Catholic Charities Maine Receives Grant to Support Newly Arriving Immigrants to Maine

Portland, ME – Catholic Charities Maine (CCM) has received a $12,000 grant from the Invest
in Maine Fund of the Maine Community Foundation (MCF). This funding will be used to
support newly arriving immigrants who are resettling in Maine.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Maine Community Foundation for their longstanding
support and for this funding, which comes at a crucial time for our Refugee and
Immigration Services Program (RIS),” said Julie Allaire, Chief Strategy and Business
Development Officer at CCM. “As of fall 2021, we have been actively resettling new
Mainers through the Afghan Placement and Assistance Program (APA). We are also working
with Cuban and Haitian entrants, and many others.”

Allaire described how the recent humanitarian crises in Afghanistan has sped up the
resettlement process, giving the RIS team little time to prepare. “In some cases, we did not
have advance knowledge of family size, children’s ages, and school needs. We’ve had less
time to arrange permanent housing and have had to find extended temporary housing.
We’ve been encouraged by the warm welcome these families have received in the state,
and this funding will help support critical needs, like warm clothing, emergency needs, and
community, cultural, and employment orientation.”

In 2021, CCM resettled 220 refugees and immigrants. This included 88 Afghans, 65 people
from Haiti, and an additional 67 refugees and immigrants from other parts of the world.

About Catholic Charities Maine
Since 1966, Catholic Charities Maine has provided high-quality, community-based social services to
people of all faiths, beliefs, and economic backgrounds. As one of the largest human service agencies
in the state, we are committed to helping children and adults overcome adversity and achieve selfsufficiency.
More than .91 of every dollar we receive goes directly to serving our neighbors in need.
To learn more, please visit www.ccmaine.org or call 1-800-781-8550.

About Maine Community Foundation
Headquartered in Ellsworth, with additional personnel in Portland, Dover-Foxcroft, Rockport, and
Mars Hill, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to provide strong
investments, personalized service, local expertise, and strategic giving to improve the quality of life
for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.
-- END --

< Back to News