CBA's Maria Claudio Honored for Acre Community Work

CBA Board member Maria Claudio received a Lowell's Women's Week "Because of Her" Award on March 2nd, recognizing her years of service to residents of the Acre.  The Because of Her Awards recognize women who demonstrate a strong commitment to the Lowell community. They are awarded every year to women who perform exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs and have not traditionally been recognized for their accomplishments.A long-time resident of the Acre, Maria has worked hard to provide opportunities for neighborhood youth, selling baked goods to fund sports activities. She organizes a baseball team called the "Red Soxs" as well as a basketball tournament every year. Due to all of her hard work, she was even able to take her baseball team to Puerto Rico, where she was born, for a game in August of last year. Maria also manages the Roberto Clemente League, a nonprofit league that organizes sports teams and other activities for youth to draw in young people from the streets and help them stay healthy.Maria says that the work she does is driven by a commitment to the people around her. "It has always been my dream to do this work for the community I live in - whether that is in Puerto Rico or here in the Acre," she said. "I love educating people about resources and other people that can help them make their lives better."