Our Grantee:
Somali Community Center of Maine
’s (SCCM). Their core mission is to support the Somali community through advocacy, mentorship, youth activities and civic engagement. They have worked with the Somali communities in the greater Portland area for the past three years.
Their Concern.
After a high profile person called the Somali community "criminals," they knew they must reach out to others in the Portland area and start the hard conversations about immigrants and Islam.
We Responded.
The Maine Women's Fund was able to quickly give the Somali Community Center of Maine a $1,500 award in July of 2017 so that they could create the Muslim and Non-Muslim Women’s Dialogue.
Their Results.
They met for the first time in 2017 with 30 women participants. They talked about the current politics and beliefs that may be contributing to the polarization within the Portland area. They acknowledged that they need to help one another to overcome the divide and the anger that they have experienced to reach their common goals. They discussed religion, culture, their children and their families. It went so well that the women agreed to meet again. The second meeting was a potluck lunch in Gorham hosted by one of the group members. They will meet again at Bet Ha’am Synagogue.
About Our Most Responsive Grants:
Our
Swift Social Justice Grants Program
provides immediate funding (up to $1,500) for those organizations led by women and girls from communities targeted in our current political and cultural landscape, as they address immediate threats or take advantage of opportune moments.
