As summer comes to a close, we are happy to report what we have been doing to advance our mission through our various programs. The Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center (IWC) is moving forward with its strategy to collaboratively scale its digital language program, as well as its civic engagement plans for 2019-2020.
Our unflagging belief in the 'Power of We' inspires our work every day. The challenges ahead for our communities require that we all work together to address workforce development, language acquisition and the building of an inclusive democracy. From fundraising to implementation of our programs, we are committed to becoming the hub of collaboration that truly advances the agenda of immigrant integration in Maine.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Sincerely,
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Alain J. Nahimana | Executive Director
The Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center
Office: (207) 517-3405
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Congratulations
to
Capital Area New Mainers Project
(CANMP)
on the opening of their new space located at 70 State Street in Augusta
. The IWC will be partnering with CANMP to implement the iEnglish Project to address language acquisition needs of New Mainers in Central Maine.
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“We are thrilled to partner with the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center. The iEnglish Lab at the new Augusta Multicultural Center is an exciting development for our city. The lab will be a hub of learning and will help us build a thriving, integrated community here in Central Maine."
-Chris Myers Asch, Capital Area New Mainers Project
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Other iEnglish Project Updates:
- The iEnglish Project in the Media: MaineHealth and the IWC were featured in a recent Mainebiz article: "Speaking the same language: MaineHealth teams up with Portland immigrant center." From the article: "Bebe Kabedi, 42, once worked as a secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in her native country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With basic English, the Kinshasa City native landed an entry-level housekeeping job at Maine Medical Center in Portland, MaineHealth’s flagship hospital. During the last week of lessons, Kabedi tells Mainebiz she feels more confident speaking English at work and even with her five-year-old son at home, along with French. When her child is older, she’d like to further her education."
- ReadyCNA, a new addition to the Voxy Catalog: Available with our digital language platform: "In partnership with Cinematic Health Education, a leading healthcare training provider, Voxy has developed two courses (beginner and advanced) to prepare English language learners for careers as certified nursing assistants. Using material from Cinematic Health Education’s cloud-based training program, ReadyCNA, the beginner course (A2/B1) will review main themes and topics from the ReadyCNA curriculum to allow learners to develop the necessary skills and vocabulary to enroll in the full program. The advanced course (B2) will be a ReadyCNA companion course, giving learners the opportunity to review and reinforce topics they are learning as they progress through the full ReadyCNA program."
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Pictured here: This July the IWC connected with 20 of the asylum seekers who were staying in the Portland Expo, setting them up with Voxy accounts in our Digital Language Lab. Many of the learners have continued using the online platform in their new homes across the state. We are working to increase access to our language platform to more asylum seekers in Mid-Coast and Greater Portland in order to boost their job readiness.
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Business is Blooming at the Business Hub
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Meet Adrian Espinoza - IWC Greenhouse Entrepreneur
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Adrian currently prepares his delicious empanadas and carrot salsa at
Fork Food Lab
in Portland, and sells them at breweries and farmers markets throughout Greater Portland. Adrian started in the IWC Business Hub Entrepreneur Greenhouse mentorship program this past May and has been very active, taking part in all of the program's networking opportunities. He hopes to soon have a permanent space where he can sell his products full time. He is also looking for opportunities to sell frozen empanadas at grocery stores and other similar businesses.
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Photos from our September Business Hub Luncheon (above). Every month we host a luncheon for our Entrepreneur Greenhouse participants, mentors, volunteers and other interested entrepreneurs to come together and talk about business. A total of 70 entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs have attended the four luncheons that have been held so far. Don Gooding (center, blue shirt) was our special lunchtime presenter in September, talking about how to make elevator pitches for your business.
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In August Kerem Durdag (left) was our special guest, sharing about his experience in business and how to sustain your business.
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In July Said Eastman (center, red shirt) discussed the challenges one faces when starting a restaurant business, and how to be flexible as an entrepreneur.
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2019-2020 Voter Registration Collaborative and Citizenship Campaign
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In addition to our partnership with the Maine Conservation Alliance, the Citizenship & Civic Engagement Initiative has engaged in a voter registration collaborative with the
League of Women Voters,
Common Purpose,
and
Avesta Housing.
This September the collaborative canvassed Avesta Housing properties in Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Biddeford and Limington. Together we knocked on 683 doors, had 254 conversations, and registered 30 people to vote, in just one weekend.
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"We can't build an inclusive economy without an inclusive democracy."
-Alain J. Nahimana, IWC Executive Director
If you would like to volunteer in future voter registration drives, contact us at
[email protected]
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The IWC is excited to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the
National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA)
to promote citizenship in Greater Portland in 2019-2020. This grant was generously matched by the French Family Foundation
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Congratulations to the City of South Portland for joining
C4C (Cities for Citizenship),
"
a major national initiative of 72 cities and counties aimed at increasing citizenship among eligible U.S. permanent residents and encouraging cities across the country to invest in citizenship programs." -Cities for Citizenship. We hope to engage South Portland in future citizenship campaigns.
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Alain J. Nahimana to join
NPNA Board of Directors
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In other exciting news from the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), IWC Executive Director Alain J. Nahimana has been elected to the NPNA Board of Directors for a two year term.
"The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a national multiethnic, multiracial partnership that represents the collective power and resources of the country's 37 largest regional immigrant and refugee rights organizations in 31 states."
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On September 24th IWC Executive Director, Alain J. Nahimana, joined a panel discussion about New Mainers in the Workplace. The panel was part of a series of discussions hosted by
Maine Magazine
and the
Maine Development Foundation
on how to practice inclusivity in the workplace. Topics discussed included barriers New Mainers face when entering the workforce, how businesses can reduce those barriers, and how true inclusivity requires a 360 degree approach beyond the workplace. The panel included members of the nonprofit, corporate and education sectors.
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Welcome Home Concert Tour
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Welcome Home
celebrates the vitality of Maine’s immigrant communities through music and storytelling.
Palaver Strings
(pictured)
will collaborate with guest artists of Franco-American, Rwandan, and Iraqi heritage, sharing traditional music and personal stories of their families’ journeys to Maine. As the program tours around Maine, it will celebrate Maine’s cultural diversity, reflecting on Maine communities' many histories, and creating space for dialogue between performers and listeners from different backgrounds. This creative program is built on the belief that deep listening and empathy for unfamiliar experiences is an important part of making Maine a safe and inclusive home for everyone.
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Welcome Home - Karibu Iwacu - Bienvenue Chez-nous - مرحبا بكم في الوطن
Thursday, Nov 7 - 7:00pm - Denmark Arts Center - Denmark, ME
Friday, Nov 8 - 7:00pm - Crosby Center - Belfast, ME
Saturday, Nov 9 - 7:00pm - Criterion Theatre - Bar Harbor, ME
Sunday, Nov 10 - 3:00pm - Eastport Arts Center - Eastport, ME
Thursday, Nov 14 - 7:00pm - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
Friday, Nov 15 - 7:30pm - Johnson Hall - Gardiner, ME
Saturday, Nov 16 - 7:00pm - Centre Theatre - Dover-Foxcroft, ME
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Join us for a Pre-Concert Conversation on November 3rd
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Welcome Home Pre-Concert Panel Conversation
Create home with us through stories with Maine's newer and long-established communities.
Location & Time:
Indigo Arts Alliance, 60 Cove Street, Portland, November 3rd, 4:00-5:30pm
Join Palaver Strings, the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center and
Portland Ovations
to hear stories of courage, resilience, travel, and transition from three of Maine's immigrant communities. Facilitated by Marty Pottenger, guests will be invited to share their own experiences and how and why they call Portland home.
The program will feature speakers Kifah Abdulla, Alain Iginareza, and Rhea C
ô
té-Robbins, as well as musicians from Palaver Strings.
This is a
free
event.
The afternoon will kick off
Welcome Home,
a statewide concert tour that premieres in Portland at Port City Music Hall on November 14, 2019 at 7pm. More information is available at
palaverstrings.org/concerts
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The event will take place at 9:00am on Sunday, February 16, 2020, on Congress Street in Portland.
Race proceeds will be gifted to us, and runners have the option of making an additional donation when registering. Sign up for the race
HERE
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Co-Working for a Common Good
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The IWC Co-Working Hub provides an aspirational working space for aligned community stakeholders. The program supplements and helps build the capacity and capital of burgeoning immigrant initiatives and organizations.
If you or your organization are interested in becoming a member, check out our membership benefits
here
or email us at
[email protected]
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Join us in welcoming these new members to the Co-Working Hub:
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Co-Working Hub Story
One of our most recent Co-Working Hub members is
I’m Your Neighbor Books
, a nonprofit organization that highlights the lives of New Arrivals and New Americans through the sharing of children’s books. While I’m Your Neighbor Books does work in schools across the country, the project is not just for children. I’m Your Neighbor Books has found that sharing illustrated books and novels for young people with readers of all ages creates a culture of welcoming and belonging.
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"
Our mission is to get Americans to 'meet' immigrant and new American families on the page to reduce prejudice and create new ideas about who belongs here
." - Kirsten Cappy, I'm Your Neighbor Books Executive Director
The organization's signature project is the
Welcoming Library
, a collection of curated books and discussion materials that is borrowed by community groups, schools, and libraries to jump-start positive conversations on immigration and the contributions of first through third generation Americans. If you are a group in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, or Virginia that would like to host the Welcoming Library, you can request it
HERE
. I’m Your Neighbor Books will be using their base at the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center to expand their national reach and impact.
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Other Co-Working Hub News
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This July Co-Working Hub member
Women United Around the World
graduated a new class of professional industrial sewers. All of the women made what they're wearing!
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In the third quarter of 2019, 26 different community organizations have used our meeting spaces, totaling 131 hours.
If you or your organization is interested in using our meeting rooms, book online
HERE
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More photos from Diversity Maine: New Mainers in the Workplace
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Find us on social media or visit our website:
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