The Mexican Consulate handled about 480 appointments on March 26 and 27 at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku, helping individuals and families with their passports and other documentation.
This was the first visit by the Consulate in two years due to the pandemic with brisk demand for appointments. The downstairs classroom of host MEO was filled with clients and Consulate staff with a line stretching into the parking lot on both days.
In addition to the 400 appointments, the 17 members of the Consulate staff from San Francisco accepted a total of about 80 walk-in meetings during the two days. The majority of the appointments were for passport renewals, but staff also was ready to process birth certificate retrievals from Mexico, civil registries, Consular IDs, voting cards and other documents.
Another Consulate visit is set for August with plans for handling 400 appointments.
In conjunction with the Consulate visit, MEO held the Hispanic Heritage Resource Fair in the parking lot on a rainy March 26 with representatives from groups and organizations involved with legal, health care, food assistance and educational services.
For more information about assistance for immigrants, call (808) 249-2970 or email cs@meoinc.org.
Mexican Consulate
The Maui Economic Opportunity Classrooms in Wailuku were buzzing with activity.
Mexican Consulate 2
The line for appointments with the Mexican Consulate stretched into the Maui Economic Opportunity parking lot on March 26. About 480 appointments were handled by Consulate staff based in San Francisco.
Mexican Consulate outside
The Maui Puerto Rican Association was one of about a dozen groups and organizations participating in the Hispanic Heritage Resource Fair, held on March 26 in conjunction with the visit of the Mexican Consulate in the Maui Economic Opportunity parking lot.
Mexican Consulate +HR
Cliff Caesar and Rose Santiago from MEO Human Services interviewed candidates for openings at MEO at the Hispanic Heritage Resource Fair.
Mexican Consulate +NFJP
The National Farmworker Jobs Program team of Dee Kahuhu, Suzette Bacarro and Ui Ah Chan appeared at the Hispanic Heritage Resource Fair.
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., is a nonprofit agency that’s part of the national Community Action Partnership network, whose goal is to help low income individuals and families and disenfranchised people help themselves and transform their lives. Chartered in 1965, MEO offers more than 40 programs that assist low income people, kupuna, youths, persons with disabilities, immigrants and other disenfranchised individuals. MEO runs the Human Services transportation program and the Maui Bus paratransit system and Head Start preschools, as well as programs that offer kupuna socialization and information; rent, mortgage and utility assistance; Spanish interpretation and translation; entrepreneurial and financial basics; inmate reintegration into the community after release; and youth anti-drinking, -bullying and -suicide prevention. For more information about the entire array of programs, visit meoinc.org or call (808) 249-2990.
