About | NMAP

About NMAP

The New Mainers Assistance Program (NMAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization started by concerned citizens in the greater Yarmouth, Maine community, to assist local families in the process of seeking asylum.

Despite existing programs and resources in Maine, the stark reality is that there is an acute housing gap for people who have recently arrived in the US seeking asylum. See: Refugees find welcome in Portland, Maine. How many can the city take? - CSMonitor.com

NMAP was created to fill gaps, while utilizing existing programs and resources to provide a means for our community to help address this issue.

NMAP’s mission is to help asylum seekers in our community with their first year of housing – while they hone their English skills and begin the process of filing for asylum and obtaining a work permit. This includes families that originally settled in temporary housing at local hotels used as shelters. Several families have begun to build roots in our community and have a desire to be here.

NMAP is working are to assist these families with:

Housing, the foundation for stability
Support with English language learning, education, asylum process, transportation and living needs during their transition
Help to find independence and start the next phase of their lives

NMAP is a 100% volunteer-led organization.

Board of Directors

Rachel Houlihan

Board Chair

Executive Director

Rachel spent 24 years at IDEXX Laboratories. She began her career as a Chemist and recently retired as a Senior Director, helping lead the veterinary software division. At IDEXX Rachel led employee fundraising efforts for the United Way, is a former board member of the Trust for Public Land in Maine and volunteers at Maine Needs.

Grace Tezo

Secretary

Grace is a medical doctor from the Democratic Republic of Congo who moved to Yarmouth, Maine in 2020. In addition to English, Grace has full fluency in French, Lingala, and Kikongo. Grace currently works for the Centers for Disease Control.

Michael Burgmaier

Treasurer

Mike is a Managing Director and Co-Founder of Whipstitch Capital. He formerly worked in venture capital and management consulting. He started his career in non-profit children's advocacy and government. Mike has a Master of Public Policy from Duke University and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Carla Hunt

Carla Hunt is a co-Founder of the Yarmouth Compassionate Housing Initiative (YCHI). This grassroots organization began in 2015 with the goal of providing temporary housing and support to newly arriving families, and mothers with newborns, until more permanent housing could be identified. YCHI worked with over 150 asylum seekers who chose Maine as their home.

Peter Sillin

Peter Sillin teaches History at North Yarmouth Academy and has lived in Yarmouth for 16 years. In addition to his work with NMAP, Peter is on the vestry at St Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church and on the Board of the Yarmouth Historical Society.