PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Even for Maine natives, getting used to the winter's cold days isn't always easy.
It may be even more difficult for immigrant and refugee families who have moved here from warmer climates. To welcome them to winter in Maine, the Winter Kids Festival invited everyone to sled at Payson Park in Portland Saturday afternoon. For many of these families, this is their first winter here.
But for some of them, the weather is the least of their worries. Adapting to things like a different school system and learning a new language are bigger challenges they're trying to overcome.
"It's a mindset that needs more than just a switch to completely understand, to really be a part of it," Alfred Jacobs, who works at the Multilingual and Multicultural Center in Portland, said.
Jacob says the best way to help immigrant families adapt to life in Maine is to become a mentor or sponsor.
NEWS CENTER