A Spirited Volunteer Since Childhood
Marleine Bastien was born in the small village of Pont-Benoit in Haiti. Her parents were both farmers and her father Philippe Bastien, a trained nurse, was the village’s only health practitioner, and he built the first school. Marleine started her volunteerism at the school when she was 8 years old, ultimately teaching adults and children in the school how to read and write. As a teenager, she volunteered at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles, feeding hundreds of malnourished babies left there by their parents.
Two days after her arrival in Florida, Marleine volunteered at the Haitian Refugee Center. She was subsequently trained and worked as a paralegal for five years and provided legal assistance to thousands of refugees at Krome Detention. She fought side by side with father Gerard Jean-Juste on the streets, in the courts, and in Washington , D.C. to get work permits and freedom for thousands. “Growing up, I thought of the U.S. as a champion of justice and democracy. I was shocked by the treatment of Haitians and other refugees at the Krome Detention Center. I embraced the fight for equal treatment and immigrants’ rights because I knew that as a nation, we could do better.”
A Fearless Patients’ Rights Advocate
After obtaining her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Florida International University, Marleine worked at Jackson Memorial Hospital as a medical social worker with children and families with HIV/AIDs and sickle cell anemia. She became the premier advocate for patients’ right at Jackson, bringing visibility and understanding to the plight of women and their families from all ethnic backgrounds taking care of babies diagnosed with HIV.
• She started the first HIV support group to support women and families.
• She advocated for HIV protocols for women at a time when men were the only focus.
• She brought the same dedication and strong advocacy to working with families and children with sickle cell anemia.
• She received the Miami Dade County Volunteer of the Year Award (1994) and Miami Dade County Social Worker of the Year Award. (2000).
Strenghtening Families
Marleine Bastien left JMH in 2000 to manage Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, Inc. (FANM)/Haitian Women of Miami . Since its inception in 1991, FANM has become one of the largest and most influential agencies assisting our immigrant communities. Marleine takes personal pride in the services that FANM provides to thousands of families:
• Family Intervention and Empowerment
• Health Promotion and Prevention
• Youth Development and Leadership
• Immigration Advocacy and Citizenship
• Community Economic Development
• Adult Education and Literacy
Investing in Families a Top Priority
Since 1991, Marleine Bastien has raised over 10 million dollars for programs aimed at strengthening families. “Families are the backbone of society.
“Strong families make strong communities. We must believe in our children and invest in them, because they are the future. Every child has unique abilities to learn. We must strive to give them love, understanding, and a safe environment so they will grow to become well balanced , productive adults.”
For Marleine, FANM’s service planks have become a platform for her community leadership, and for her campaign for Congress. She is not afraid to translate her public policy agenda into political action, and she has done this countless times – even on issues that others found unpopular at the time.
Speaking Up for Immigrants’ and Human Rights
• She was the catalyst behind the passage of HIRFA , a law signed by president Clinton in 1998 to provide residency for 50,000 families.
• She inspired and is leading the fight for TPS (Temporary Protected Status for Haitians) , The Dream Act, and Comprehensive immigration Reform
As chair of the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Vice Chair of the Haitian-American Coalition, Marleine testified before Congress in 2005 about the plight of immigrants in our nation. As a delegate in the World Forum on Migration and Development held in Manila in October 2008, she was one of three delegates chosen to report to the U.N. members on the conditions of immigrants in the Americas.
Marleine Bastien co-chaired with JMH CEO Ira Clark the “Hard To Reach Population Committee” as part of Miami Dade County Complete Count Committee for the 2000 Census.
Marleine Bastien co-chaired with Mayor Alex Penelas the Human Rights Committee to defeat the amendment to repeal the Human Rights Ordinance in 2002. Fifty two percent (52%) of Miami Dade County Voters said no to discrimination.
Marleine Bastien was the treasurer for the Children Trust Campaign in 2000 which culminated in victory in September 2002. She also played a key role in the re-authorization campaign in 2008 ! Morever, in 2002, she played an active role in the passage of the Statewide Amendement to provide Pre-K for all 4 years old in the state and in the Small Class Size campaign to foster learning and guarantee a brighter future for our children.
As a member of the Miami Dade Housing Coalition, Marleine worked tirelessly with the Miami Workers Center, the Human Services Coalition and many others to bring awareness on the housing crisis in Miami-Dade County and the lack of affordable housing . She is a strong, long term advocate for affordable housing .
