PORTLAND — Community partners can now request reimbursement for assistance they provided while the city operated an emergency shelter for close to 450 asylum seekers at the Portland Expo between June 9 and Aug. 15.

“We know there’s a need in the community and so we want to assist our partners who helped in this effort. We remain grateful for the outpouring of support from around the state and nation. Without the commitment and assistance from our community partners our emergency effort to aid asylum seekers would not have been as successful as it was,” said Kristen Dow, the city’s health and human services director.

The City received over $900,000 in donations this summer to help provide assistance to the asylum seekers as they arrived and settled in Maine. Organizations interested in receiving a reimbursement should send an email to ASDonations@portlandmaine.gov, including the name of the organization and a contact person. The city will then send the application along with any updates about the process. A frequently asked questions document will be posted to the City’s website and updated as needed. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received. The city expects to begin disbursing the approved funds in January.