Biljana grew up in Bosnia and has lived in Portland, ME for the last 16 years.  She is now the Multicultural Coordinator for 2-1-1. 
2-1-1 is a free and confidential statewide social services hotline.  People call in 24 hours a day for referrals to helping organizations regarding: soup kitchen locations, ELL classes, disaster preparedness, suicide prevention, fuel assistance, elder care questions, affordable day care options, etc.   Biljana explains how the process works, how it is funded, and how it can directly help Maine's immigrant community. 

Music: James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend."

Shima is the eldest of four sisters born to parents from Eastern DR Congo.  She lived in Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda before coming to Concord, NH then, finally Portland, ME, when she was 16. 
Now through her work, Shima uses everything that she learned about adapting to new cultures, to help establish the New Mainers Integration Center.  The center is currently in it's formative stage but the organizers hope to welcome foot traffic early next year.  Immigrants will be able to come in to the center, eventually, to receive guidance on where and how to get started in their unique process of becoming financially independent citizens.  The plan is that all this will be delivered with a cultural sensitivity, and an appropriate language, in a judgment-free zone.  Help will include face-to-face resource sharing regarding everything a new arrival might face: job training, resume writing, education, health care, policies, customs, literacy, laws of the land, housing, and much more. It will be an information clearinghouse with people on hand to help new arrivals access the multitude of community supports available to them.
For more information you can contact Shima, the future Program Director of the New Mainers Integration Center.

Music: "Plus Vivant" by Lokua Kanza

Janice was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan in a loving Catholic family.  She graduated from Karachi University with a degree in economics before moving to the United States with her family.  Janice later moved to Maine for work and loved it enough to stay, marry, and raise her own family here. 
Janice cares very much for women's rights and talks about her life in Pakistan and the US, noting differences she found along the way.  Presently, Janice works as the Community Reinvestment Act Officer at Norway Savings Bank.

Music: Zoe Viccaji sings "Jis Nay Bhi Anna Hai"