Several performers pose before the start of the evening program.

Our 6th Annual Mother’s Day Celebration this year was an incredible success. This past Saturday evening, over 150 community members poured into the Town Hall in Milbridge — first partaking in a community potluck, and later on enjoying a program filled with numbers to honor mothers and celebrate Mother’s Day (also know as El Día de las Madres in Spanish). A slideshow was projected onto the wall during the potluck meal.

Following the potluck, everyone enjoyed cake before moving on to the performance part of the evening. Mark Lipski of Steuben MC’d the event for us, and encouraged everyone to move up their chairs and get ready to enjoy an exciting performance. Organized by outreach worker Edith Flores, the program included 2 pantomimes, 2 short plays, 3 traditional dances, and 2 read poems, and was performed largely on the Town Hall’s stage. To the right of the stage, non Spanish-speaking audience members could read the English translations to the plays and poems that were projected onto the wall, while still appreciating the essence, comedy, and sentiment of the acts and performers. The raffle was drawn right after the program finished, and several folks walked home with a pressure cooker, a popcorn maker, a handmade bag, and a handmade drink holder. A fun and energetic DJ dance party finished off the evening long after the sun went down. The evening was lots and lots of fun for everyone involved.

We were so excited to see both all of our friends and people we know, but also new faces at this year’s celebration. We hope that next year we’ll meet even more new people at our events.

Special thanks go out to the many volunteers that performed, set up, cleaned up, organized music, and contributed to this year’s event. It couldn’t have happened without that community support!

Check out the slideshow below for a sampling of pictures from the event! You can also click on the Flickr link to be directed to our Flickr site and view other sets of photos from past events.

A group gathered to listen to the presentation on eating well.

Mano en Mano had a full house last Wednesday evening, March 21st. We hosted a monthly potluck at our office, coupled with a presentation on nutrition and eating well. Dorice Timko, of the U. Maine Cooperative Extension in Machias worked with us do host a talk to community members about what nutrition and eating right really means. Over 30 people packed in to listen to the information and watch Dorice’s cooking demonstration.

As part of the Cooperative Extension, Dorice is a nutrition educator and also does presentations specifically around diabetes and healthy eating habits. She is a regular presenter of cooking classes at the Edge After School Program’s, and also does cooking classes in area daycares and in schools. Dorice focuses on presenting clear, understandable information to the community about the benefits of a diet strong in fresh food and whole grains, and offers support to families and individuals if they need help working on their diet or deciding what is healthy.

Dorice worked with interpreter Guadalupe Yepez to present her talk in Spanish and also provided materials in Spanish. She answered several questions from the audience around diabetes and portion control. Following the nutrition talk, Dorice did a short cooking demonstration of Peanut Butter Balls, a snack very popular in the schools, with two children from her cooking classes. The attendees were able to take down the recipe and try the delicious snack at the end! The presentation ended with a number of door prizes for participants.

We are so grateful to Dorice and the Cooperative Extension for collaborating with us, and having the opportunity to present such important information to our community. Everyone learned a lot, and we look forward to having her again soon!

Nurse Practitioner Beth Russet leads a discussion about health education.

On March 14th for the first time, we hosted an educational charla (lecture/workshop)for ten high school teens, the first in a series of charlas about health education. A local nurse practitioner, Beth Russet, volunteered to teach the series of 3 classes to the teens in Spanish during March and April. The class was held in Mano en Mano office, and following a short video clip the group got up and played a series of interactive games. Following the games a basket was passed around for youth to write anonymous questions to be answered by the provider. This was a great beginning to the series and there was a lot of positive feedback from the youth. Several commented that they really felt that it was a comfortable environment to bring up questions.

Migrant Education Advocate Ana Blagojevic and Mano en Mano’s Outreach worker Edith Flores developed the idea for the series after talking with students and community members who felt they needed more information around health issues. Although health is offered at school youth, the charlas provide an opportunity for youth to ask questions and receive instruction in their first language. The charlas are a collaboration between Mano en Mano, Maine Migrant Education Program and Maine Migrant Health.

Leaving early Saturday morning, nine Bowdoin students piled into a van, grabbed breakfast en route and drove four hours to the small Down East town of Milbridge, population roughly 1,200.

They were volunteering their day to help the local nonprofit Mano en Mano | Hand in Hand host a potluck to raise money for its Latino Scholarship Fund. They came, too, to satisfy their curiosity about the small population of Mexicans and other Latinos living in this remote corner of Maine.

Mano en Mano, Spanish for hand in hand, is led by Ian Yaffe ’09 and helps provide education, housing, and access to healthcare and social services to Down East’s immigrants and farm workers, including the 600 or so Latinos who have settled in this region over the last 15 years.

Bowdoin Volunteers with Mano en Mano Staff. Photo by Mariya Ilyas '13.

“What caught my attention was there was a Latino population in Maine,” Mariya Ilyas ’13 said about her first impressions of the organization. Despite the common perception that Maine is homogenous, she said she’s discovered diverse issues and people throughout the state during her time at Bowdoin.

Ilyas co-led the Weekend Service Trip to Mano en Mano’s headquarters in Milbridge with David Vasquez ‘14. This was the second time she’s led a weekend trip here, and the third time she’s volunteered with the nonprofit. “It’s a wonderful organization,” she said, “and it’s great to continue the connection Bowdoin has there and see how far the common good can go.” [View photos and a short video from the trip taken by Ilyas and Elizabeth Gonzalez '15.]

Weekend Service Trips were launched at Bowdoin in the fall of 2009 by Krista Bahm ’11 and the McKeen Center for the Common Good to give students the opportunity to learn about Maine communities through service, according to Susie Dorn, director of the McKeen Center. So far this year, students have headed out on six trips, with two more to go this semester.

Vasquez, whose family is from Ecuador, agreed with Ilyas that it was his surprise upon first hearing of the Down East Latino community that inspired him to co-lead the trip. Washington County, Maine’s easternmost county, is known more for its blueberry barrens, traditional fishing towns and stark poverty than for its vibrant multicultural community.

A similar curiosity attracted volunteer Ilana Mayer-Hirschfeld ’14, who said she also wanted to make the trip to connect with people from home. “I’m from Mexico, and it’s good to know Mexicans,” she stated.

Yaffe, who’s been Mano en Mano’s executive director for two years, took the job for a couple of reasons. “It was an interesting community I was unaware of existing in Maine,” he said in a recent phone interview, “and I was excited by the opportunity to come back to Maine and do work that was really interesting to me, in fields I had previously studied at Bowdoin — Latin American studies and teaching. It’s hard to think of any other job in Maine that my majors prepared me for.”

His connection to Bowdoin has helped the college foster strong ties to Mano en Mano. The latest Weekend Service Trip was the third time students have traveled to volunteer at the organization. Taylor Escajeda ’12 last summer interned for Mano en Mano, and in February, Bowdoin’s Latin American Student Organization (LASO) raised $1,400 at its annual Valentine’s Day fundraiser for the nonprofit.

The Bowdoin students on Saturday helped Mano en Mano raise more than $1,000 at its 5th annual Spring Fling to fund a $1,000 scholarship it gives to one college-bound Latino student every year for four years. So far, Yaffe says his organization has funded $24,000 worth of scholarships for six students. At the Fling, Bowdoin students cooked pizza, prepared raffle prizes (which ranged from donations of sausage to tanning salon coupons) and hosted the front table. More than 200 people came out for the potluck, from three-year-old children to people in their 70s, both Latino and non-Latino, according to Ilyas.

The Bowdoin students were able to speak Spanish, listen to live Flamenco music and 80s rock, and eat Mexican mole and rice. “It was homemade Mexican food,” Mayer-Hirshfeld reminisced. “It made me happy.”

They also donated $100 from the $250 budget they were given for the trip to the Latino Scholarship Fund. Leaving Milbridge at 12:30 a.m., they arrived back on campus at 4:30 a.m. after playing Catch Phrase and singing in the van to pass the time on the long, foggy drive home.

“It was really cool to see how tight this community is,” Vasquez observed. Mayer-Hirshfeld agreed, commenting that despite the many years the Latino population has been in Milbridge and nearby towns, they have not lost their identity or culture.

For his part, Yaffe appreciated the extra hands. “It helps us tremendously because we have a very small staff and a small board,” he said. “And it’s really great to have people come in with an outside perspective and see a community that’s so unique and special.”

We were thrilled to raise $1,212 by the night’s end!

The Spring Fling began with a potluck as the community gathered and music played in the background. Our fantastic MC’s, Beth Russet and Daniel Cardenas, opened the evening stating our $1,000 goal and also getting the energy moving for the events of the night. We enjoyed live acoustic music from duo Leif Sherman-Curtis and Christopher Sutherland, both of the Portland-based group Olas, who played beautiful flamenco melodies and rhythms for a set. Following their performance, local DJ Chilo Figueroa filled up the dance floor with his lively mix of Latin and popular music, which left everyone asking for another set. Before the last band set in, Beth and Daniel drew the names for each of the raffle items and excited winners accepted their prizes. This year our raffle sold 450 tickets! At 9 p.m., Bar Harbor-based 80′s band Destroy Them My Robots took the stage and played two sets that kept everyone movin’ and groovin’. By the end of the night, we were still reeling that our fundraiser was such a resounding success! Thank you to everyone who attended, donated, and offered their time! We look forward to seeing you next year.

Please check out the photo stream below to relive some of the evening’s fun:

We’d like to extend special thanks to our volunteer group from Bowdoin College who made a weekend trip to volunteer at our scholarship fundraiser; to our MC’s; to Leif and Christopher who generously offered the talent and time; to Chilo Figueroa who donated his time, equipment, and talent to spin incredible DJ tunes during the evening; to Destroy Them My Robots who brought 80′s music to life; and to Milbridge Elementary School for the use of the space.

Additionally, we’d like to thank the following businesses and individuals that contributed to our raffle (and it’s wild success) this year: Bohemian Mama’s Bakery, Napa Auto Parts, Milbridge House, New Beginnings Salon, Milbridge Theater, The Cinnamon Stick, Salty Dog Farm, Creekside Farm, Rose Wingo Massage, Morna Bell, Betty Kelley, Art and Donna Emerson, and Bahia Yackzan.

LASO President Carlos Morla ’12 said, “The event itself was a huge success. After a week of YouTube promotions, exhibiting Bowdoin’s finest young men and women, the student body was ready to see their friends and bid on potential Valentine’s Day dates. From there on, students shared laughs and threw up their paddles with each successive auctionee. At the end of the night, a few students went back to their dorms knowing they has a date, others with a raffle prize, and everyone knowing that they contributed to the common good.”

Bowdoin students at Jack Magee's Grill during the LASO fundraiser for Mano en Mano.

Mano en Mano has enjoyed a special relationship with Bowdoin during the past few years, hosting two student volunteer groups, employing Taylor Escajeda ’12 as a summer intern in 2011, helping mentor students through the Career Planning Center, and sending staff to guest lecture at classes in Education, History, and Latin American Studies.

“I’m so excited to see a continued partnership with my alma mater,” said Yaffe.  “Bowdoin students and departments are constantly going above and beyond in helping further our mission, from volunteers, to fundraisers, to technical assistance, to in-kind donations.  On behalf of our passionate Board, dedicated staff, and hardworking constituency, thank you for your continued support!”

Senate President Kevin Raye and Mano en Mano Executive Director Ian Yaffe discuss nonprofits and Washington County. Photo by Arthur Fink.

Augusta, ME –  The Maine Association of Nonprofits hosted the 9^th Annual Maine Nonprofit Day at the State House on February 2nd, inviting legislators to assert their commitment to working with the nonprofit sector in order to creatively, efficiently and effectively serve the people of Maine.  Mano en Mano | Hand in Hand was one of the featured exhibitors at the event.

Senate President Kevin Raye of Perry visited the exhibiting nonprofits in the Hall of Flags and later met with Ian Yaffe, Executive Director of Mano en Mano to learn more about the organization’s work and talk about the future of Washington County.

Executive Director Ian Yaffe prepares for his meeting with the Senate President. Photo by Arthur Fink.

“The Senate President was very interested to hear more about our mission and the work we do every day in communities across Washington County,” said Yaffe.  “I enjoyed speaking with him about ways we can continue to increase the effectiveness of our resources and help more people find the tools and skills they need to thrive.”  One of those ways is the New Market Tax Credit, a new program that will help small businesses and entrepreneurs from underprivileged areas in Maine gain access to capital to grow their companies.  President Raye was the prime sponsor of the bill which created this credit and will help bring more jobs to Washington County.

The theme of Nonprofit Day was “Partners in Prosperity”.  Beyond providing critical safety net programs and improving our quality of life through education, art and environmental protections, nonprofits are also the economic backbone of rural communities in Maine, rarely straying from the communities they were created to serve.  In Washington County, nonprofits employ more than 18% of the workforce and expend more than $100 million annually into the local economy through wages paid, retail and wholesale sales, and professional services contracted.  These factors make the nonprofit sector a larger economic engine than the manufacturing and construction industries combined.

Dozens of legislators from both political parties visited with the exhibiting nonprofits during the five-hour event:

• Alice James Poetry Cooperative, Inc. (Alice James Books), Farmington
• Cobscook Community Learning Center, Trescott
• Community Counseling Center, Portland
• Consumers for Affordable Health Care, Augusta
• Frannie Peabody Center, Portland
• Friends of Seguin Island Light Station, Bath
• Maine Robotics, Orono
• Natural Resources Council of Maine, Augusta
• Operation Breaking Stereotypes, Orono
• Spurwink, Portland
• Trekkers, Tenants Harbor
• Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP), Portland

Nonprofit Day takes place at the beginning of the legislative session each year.  For more information, visit www.nonprofitmaine.org/nonprofitday.

Mano en Mano is hosting its first Community Potluck of the New Year! 

We invite you to our Potluck on Wednesday, January 25^th at 6 p.m at our office in Milbridge. We have potlucks each month to bring the community together in one place. In a friendly space, meet new people, talk, and find out what’s happening in the community! Take this opportunity to share a meal and your favorite dish with others.

We look forward to seeing you!

Everyone is welcome!

Please call 598-8926 with any questions or for more information.

Outreach Worker Edith Flores sends off a blindfolded teen in a game of pin the tail on the burro at last year's Posada!

Mano en Mano Invites You to our Posada!

We are excited to host our 2nd Annual Holiday Posada and Potluck on Friday, December 9^th at Milbridge Elementary School’s Gymnasium. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the potluck dinner begins shortly after, followed by the evening’s activities. Guests are asked to bring a dish to share.

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. The evening will include traditional Mexican children’s games like El Burro, Las Sillas, and Los gallitos, with music, a potluck supper, prizes, and a piñata.

The practice of the posada persists in Mexico and Latin America because it is a symbol of unity, signifies the meaning of friendship, and at the end of the year is a way to do a good deed for someone else. As an organization, we are so excited to share this unique and fun tradition with the community!

This event is free and open to the entire community. Contact Bethany Woods at (207) 598-8926 for more information.

Each region, and sometimes each town, have their own specific rituals and variations on the holiday, which makes the festivals even more exciting! Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using candles, decorated sugar skulls, marigolds favorite foods and beverages as gifts for the departed. A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (in Spanish calavera) which celebrants represent in masks and in foods like sugar or chocolate skulls. These are gifts that can be given to the living and the dead.

Attendees at the potluck, after enjoying dinner, were able to decorate sugar skulls to place around a small altar that was put together by visiting students from the College of the Atlantic. Messages were written, candles were lit, and small decorations and gifts placed around the space. See below to take a look at pictures from this event!