United Way of Southern Maine will receive $5.4 million from the federal government over the next two years to help resettle new immigrants in the state.
United Way's Bethany Campbell said the group will distribute the money to organizations providing direct services to new arrivals.
"We're really looking at our community challenges like food security, housing instability, lack of transportation and medical services. We know that they're all connected," she said.
Campbell said it's the largest influx of money they've received over the last several years to support immigrant resettlement.
"It's absolutely huge," she said. "This is the largest grant that we have gotten over the last three years to support this work in our community."
The grant is part of a more than $340 million federal program through FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security aimed at boosting services for immigrants as they await immigration court dates.
Thousands of asylum seekers have arrived in the Portland area in recent years, and many rely on municipal and nonprofit services before getting work authorization.
