As we talked about his advice or thoughts around this new wave of New Mainers (for example the group recently arrived in Freeport), he pointed out that a big challenge for New Mainers is that most food in America has sugar added to it, and doesn’t taste the same as back home. He also said that it’s important to ask how people are feeling – some might be excited, others exhausted, some worried and others finally feeling safe. In his experience, the early days when nothing is certain can feel like an open sky jail. So he suggested a way to show you care is to reach out, ask how they are, ask how you can be helpful. A really practical idea that he shared was to allow some of the women at the Casco Bay Inn hotel in Freeport to come and cook their local food in someone’s kitchen, since only having access to microwaves and crockpots is probably difficult for them and their families.

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