You can help raise 50k in 50 days to Let Kids Shine

Mano en Mano’s bilingual childcare center, Rayitos de Sol (“Little Sunbeams” in English) is growing! Rayitos de Sol opened its doors in 2021 with the mission to provide bilingual, student-centered childcare services so that all kids can shine! The center acts as a bridge to connect families from different backgrounds so that language and culture are celebrated and our communities become more vibrant.

After two years of serving more than 30 families it is time to expand! We have begun construction on a new childcare building located in Milbridge, ME will help the center serve more families and kids! The new space will help:

• Grow Rayitos current capacity of 1 classroom serving 12 children, to 5 classrooms that serve 64 children (infants, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary age students).
  
  
• Expand ages served at Rayitos from toddlers and preschoolers (1-5 years old), to include infants all the way to children of elementary school age (6 weeks old to 12 years old).
  
  
• Develop a new after-school program for elementary school students to have the space, supervision, and support to shine.
  
  
• Create 9 new jobs that pay a liveable wage (on average $5.75-$8.75 dollars more per hour than the state average for childcare providers), and have full benefits.
  
  
• Nourish growing brains and bodies! The new center will house Our Mercadito, Mano en Mano’s culturally nourishing food pantry that is open and accessible to everyone in our community.
  
  
• Connect community members by incorporating common spaces open to local families and folks to plan events, hold meetings and more!
  
  
• Provide important outdoor and indoor recreation spaces for busy kiddos to play and develop gross and fine motor skills.

Childcare is a need throughout our state, and even more so in rural Maine. That is why we need your help to complete the new Rayitos de Sol Bilingual Childcare building and let all kids shine!

The goal of the campaign is to raise a total of $1.7 million for the development of the new childcare facility. To kick off the campaign, we are raising $50k in 50 days so that the youngest members of our community have a bright start from the beginning. For the first 50 days of the campaign your gift makes double the impact! All gifts will be matched by an anonymous donor (up to 50k)! We hope you choose to give to support kids and families today!

Your gift will go to work immediately and give kids in Maine a supportive environment to learn and grow. You can make sure that kids in our state have the foundation to shine and families have what they need to grow and flourish.

When kids shine our communities are more vibrant! That is why we need your help to give children a bright start.