Sokol Lushllari/
My name is Sokol Lushllari and I have been the chair of the Massachusetts Albanian American Society (MAASBESA) for the past five years. I would like to thank you all for joining us today to celebrate this special day for our community. It means the world to us to have you all here to celebrate the Opening of the MAASBESA Albanian Community Center.
I’d like to give a special thank you to our dear Mayor of Braintree Erin Joyce and the Director of Municipal Finance Michael Esmond for taking the time to be with us today, and, more importantly, for making this day possible through their commitment to collaborate and help the Albanian community and the Braintree community
To our board members of the Massachusetts Albanian American Society (MAASBESA), this is a huge milestone for us. Thank you for your leadership and dedication to our mission, Thank you to all of our fellow Albanian-Americans, parents, children, and teachers at the Albanian schools. And thank you to all of our individual members, business members, and business sponsors. Your support is very important to us as we strive to preserve and promote the Albanian language, culture, and traditions while also advocating for the collective and individual well-being of the Albanian American community in Massachusetts.
MAASBESA has been proudly serving the Albanian community in Braintree and throughout Massachusetts for the past 20 years. Hundreds of Albanian-Americans have served on our board, in committee groups, and as volunteers. We have strong relationships with over 100 Albanian businesses in Massachusetts, and here in Braintree alone, we have 5 Albanian-American business owners and supporters of our noble mission.
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I’ve lived in various parts of Massachusetts over the past 18 years, but for the past five years, Braintree has been my home, and I’m sure it will stay that way for a long time.I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with town officials multiple times to find a place for our community to gather, and with the new administration this past year, it’s been much easier to engage . It is so nice to have town officials who want to work with us and listen to our community needs. I want to thank you for putting public space to good use and engaging with ethnic communities better here in Braintree. Having this space for us is very important, in addition to our cultural activities we want to offer new services for newcomers and integrate them into the American lifestyle by offering services such as English as a Second Language classes, job placement, and American Citizenship Test preparation.
We are incredibly grateful for your continued support and dedication to our mission. Together, we are making a significant difference in our community.
Thank you!