WATERVILLE — A free presentation designed to share church teaching about immigration and offer ways in which Mainers can help new arrivals will be held on Sunday, March 22, in Waterville. “Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration” is set for 2-3:30 p.m. in the hall of Notre Dame Church, at 116 Silver St., according to a news release from Dave Guthro, communications director, Roman Catholic Church of Portland.

Presenters will be Baba Ly, assistant director of Catholic Charities Maine’s Refugee and Immigration Services, and Bill Wood, specialist for Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry.

“The more people know about immigration laws and those who are arriving in Maine, the better able they are to follow the tenets of Catholic social teaching and welcome those who settle in our communities,” said Ly.

In Maine, Refugee and Immigration Services has led the way in offering that welcome. It helps those seeking a new life in America to become responsible and self-reliant members of the community. The program welcomes refugees upon their arrival; meets basic needs like housing, food and clothing; arranges for language lessons; offers community, cultural and employment orientation; assists with employment development and placement; helps with family reunification; and offers medical and mental health referrals.

The program provides immersion programs to refugees like the American Friends Program, which matches English-speaking families or individuals with refugee families to integrate them into the community, and the RIS Mentoring Program, which matches refugees with volunteer mentors who help them reach their personal, academic and career goals, according to the release.

“RIS has been and will continue to be a place where refugees can feel safe, be treated with compassion, and work with staff members who are from their own communities,” said Steve Letourneau, CEO of Catholic Charities Maine. “Refugees deserve to work with an agency that has decades of experience providing quality and compassionate services to meet their needs. To see a refugee family blossoming in a safe environment, one that is free of hostility and open to possibilities, is the most rewarding experience you can imagine. Witnessing this again and again is what truly keeps our staff going,” according to the release.

“The diocese is so grateful for the efforts of RIS in answering our baptismal call to welcome the stranger and ensuring that the dignity of every human person is protected,” said Bishop Robert P. Deeley. “Through their dedication and service, Catholic Charities Maine is defending the sacredness of human life by helping individuals and families, many of whom fled from violence seeking compassion and care, to never become victims again,” according to the release.

In the last decade, the program has resettled thousands of refugees in Maine. The staff at RIS understand the plight of those they serve as many of the staff members at RIS are refugees and immigrants themselves.

There are many ways to assist RIS in its mission. To donate items that are included in the welcome kit provided to refugees, visit ccmaine.org. People also can donate money, furniture, or household items for the refugees.

For more information about RIS, call 871-7437.

For further details about the presentation, call 873-4512 or email CSJsofLyon.Maine@gmail.com.

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