Crossing Borders: Health Care Messages for Maine's Immigrant Communities

Portland, ME, 2000

Portland, Maine is one of several cities in the United States designated as a refugee resettlement location for the United Nations. Refugees from every corner of the globe come to Portland, often to escape severe difficulties in their homeland.

Making the transition to a new home in a foreign country can be exceedingly difficult, especially when arriving under challenging circumstances. Immigrants typically require special assistance with housing, food, education, employment and health care.

Crossing Borders was the collaborative effort of WMPG, the community radio station at the University of Southern Maine, and Portland Public Health, a city agency offering community health care services. This project utilized radio to deliver child health-care information to several of Maine's immigrant communities in the form of enhanced public service announcements (PSAs) in English and native languages: Spanish, Russian, Khmer and Somali. Targeted at parents, Crossing Borders PSAs addressed 12 health care topics, one each month, including immunization, auto passenger safety, translator services and prenatal care. Focus groups and input from Portland Public Health staff contributed significantly to topic selection and approach.

During the course of the year, 60 different PSAs were produced and aired a total of 676 times. Non-radio outreach included participation in major cultural arts events, printing and distribution health brochures, and airing PSAs on public access television.

Contact Information

WMPG-FM
Rob Rosenthal and Kristina Truesdale, Producers
Tel: 207-767-1702

City of Portland Public Health
Maureen Clancy, Health Promotion Program Manager
Tel: 207-756-8054

Awards:

WMPG Round Two
First Place, Public Service Announcement — Maine Association of Broadcasters