Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition

SEE SCHEDULE OTO IMPROVE THE LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED BY MAINE'S IMMIGRANTS ENHANCING THEIR LIVES WHILE STRENGTHENING MAINE THROUGH ADVOCACY, INFORMATION SHARING AND COLLABORATION BOTH THROUGH AND AMONG OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS. WHAT BEGAN AS A VIBRANT BUT SMALL COALITION IS NOW AN INDEPENDENT, IMMIGRANT-LED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. MIRC WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A SERVICE PROVIDER; INSTEAD, ITS FOCUS IS ON IMPORTANT POLICY PRIORITIES, ORGANIZING, ADVOCACY, AND INFORMATION SHARING.

THE MAINE IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS COALITION (MIRC) IS A UNIQUE COLLABORATION OF LEADERS, A MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR, REPRESENTING 83-MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDE IMMIGRANT CONSTITUENCY GROUPS, ADVOCACY GROUPS, DIRECT SERVICE AND GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED BY MAINE'S IMMIGRANTS ENHANCING THEIR LIVES WHILE STRENGTHENING MAINE THROUGH ADVOCACY, INFORMATION SHARING AND COLLABORATION BOTH THROUGH AND AMONG OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS. COVID19 AND VACCINE DISTRIBUTION/ACCESS COMMUNITY RESPONSE WORK/ADVOCACY, INFORMATION SHARING/COLLABORATION/INSTITUTE ORGANIZING SINCE MARCH 2020, OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE ORGANIZED, ADVOCATED, AND DEVELOPED COMMUNITY-BASED RESPONSES TO COVID-19 FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. OUR COLLECTIVE HAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN RELIEF EFFORTS AND ACTIVELY PRIORITIZED THE VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ACROSS THE STATE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY COVID-19. MIRC COORDINATED A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT INCLUDED MEMBERS OF TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, INDIGENOUS AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, AND HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC RACISM IN MAINE, AS WELL AS DISPARITIES ALONG RACIAL AND ETHNIC LINES IN RELATION TO COVID-19. MIRC IS GATHERING RESOURCES FROM LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CDC AND SAVED THEM ON AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE GOOGLE DRIVE (TRANSLATED TO VARIOUS LANGUAGES) TO SHARE WITH COALITION MEMBERS. MIRC HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE IN MOBILIZING STATE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF ETHNIC-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS (ECBOS) WHO HAVE BEEN PROVIDING VARIOUS SOCIAL SUPPORTS TO THOSE AFFECTED BY COVID-19. USING THE FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE HEALTH EQUITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE, MIRC CONTINUES TO BE A FISCAL SPONSOR FOR MANY OF THESE ECBOS, A MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE COALITION MEMBERS, ENSURING THAT THEY ARE REIMBURSED FOR THEIR TIRELESS WORK IN THE COMMUNITY SINCE JUNE. THROUGH THIS EFFORT, MIRC AIMS TO BOTH FINANCIALLY SUPPORT SMALL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND ALSO TO EMPOWER THEM BY BUILDING THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND FINANCIAL REPORTING CAPACITY FOR FUTURE GRANT FUNDING.