Hand in Hand Mano en Mano

Access to Essential Services, Housing and Education:Mano en Mano's long-standing programs in 2024 continued to meet the needs of immigrant and farmworker communities in Maine. Highlights include: providing over 7,000 individual home visits, transportation, interpretation, health and wellness, and other basic needs services and referrals; welcoming and celebrating migrant workers; operating a food pantry and food distribution events visited by 10,778 individuals during the year; disbursing award monies to community members from the housing barrier relief fund for down payment and renovations; running bilingual childcare and completing construction on a new childcare facility; and providing services to 363 migrant children/youth across Maine. (Additional Narrative on Schedule O).Access and Advocacy:Access to Essential Services and Advocacy address the lack of effective services available to immigrants and farmworkers in Maine that prevents these communities from meeting basic needs or pursuing long-term goals. In 2024 we welcomed over 3,000 workers and families across blueberry, apple, broccoli, and wreath seasons through mobile and site-based welcome centers. In total, we supported individuals more than 7,000 times in accessing essential services such as healthcare, housing, legal support, and education. We partnered with Wabanaki Public Health, the Mi'kmaq Nation, and numerous local orgs to make this possible. Working alongside PASA and the Hispanic Federation, we distributed over $1.4 million in direct relief through the USDA's Food and Farmworker Relief Fund to farmworkers across the state. Our culturally nourishing food pantry distributed over 261,925 pounds of food- an estimated 314,310 meals- helping folks access food both seasonally and year-round, over 10,000 times. Through our Community-Led Wellness Board, we offered interpretation, transportation for health visits, glasses for children, and hosted wellness walks in collaboration with "In Her Presence"building spaces for healing, joy, and connection.Housing:We provided six units of affordable rental housing for farmworkers at Hand in Hand Apartments in 2024, housing a total of 17 individuals. Since launching our Housing Barrier Removal Fund, we've helped 30+ families complete essential repairs or purchase their first homes through $10,000 grants. Our nonprofit housing initiative, Welcome Home Downeast LLC, completed renovations on 4 homes. Currently 3 homes are rented, and a new family is moving to the fourth property this month.Rayitos de Sol Bilingual Childcare:Mano en Mano's Rayitos de Sol Bilingual Childcare operates with the core mission of providing bilingual Spanish and English childcare that centers the languages and cultures of the students we serve. Last year we officially opened and began operating out of our new bilingual childcare center! We currently have 41 children enrolled, and serve infants through elementary-aged youth. Last year we provided 5 migrant families with full scholarships. Our summer program, Rayitos de Verano, ran in partnership with BHS and offered enriching bilingual programming in arts, sports, and outdoor exploration.Migrant Education Program:Mano en Mano partners with the Maine Department of Education to administer the Maine Migrant Education Program (MEP). Through this program, Mano en Mano provides educational support services to migrant children and youth, from birth through age 21, across Maine. MEP programming aims to help migrant children and youth achieve their educational goals, with a focus on educational transition support, seasonal instructional support, and advocacy support within school and education systems. In 2024, we served 363 migrant children and youth, providing 8,748 direct services in the areas of advocacy, parent involvement, virtual tutoring, and summer services, including the Blueberry Harvest School, a three-week summer school for migrant students in Washington County during the blueberry harvest We welcomed 150 students this summer at BHS. Students explored a theme chosen by our Parent Advisory Committee "We Are So Much More" through project-based learning, outdoor adventures, and collaborative curriculum with organizations like Healthy Acadia and Downeast Institute.