I am very pleased to announce the arrival of the free New Mainer’s Guide to Greater Portland, co-published by the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center (IWC) and Portland Public Library. The guidebook, now available at all PPL branches and numerous locations around the area, is a tool to help New Mainers navigate the different resources available at each phase of their integration here in Southern Maine. It is also available online at www.welcomeimmigrant.org/resources.
The Guide is divided into three major sections addressing stages of integration: Basic Needs When You Arrive, Settling Into The Community, and Economic, Social and Civic Integration. It is filled with descriptions and contact information of providers for food and shelter, legal support, health care, community organizations, education, career advancement opportunities, and more. As my partner and colleague Alain Nahimana of IWC says, “The book shares valuable information in a reliable way, compiling information about 200 support organizations in one resource that can be taken home and referred to at any time during one’s first years in Maine.” This guide is also for service providers, residents, businesses, and local governments to use to refer New Mainers to essential resources and support services.
I am so grateful for the leadership and partnership of Alain Nahimana, Damas Rugaba, and Celeste Carpenter at the IWC, the many partners and agencies providing services and supports, and PPL’s Business & Government Librarian Williams Bandoma for coordinating the Library’s role in the effort. And huge thanks to the Guide’s sponsors: Maine Technology Institute, AAA-NNE, Coastal Enterprises, Greater Portland METRO, cPort FCU, ME Initiative, Prosperity ME, Coffee by Design, Clark Insurance, Antoine’s Tailoring Shop, MEMIC, UNUM, and Mano en Mano.
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