A week in the life of Mano en Mano July 26-30, 2021
Have you ever wondered what Mano en Mano is up on a weekly basis? Or want more information about what we mean when we say that summer is our busiest season? As August begins, we wanted to share what a week in the life of Mano en Mano looks like, and give you a glimpse into the work that we are doing alongside community members to support immigrants and seasonal workers thrive in Maine.
Blueberrry Season is here!
We have been hard at work this week to welcome new and familiar faces to the area. August signifies the start of the blueberry harvest in Maine, and we work to support the hundreds of seasonal workers arriving in the Downeast Region. This year, the harvest is starting early. We have moved quickly to adapt our plans to meet workers when and where they arrive, and be flexible in order to provide services to individuals and families.
Each program has been working on unique projects to address the diverse needs of those that we serve. Please read a bit about the work of each program below:
Migrant Education Program- The team of the Migrant Education Program has been busy preparing for the annual Blueberry Harvest School (BHS) at the Milbridge Elementary school. BHS is designed to provide educational programming and support to families and children (ages 3-13) arriving to the area for the blueberry harvest. We will be offering both school and in-camp services for children ages 0-20, starting August 2 and running until the 20th. All services have been adapted as needed to follow health and safety guidance from the CDC and the state of Maine
This year's theme is: 'Creative Community.' This past week our fantastic group of educators worked to finalize their activities and discussions to highlight and foster creativity in all its forms- both within ourselves and our community. Teachers and students will explore self-expression, problem-solving, and storytelling through art, language, music, writing, movement, and more!
This past week educators participated in two days of training and development focused on understanding the needs of the children we serve, and creating environments that allow all students to excel in both their academic and socio-emotional growth. Some of the trainings included:
A Collective Art Project and Community Healing Workshop- Led by Valeria Bowers and Philip Berezney, this activity focused on recognizing the lives that were lost and communities that were impacted as a result of the Residential Schools forcibly attended by indigenous peoples. The workshop focused on recognizing both the historic and current oppression and abuse that indigenous and first nations peoples in the United States and Canada face, and working towards creating justice through healing and action.
Creating a Gender Inclusive Community- In this session, the team of educators at BHS reviewed the importance of gender inclusivity both within the classroom and the communities we are part of. Staff made both individual and collective commitments to create spaces where all students are welcome and all identities are honored.
Moving Stories- Led by Transforming Rural Experiences in Education (TREE), this activity provided teachers with tools that can be used to support the socio-emotional growth of students, and reviewed practices that encourage all students in their development both in and outside of the classroom. Teachers were given access to both the tools required and the practice of telling “moving stories” that allow students the space and time for reflection, connection and growth.
A few of the teachers also spent time visiting with students! In order to sign students up for BHS and spend time connecting with the children we serve, staff visited families and students at the Blueberry Camps where they reside in the summer and brought some enrichment activities so that students could become familiar with them and excited for school! Students also attended an activity led by Chewonki at the Milbridge Public Library to learn about owls and how to protect species in the area.
Teachers spent a large portion of the week finalizing their lesson plans, preparing their classrooms, and getting the Milbridge Elementary ready for students!
Camp Services- The Camp services team worked all week to train alongside the BHS teachers and recruit students for BHS. The camp services team went directly to families in order to give them information about BHS, connect them with resources in the area, and provide information about vaccine services, food distribution and upcoming events. The team dispersed throughout Washington County, providing information to families in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole sometimes driving hours to reach families and make our services accessible to all.
Access and Advocacy- Our Access to Essential Services and Advocacy team worked to support workers arriving in the area to access resources, food, and health services. Alongside the Maine Seacoast Mission and the Maine Mobil Health Program we realized a Welcome and Resource Fair, inviting other local organizations to attend and stand in solidarity with seasonal workers. At the fair, workers were provided with ‘know your rights information,’ lists of resources in the area, and information about services and upcoming events. We also brought clothes, face masks and personal care kits containing toothpaste, combs and other toiletries. Representatives from Preble Street and Pine Tree Legal were in attendance, and provided attendees with information about their services and programs.
We also made sure that workers and their families had access to food! In total we distributed 150 food boxes (90 at the Welcome Fair and 50 throughout the week) to individuals and families. Each box contained non-perishables as well as fresh eggs, vegetables, and culturally relevant items. The team is continuing their work to make food accessible to all families and individuals arriving in the area, and collaborated to coordinate the logistics for the coming weeks of food delivery.
COVID-19 Social Support- We held a total of three vaccine clinics this week throughout the Downeast area and were able to vaccinate a total of 54 people against COVID-19. We partnered with Maine Mobile Health Clinic and Penobscot Community Health Care to provide vaccine services, information and care to patients in their native language. The COVID social support team worked to schedule additional COVID testing and provide transportation services for those requiring tests and/or quarantine, and will continue to provide language, cultural and social support in the coming weeks.
Housing- We have officially closed on our first home of Welcome Home Downeast LLC! Welcome Home Downeast is Manos newest program (more information coming soon!), and is working to purchase, renovate or build 6-8 homes in the Downeast area. Families that have been part of the seasonal workforce will be able to rent these single family homes, and while renting, families will have up to five years to purchase the home they are living in. Our first home is located in Harrington, and we are excited to begin renovations this August. For more information about Welcome Home Downeast, keep an eye on our website.
The first home of Welcome Home Downeast (LLC)!
Rayitos de Sol- Rayitos de Sol students celebrated Milbridge Days! Milbridge Days celebrates the town of Milbridge and all community members that call the area home. Our participants got dressed up in the theme of the event, which was: “Milbridge: A Groovy Place to Be,” and won the prize for the best overall float.
Each day our plans adjust to meet the changing situations and needs of our community. As we continue our work through the summer, we will keep you informed about what we do and ways that you can get involved! Our summer is just getting started, and we are looking forward to continuing our programming and services.
If you have any questions about Mano en Manos programs, please contact Emma at emma.mcdowell@manomaine.org
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