Volunteer & Partner Apprecation
ILAP’s work would not be possible without the support of our many partner organizations, language volunteers, pro bono attorneys, administrative and legal volunteers, board members, grassroots fundraisers, committee members, and supporters. These individual efforts together make a powerful collective impact. It's inspiring to see what we can accomplish together!
In celebration of Volunteer Appreciation Month 2022, we were pleased to share a virtual screening and panel discussion of the film Five Years North.
Film Screening
Five Years North follows an undocumented Guatemalan teenager living in New York City as he navigates school, work, and family under the threat of deportation.
Panel Discussion
As part of an evening of discussion and gratitude, our panel explored the film’s themes in the Maine context and examined how the immigration system impacts children and youth. The discussion was moderated by Immigrant Children’s Project Attorney Maggie Loeffelholz and features Jerome Muhirwa, Teen Services Caseworker at Preble Street, and Melissa Brennan, Managing Attorney of our Portland office.
Keep Learning
ILAP believes that no child or young person should face the immigration system alone. One in three of our clients is under age 18, and each one has their own story and their own hopes and dreams for their future. But all too often, they share the experience of trauma and injustice in their search for safety and stability.
Learn more about children and youth in the immigration system:
Any Day They Could Deport Me”: Over 44,000 Immigrant Children Trapped in the SIJS Backlog, a report by the End SIJS Backlog Coalition and The Door
"New Biden Administration Policies Offer Crucial Protections for Immigrant Youth" from Immigration Impact
"2021 Survey of DACA Recipients Underscores the Importance of a Pathway to Citizenship" by United We Dream, National Immigration Law Center, and Center for American Progress
Kids on the Line from Reveal, an ongoing multimedia investigation into family separation and the treatment of migrant children
Paper Children / Niños de Papel, a documentary that follows four siblings as they navigate the asylum system
Resources: Reports, Toolkits, Webinars by the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
Volunteer & Partner AwardS
ILAP’s strength comes from our community, and we are so grateful for everyone who works together to make our direct legal services, community education, and systemic advocacy possible. Join us in congratulating our 2021 award winners!
Business Partner Award: Noel Paul Stookey and Neworld Multimedia
Community Partners Award: Afghan Community of Maine, Catholic Charities of Maine Refugee and Immigration Services, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC), and University of Maine School of Law Refugee and Human Rights Clinic
Development Volunteer of the Year: Maura Melley
Language Volunteers Award: Melissa Albert and Anne-Marie Wolf
Learning & Engagement Partner Award: Seth Goldstein with Atlantic Black Box
Outstanding Advocate Award: Mufalo Chitam
Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year: Rich Bayer and Robyn March
Supporting Immigrant Youth Award: Tori Stenbak and Elyse Segovias