The public is invited to a panel discussion which will explore ways that we in the Damariscotta-Newcastle area might respond to needs of immigrants and refugees — Wednesday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at the Second Congregational Church, 51 Main Street, Newcastle.  The panel will include Staci Coomer of Lutheran Refugee and Immigration Services, Hannah DeAngelis of Catholic Charities of Maine, and Abdi Iftin, a special guest from the Somali immigrant community in Portland.

Coomer is vice president for Development, Outreach and Communications of Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Services. LIRS is a national organization, founded in 1939, walking with immigrants and refugees through ministries of justice and service. Working with and through service partners and congregations across the country, LIRS resettles refugees, reunites children with their families or provides loving homes for them, conducts policy advocacy, and pursues humanitarian alternatives to the immigration detention systems.

DeAngelis is the director of Refugee and Immigration Services of Catholic Charities of Maine. Her background is in non-profit management, conflict resolution, cultural competency education and classroom teaching. She is originally from Central Maine and is a graduate of Colby College.

Iflin will offer reflections on his experiences as a refugee from Somalia.

All are invited to come and join in this conversation. Admission is free. Donations will be welcomed. The program has been organized by Helping Hands to Immigrants and Refugees, a group of concerned citizens from churches and the larger community who are seeking to support immigrants and refugees and to promote awareness of their rights and issues.