Annual meeting honors scholarship recipients

Mano en Mano's 2018 annual meeting was held on July 25th, 2018 at Harrington Elementary School. Nearly one hundred people attended including Mano en Mano staff, board, volunteers, donors, members of Nuestra Voz en la Comunidad, and friends in the community. The event was a valuable way to unite Mano en Mano’s supporters and share important updates about our work.

The evening featured live music from local band, Shirt Tail Kin, and catering from Vazquez Mexican Takeout in Milbridge. After enjoying music and food, Nuestra Voz en la Comunidad opened the program with a welcome message. Next, Becca Haydu (Communications and Development Coordinator) read a statement from Donna Augustine to acknowledge our presence on Wabanaki land and to welcome guests to these lands.

After both of these welcoming messages, Laura Thomas (President of the Board) shared updates from the Board of Directors, including the recent addition of three new members. You can learn more about these new board members here. Then, Ian Yaffe (Executive Director) shared important updates about Mano en Mano’s programs, including an expanded partnership with the Maine Department of Education, and thanked everyone who makes our work possible.

Finally, the highlight of the evening was hearing from the recipients of the Julia Robiola Gigena Scholarship. Edith Flores (Client Services and Advocacy Coordinator) introduced the three students, who read from their application essays. The students and their respective colleges and universities are:

• Adriana Valencia Jungo: Husson University, Business Administration

• Jose Salud Villafuerte García: Washington County Community College, Mechanical Technology

• Juan José Castillo Pérez: Eastern Maine Community College, Welding Technology