Welcoming Seasonal Workers
This winter Mano en Mano staff worked throughout Washington and Hancock counties to support seasonal workers, and welcome them to Maine.
It is estimated that about 2,300-3,500 workers arrive annually to the Downeast area to take part in the wreath making season. Many workers arrive in the area for the first time, and have limited access to transportation, language support, and other essential services including food, legal, and medical support.
In order to bridge the gap in support and overcome boundaries limiting access many workers face, Mano en Mano staff and volunteers work each year throughout Washington and Hancock counties to realize both mobile and site based Welcome and Resource Centers.
This year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Mano en Mano staff focused on supplying workers with resources to support individuals access health and safety resources, and provided everyone with ‘Know Your Rights’ information in Haitian Creole, Spanish or English as well as information about COVID-19 testing and sick pay. This way workers would have additional information to ask questions, be better able to self-advocate, and know their options in the case of a positive test result or if they needed to quarantine. If quarantine was required, Mano en Mano provided transport and services at a quarintine shelter in Bangor through a partnership with Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC).
Warm clothing, blankets, shoes, and food were made available to those in need of additional resources. Thanks to generous donors from Eastport all the way to Portland, we estimate more than 700 people were able to access warm clothing. With support of the Good Shepard Food bank and the Maine Seacoast Mission, we were able to support over 1,500 people access food and distribute more than 700 food boxes.
Long term relationships based on mutual trust and respect were essential to making these centers a success. We recieved feedback from community members saying,
Recordamos de ustedes del año pasado, e intentamos llegar lo más antes posible para poder recibir comida y ropa.
We remembered you from last year, and we tried to arrive as soon as possible to get food and clothes.
Also,
Venimos de Texas anteayer, y hace mucho más frío aquí en Maine. Gracias por apoyarnos con los abrigos y mantas.
We came from Texas the day before last, and it is much colder here in Maine. Thank-you for supporting us with the coats and blankets.
Our Vaccine navigators were also present at all Welcome and Resource events, and partnered with the Maine Mobile Health Program to organize vaccine clinics and provide vaccine education to interested individuals. Mano en Mano was able to provide vaccination education and outreach to over 2,600 community members. Over October and November, over 150 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 through hosting vaccination clinics (with the support of CDC Public Health Nurses), as well as providing interpretation assistance with local pharmacies and school districts.
This year many seasonal workers and community members needed additional support due to outbreaks and time spent in quarantine. Thanks to the, Mano en Mano Estamos Aquí Fund, workers that were financially impacted by COVID-19 were able to recieved direct monetary relief and support.
In total, Mano en Mano redistributed a total of $42,000 to support over 470 people. This brings the total funds redistributed by the Estamos Aquí Fund to $578,608, supporting 2,784 individuals.
This work would be impossible if it were not for the support of community members, volunteers, grants and valued partner organizations that dedicate their time, resources and expertise. Through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as well as partners from Pine Tree Legal, Preble Street, and Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) we were able to provide additional labor, social, and legal support to workers.
Please help us support seasonal workers access essential services and overcome boundaries they may face!
