Please support New Mainers Alliance, an immigrant-led grassroots organization based in Lewiston and focused on voter education, registration and empowerment. New Mainers Alliance works to give immigrant communities a political voice. We are working to elect local, state and federal candidates who back immigrant rights, racial justice, health care, women's rights, and a Democratic majority at the federal level.
Your donation will go directly to help with the expenses of helping people get to the polls for early voting and on election day. As in prior years, we are hiring immigrant-run taxis to provide reliable, prompt rides to the polls. We are employing local members of the New Mainer community to canvass door to door, talking with their neighbors about the importance of voting.
With your help in 2020, we achieved an unprecedented level of mobilization in the New Mainer community. Our canvassers spoke in person with 3,200 voters, and we carried out educational activities throughout the community. We hired 32 canvassers from within the New Mainers community and 8 translators to assist people at the polls on election day. Our multilingual canvassers focused their efforts on voters of multiple national origins, including the Somali, Iraqi, Congolese, Ethiopian, Sudanese, Rwandan and Burundian communities. We logged nearly 6,800 contact attempts and spoke in person with 3,200 voters. On election day, we had two translators at the polling stations in Portland and six in Lewiston, and for the final five days of voting, we hired ten immigrant-run taxis. These and other activities formed the basis for a strong electoral network going forward.
In 2021, New Mainers Alliance worked with a broad array of stakeholders and with legislators to draft legislation focused on improving the situation of New Mainer youth caught in the juvenile justice system. The resulting legislation, An Act To Ensure Culturally Informed Programs and Services for Adjudicated Juveniles in the Custody of the Department of Corrections, is designed to ensure culturally appropriate services for New Mainer youth in the juvenile justice system, as well as providing a full suite of culturally appropriate resources within prevention, diversion and restorative justice programs. These programs will be designed to support New Mainer youth in their re-entry into the community and help to prevent recidivism.
Maine People's Alliance has described the unique value of this effort: "Maine People’s Alliance strongly encourages progressives to support the New Mainers Alliance, the only Maine 501c4 organization led by immigrant leaders, advocating for policies and elected officials who support racial justice and progressive causes."
We are a small organization, so even a small donation goes a long way. Thank you for your support!