Mano en Mano Hosts First Annual Meeting
On Monday, March 10th, Mano en Mano hosted its first Annual Meeting! A group of staff, Board members, community partners, and community members assembled for dinner and a review of Mano en Mano’s 2013 Annual Report. Executive Director Ian Yaffe presented facts and figures from 2013 programming, budget and revenue, and shared some photos from the past year. Items of interest included a focus
Meet Juana, Americorps Member at Mano en Mano
Have you met Juana Vazquez, one of the Americorps members at Mano en Mano? You may see her from time to time at our office, meeting with parents of the Comienza en Casa program, or running activities at the Milbridge library. Juana started working at Mano en Mano as a part-time Americorps volunteer last Fall, helping in the English classes as an extra tutor
Mano en Mano Americorps Member Supports Family Literacy at the Library
New Mano en Mano Americorps volunteer Juana Vazquez hosted a family literacy event at the Milbridge Public Library last Friday to engage young children and their families in fun activities that also support literacy. Adults and children attending listened to a story read in English and Spanish. The children did a scavenger hunt around the library and answered questions about literacy activities that they
Mano en Mano Receives Grant from Maine Health Access Foundation
Mano en Mano has been awarded a two-year grant from the Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) to provide information and raise awareness about the new Health Insurance Marketplace and the Affordable Care Act to our clients and the wider community. Mano en Mano is one of fifteen grantee organizations who are working on this project in various capacities around the state. The purpose of
Celebrating La Posada
We celebrated our 4th Annual Holiday Posada on December 7th at the EdGE Center in Cherryfield. A posada is a Mexican cultural tradition that takes place in December in the days leading up to Christmas. In context it means “hospitality” or a space to stay—welcoming friends in for a meal and festivities. With festive decorations and great food, the building turns into a place for sharing, fun,
2013 Annual Appeal Letter
This past summer, Mano en Mano won a competitive bid with Maine’s Department of Education to run the Blueberry Harvest School for migrant children (ages 3-13). Over 130 students participated in our experiential learning program and had the opportunity to study ocean life, visit farms, sail, swim, hike, and more. For many participants, this was the first time they were able to experience all that Maine’s coastal
Local Businesses Take Advantage of Spanish Class Offerings
In November, there have been two Spanish classes at Maine Fair Trade Lobster, located in Prospect Harbor, Maine. The human resources department expressed a desire to be able to better communicate with their Spanish speaking employees, so we explored options to help. What had started out as a vocabulary list turned into a Spanish class with eight to ten regular attendees. The students in
Expanding Early Childhood Education in Eastern Washington County
The Maine Migrant Education Program, coordinated in Washington County by Mano en Mano | Hand in Hand, is expanding the reach of the innovative Comienza en Casa—It Begins at Home pre-school program developed by Mano en Mano staffer Ana Blagojevic and Early Childhood Education consultant Bonnie Blagojevic. The program’s name, when translated into Passamaquoddy, becomes Wetoqi Peciyak Kikonuk, and in eastern Washington County, nearly
Mano Staff Present Information About New Healthcare Reforms
What is the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? How does it affect me? Do I need to buy insurance? All important questions, and all questions that Mano en Mano staff Edith Flores and Bethany Woods have been trained to answer. Working on a project called ReINFORMA! for the last two years, supported by the Maine Migrant Health Program, Edith and Bethany were trained in
Mano en Mano Hosts Film Forward
In early October, Mano en Mano had the opportunity to share a film through the program FILM FORWARD. FILM FORWARD is an international touring program of the Sundance Film Festival that offers film screenings, workshops and discussions with filmmakers, designed to foster dialogue and greater cultural understanding. FILM FORWARD is an initiative of the Sundance Institute and the President’s Committee on the Arts and humanities in