Our History

Formation of the Maine MultiCultural Center (MMCC) was set in motion by then Bangor Mayor, Sean Faircloth, in the late summer of 2016 in response to a growing concern about the Bangor area’s shrinking workforce and a recognition of the need for greater diversity in our population.  With the help of leaders from many cultural and ethnic groups in the greater Bangor area, as well as local business, community, faith-based, and municipal leaders, a loose coalition was formed with the goal of providing professional welcoming services to new Mainers and increasing awareness and appreciation of the benefits of expanding cultural and ethnic diversity in the area.  The organization was originally housed at the University of Maine at Augusta’s Bangor Campus, and Eastern Maine Development Corporation served as its fiscal agent. MMCC and its mission were endorsed by the Bangor City Council, and the organization was governed by a volunteer Steering Committee.  The group incorporated in June 2017 at which time governance of the organization shifted to a volunteer Board of Directors.  MMCC obtained official non-profit status in May of 2018. 

The new non-profit was up and running in short order. Under the guidance of Catholic Charities’ Refugee and Immigrant Services, and with the help of interns from the University of Maine at Augusta, MMCC initiated an asset mapping project and began hosting workshops on cultural humility.  Following the 2016 national elections immigration resettlement throughout the country slowed to a trickle and the attendant increase in opposition to immigrants made MMCC’s work in fostering awareness and appreciation of immigrant populations that already existed in our community even more important. We developed a number of programs in response to that need and continued to advocate for immigrant rights and services at the local, state, and national level.

In 2019 MMCC moved its offices to be co-located with the Eastern Maine Development Corporation. Immigrant resettlement started up following the 2020 election and in December of 2021, Bangor was officially designated as a refugee relocation center. MMCC merged with Welcoming Immigrant Neighbors – Bangor (WIN) in January of 2022. By providing direct, integrative services to New Mainers, the Volunteer Support Team Program returned MMCC to the other half of its original mission.

Partnering with the Catholic Charities office that opened in Brewer in October of 2022, the MMCC Move-In Program began assisting in the resettlement of refugees by furnishing living spaces for the new families and the Volunteer Support Team Program continued to provide integrative services.

In May of 2023 MMCC hired its first Executive Director and in June its first Program Manager. A year later an Outreach Coordinator was added to the staff. MMCC’s current staff consists of a full-time Executive Director, a Full-time Program Manager, and 2 half-time Outreach Coordinators.