In early 2020, as entire communities locked down and people hunkered at home, Maine’s immigrant residents had no such option. For newcomers, covering basic food bills meant they had to keep working. And for anyone lacking documentation, relief programs were simply out of reach.
That’s how Presente! Maine took root. Spotting this urgent need, the program’s executive director, Crystal Cron, rallied volunteers to purchase and deliver groceries throughout greater Portland. Early in the pandemic, the fledgling group supported only a few dozen households, but by late May, more than 2,000 families relied on its services.
Today, Presente! Maine continues its mission of feeding local immigrant families, responding to ever-shifting needs and mounting political headwinds. For several years after lockdowns eased, the group organized central distribution sites, ensuring stable access to staples like rice, beans, and fresh produce. But as tensions rose within migrant communities under the new administration, Presente! found itself pivoting once more.
“This year, we decided to go back to direct drops to homes,” explains Heather Flor Cron, the program’s food sovereignty and land access lead. “We could see fear within the community—there is a fear of leaving their homes right now.”
But Presente! stands for more than emergency relief. It also aims to foster lasting relationships with land and sustenance. The organization now cultivates a two-acre farm in Androscoggin County, growing various vegetables and herbs that will later make their way into immigrant households. Volunteers and staff spend days seeding, weeding, and harvesting, ensuring each crop remains accessible to the communities Presente! serves.
“Everything that is grown at the farm we bring down for distribution days, and it’s all food that community members want to eat,” Flor says. “It’s either harder to find here or just used in abundance.”
The farm also hosts community days, with shared meals, festive gatherings, and children running free among the rows. Presente! Maine recognizes that the land has too often meant exploitation for many immigrants—long hours in fields or seafood plants. For that reason, carving out an autonomous place to gather and grow is nothing short of crucial.
“That’s why it’s important for us to develop spaces that are our own,” explains Flor. “Where we can be in nature and have our own land to grow on the way that we want to.”
Presente! Maine is actively shaping a new community rooted in care, culture, and collective power. What started as a grassroots response to a global crisis has evolved into a mutual-aid model brimming with dignity and joy. In doing so, Presente! Maine shows how new Mainers can find safety, nourishment, and, ultimately, room to flourish.
