The Mission Committee of the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor is delighted to welcome Fatuma Hussein, who will speak about immigration on Wednesday evening, Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall of the church.

Hussein is the founder of the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine. She was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, the oldest of thirteen children, and lived in a Kenyan refugee camp after civil war broke out in Somalia in 1991. She moved to the United States in 1993, eventually settling in the Lewiston-Auburn area of Maine.

In response to an open letter from the mayor of Lewiston asking members of the Somali community to discourage relatives from resettling in the area, Hussein began building bridges within the community by making informal arrangements to provide transportation, translation, and counseling services for the immigrant community. Through the Immigration Resource Center, Hussein helps families navigate a complex landscape of local, state, and federal regulations so that the talents and abilities of Maine’s immigrant community can best serve the common good.

In 2014, Fatuma Hussein was selected by the Portland Press Herald to be one of the “Mainers to be Thankful For.” In 2017, she was awarded an honorary degree from Bowdoin College.

Hussein will be introduced by her friend, Holly Stover. Refreshments will be served following her talk. Everyone is welcome.