We’re thrilled to share that MEIRS’s Annual Back to School Bash was featured in WGME’s recent coverage!
Our event—held on the evening of Friday, August 22, 2025, at Mike McGraw Field—was spotlighted by WGME’s Julia Simone, emphasizing both our joyful programming and the enhanced safety measures we implemented. The Bash, organized by Maine Immigrant & Refugee Services (MEIRS), drew families for a fun-filled evening with food, music, games, face painting, henna tattoos, a bouncy house, and the distribution of free backpacks and school supplies. Coming just one year after nearby gunfire disrupted the event, WGME highlighted how MEIRS collaborated with the Lewiston Police Department, with uniformed officers and beat officers present to ensure the night was not only fun—but safe.
As MEIRS Director Rilwan Osman shared, “We didn’t want to have the same thing this year. We want to have families come together and have fun.” coverage noted that the event ran smoothly, marking its fourth year, and MEIRS confirmed plans to host it again in 2026
Watch full story here: https://wgme.com/news/local/community-gathers-for-lewistons-back-to-school-bash-after-last-years-gunfire-scare
MEIRS bas been responding COVID-19 in various ways to provide awareness and education to our immigration and refugee communities. MEIRS in partnership with other ECBOs, created a task-force that provides education and awareness in many platforms. The taskforce including MEIRS did a massive test awareness campaign letting people know the importance of testing, social distancing and face covering. Abdikadir Negeye, MEIRS assistance Director has come to MEIRS food distribution center to talk to parents about COVID-19.
MEIRS has also started its 2020 summer youth programs. Please click the link below to see the full newsletter.
Click here to see the full newsletter
A DAY TO INVOLVE COMMUNITIES FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT!
Maine Immigrant & Refugee Services (MEIRS) will be hosting its 5th annual MLK DAY at its Lewiston office locations, a day where both adults and children participate at activities offered by MEIRS.
Ten years ago, Maine Immigrant & Refugee Services was formed as a voluntary organization that provided vital programs and services to youth and their families. MEIRS has also partnered with both national and local organizations on educating parents and youth about juvenile justice, bullying and for the last 4 years, MEIRS has partnered with Gould Academy to enlist enough volunteers to work with the children and parents for variety of programs and activities. The goal of the event is to motivate young kids and parents to be an integral part of civic engagement and volunteerism so that they can become contributing members of their communities.
The theme of this event is civic engagement, how can our youth and their parents engage with the broader community. We will be discussing and showing the importance of volunteerism available in various organizations in our area.
Similar to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., many of the immigrant and refugees went through a lot in their home country, in refugee camps and here in the U.S, we are also encouraging and empowering young children and their parents to speak up when they face bullying or harassment. Together we can make our city, state and country a safe and welcoming place for all.
Gould Academy students and other volunteers will be spending the day working with parent’s s and their children in Lewiston on a variety of projects including a sewing workshop for nearly 50 adults, conversation classes, a soccer camp and tournament for 4th-5th graders, reading and arts/crafts circles, as well as ending the day with some MLK day themed activities for all the children.
when: Monday, January 21st, 2019
Time: 10:00-3:00pm
Where: Kids Activities(Longley Elementary School)
Parents activities(MEIRS office, 256 Bartlett St.)
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/367418637422226/
Isnino Hamsa, Aisha Abukar, ZamZam Elmoge, Sahro Dakane and Sumaya Mohamed, members of the 21st Century Kids, pose in front of a mural they worked on painted on the side of the Maine Immigration and Refugee Services building on Bartlett Street. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
LEWISTON — A colorful mural created by Lewiston High School students and intended to portray culture and diversity was presented to the community Sunday, and one of the artists, LHS sophomore Zamzam Elmoge, hopes the inviting scene will send a message of “togetherness.”
The members of the mural project by 21st Century Kids — Mahado Abdullahi, Aisha Abukar, Hani Ali, Elmoge, Sahro Dakane, Isnino Hamsa, Nurto Ibrahim, Sumaya Mohamed and Bilane Elmi — completed their third mural on the side of the Maine Immigration and Refugee Services building at 256 Bartlett St.
The first was done on Lisbon St., according to Shannon Martineau, site director for 21st Century at LHS, but it was not created with permanent materials. The second is inside the YWCA.
The mural on the MEIRS building is the result of 12 months of research by LHS students, who dived into immigration’s history in Lewiston.
“The students found a lot of immigrants who came to the area in the 18th and 19th century that had similar experiences of prejudice,” Martineau said. “French people were not allowed to speak their own language.”
Martineau said she was approached by members of MEIRS, who had seen the group’s other murals in the city and asked to be the site of another hopeful image.
Elmoge, also a member of Seeds of Peace, said her favorite part of the project was learning about the different cultures that have come to Lewiston over the years.
“We met a French-Canadian lady, and learned about the old mills,” Elmoge said. “Her dad worked there, and she told us how he was discriminated against. We talked to Jewish women, French and Greek. We went on a tour of Lewiston buildings — that was really cool. It was a hands-on experience.”
In addition to research, Abukar said a good amount of imagination went into the mural.
“We came together and imagined life in another place — one that makes us feel welcome,” Abukar said. “Then we put together that imagined image.”
The mural depicts a park scene with a variety of cultural traditions, displayed by smiling people from all over the world.
“It’s about self-identity and community,” Martineau said. “We hope to show Lewiston’s diverse community, and that it’s OK to have differences and still be a community.”
Abukar also traveled to Denver for the URBAN youth conference, where she presented the mural project to other attendees.
“It’s so important to accept other cultures,” Abukar said. “Only then can people keep where they came from.”
Elmoge echoed the sentiment.
“We need to be aware that we can lose our culture,” she said. “We need to stay with our roots.”
emarquis@sunmediagroup.net
Sun journal article link
Please join us for the 4th Annual celebration of the life and legacy of civil rights leader, Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. We have activities for all ages, children and adults.
ALL ARE WELCOME! EVENTS & LUNCH ARE FREE!
Our activities will be conducted in two locations
Longley Elementary School Gymnasium(145 Birch St. Lewiston)
MEIRS Youth & Family Center: 256 Bartlett St.
Activities included:
Soccer instructions & Tournaments
Running clinic for girls
Basketball
Arts & Crafts
Sewing classes
English language conversations(Parents)
Immigration Mock interviews
Citizenship classes
Any many more
For more information, Please contact Jama Mohamed @ jmohamed@meirs.org or 784-2703 ext 103 or Omar Ibrahim @ oibrahim@meirs.org
