Stories of Hope and Impact
duda • June 4, 2025
Stories of Hope & Impact
While we often hear of the tremendous upheaval, trauma, war, violence, and threats to safety face in their homelands, we forget about how refugees are met with unforeseen and innumerable challenges upon arrival in Maine– including a lack of understanding of US systems, inability to communicate, and lack of financial and social resources. These compounding factors often develop into significant challenges with mental health and wellness and increased social isolation.
Our staff help clients overcome significant challenges every day. With the support of the JCA staff and with the hard work and dedication of our clients, we have seen countless families achieve self-sufficiency. Here are just a handful of the stories from this year:
- A Ukrainian single mother experienced a breakdown with her sponsor. Thanks to the Preferred Communities (PC) funding, this client was able to secure immediate safe housing, receive essential support (food, clothing, hygiene products), and access case management services to help them regain stability and work toward a long-term housing solution. This assistance provided a critical safety net in an emergency and enabled the client to move forward, rebuild their life, and work toward self-sufficiency.
- The Refugee and Newcomer Health and Medical (RNHM) Team at the JCA supported three clients with significant medical conditions through a coordinated care approach where multiple providers worked together to ensure that the patient was receiving comprehensive, patient-centric care. The RNHM Team conducted prearrival reviews of medical records and made the appropriate prearrival referrals to both primary care providers and specialists. The RNHM Team coordinated meetings with providers to ensure care would be provided seamlessly from the airport pickup to the initial admission, to the hospital, and follow-up care after the initial Refugee Medical Screening Intake and Referral.
- Refugee Resettlement and Newcomer Services (RRNS) at the JCA helped secure temporary housing for an unhoused single mother of three, providing funds for the client’s security deposit and first month of rent. Furthermore, the client has secured part-time employment with the property management agency that housed her.
- A single mother faced a period of housing instability; after two months of support, the client was approved for an apartment. The JCA team assisted the client in moving to her new home and in acquiring the necessary furniture. At her most recent check-in, the client discussed how her renewed housing stability has allowed her to return to her online GED classes and start saving for a car as she begins the process of getting a driver’s license.
Last week, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine welcomed Eugene Damlich, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, for a special lunch and community dialogue. Eugene shared the story of losing his family, surviving unimaginable violence, and rebuilding his life in the years that followed. The only surviving child in a family of five children, Eugene later immigrated to the United States, where, as an adult, he found love and belonging with a Jewish-American family. The gathering was not simply a testimony program, but a genuine exchange between communities. Eugene asked participants how the Jewish community has preserved Holocaust memory while helping survivors and their descendants live with hope, dignity, and purpose. He also invited discussion about forgiveness, justice, healing, and the responsibility to transmit memory across generations. Several people at the table were children of Holocaust survivors—one JCRC member, Anna Wrobel, shared that her mother was also the sole survivor of her family—profoundly relating to Eugene in a way that few others can. In preparation for the lunch, the JCRC held its first movie night, where participants watched Sometimes in April, a 2005 historical drama about the Rwandan Genocide. Last week’s lunch also built upon the JCRC’s participation in this year’s Kwibuka, which annually commemorates the Rwandan Genocide; JCRC members walked in the memorial procession, and a post-Kwibuaka gathering for Maine’s Tutsi community was held at the JCA. We are deeply grateful to Eugene for sharing his testimony, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between Maine’s Jewish and Tutsi communities.
Camp is officially in session, and we’re so excited to welcome this year’s Israeli Shlichim to Center Day Camp. Each summer, our Shlichim (Hebrew for “emissaries”) travel from Israel to spend the season at camp—sharing their culture, traditions, language, stories, and everyday life with our campers and community. Through games, conversations, music, special programs, and lots of fun, they help create meaningful connections that bring Israel to life in authentic and personal ways. Wishing all of our campers, staff, and Shlichim an unforgettable summer ahead!
The JCA had a wonderful time hosting the Second Annual Jewish-Asian Friendship Dinner! This dinner brought together the Jewish community and nearly all major Asian organizations in Southern Maine. This year, we served Cambodian delicacies, Filipino comfort food, and Israeli falafel, with a special dish made for the event: a red onion curry challah created by Exile Bakery. Highlights of the night included honoring Manli Ho—the daughter of famous Chinese diplomat Dr. Feng-Shan Ho, who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust—and a Hamotzi blessing & invocation from Rabbi Rachel Isaacs. We also heard a moving story on growing up Asian from former Portland City Councillor Tae Chong, a speech from community leader Marpheen Chann, an introduction from Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and concluding remarks from Tam Huynh, Executive Director of the Holocaust & Human Rights Center of Maine. Our Jewish Community Relations Council also presented an original artwork to the Watt Samaki Buddhist Temple in honor of our past year of friendship. Thank you to more than 150 community members who packed the JCA to celebrate Jewish-Asian unity. These include our friends at Khmer Maine, the Maine Jewish Museum, Azerbaijan Society of Maine, Chinese Gospel Church of Portland, Watt Samaki Buddhist Temple, Filipino-American Samahan of Maine, Chinese-American Friendship Association of Maine, Maine Asian-American Community Center, and The LUNAR Collective.
