Lewiston’s Generational Noor receives startup funding

Generational Noor volunteers receiving $5,000 from City Kids are, from left, Mazin Ahmed of Westbrook, Generational Noor Executive Director & Founder Amran Osman of Lewiston, Amran’s sisters Safa Noor, 12, and Samiira Noor, 17, both from Lewiston; Liiban Adaan of Portland, and City Realty Group Managing Partner & City Kids Co-Founder Stephen Whalen of Brookline, Massachusetts, originally from Auburn. Submitted photo

City Kids, a youth education nonprofit created by City Realty Group managing partners Fred Starikov and Stephen Whalen, is providing $5,000 in startup funding to Generational Noor.

A new organization based in Lewiston, Generational Noor works to end the stigma around substance abuse, mental health, alcoholism and drug abuse in immigrant households and helps people get help leading to rehab and recovery. City Kids makes this donation to support Generational Noor’s mission and to ensure the organization has resources to address substance abuse among the immigrant community in Maine, according to a news release from the innovative.

Stephen Whalen, a City Realty Group managing partner and City Kids co-founder, traveled to Portland to present Generational Noor founder Arman Osman and volunteers with the startup funds. Whalen sat down with the youth behind Generational Noor to hear about their experiences and discuss their future plans for the program.

Whalen, who grew up in Auburn himself, understands the fact addiction has been an issue in Maine for many years and the immigrant community sometimes takes a backseat when it comes to resources to address substance abuse and related issues. The City Kids and Generational Noor Founders discussed ways this donation can help Generational Noor in the early stages of the program.

“One of our goals is to have the funds to hire someone from the community who can really help us take Generational Noor to the next level. There are a lot of passionate people who want to help and are currently looking for work,” said Osman.

Whalen told Osman he supports the idea and will remain committed to helping this new organization grow. “That is certainly a win-win. Because not only will you be giving somebody a job, but a job in the movement,” said Whalen.

Generational Noor seeks to educate and change the way certain immigrant communities look at substance abuse. This includes preventing youth in the community from falling into drug addiction, helping others overcome it, and giving those who have been incarcerated for drug-related crimes a chance to land on their feet.

For more information, visit generationalnoor.com.