sponsorship levels available, with a different set of benefits, and any business or organization interested in sponsoring may contact Andrew Carten, Development Manager, at (617) 864-7600, or download the sponsorship form here.
The MAPS Awards Gala is a black tie-optional event with an elegant red carpet arrival, banquet, awards ceremony, silent auction, dancing, entertainment and much more. The audience will include more than 400 members and leaders of the Brazilian, Cabo Verdean and Portuguese communities, business owners, elected officials and other health and human service providers.