In March, Amani had the opportunity to partner with Greater Fort Wayne Inc to celebrate International Women’s Day with GFW’s Women Network. Utilizing the theme of “Embrace Equity,” Amani hosted a panel featuring local multicultural women with different journeys.
The panel featured:
Flora Barron, Owner & Founder, Flora & Lily's Mexican Kitchen and Kanela Blended Drinks | Flora Barron and her husband immigrated from Mexico to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1993. She worked various entry level jobs, from cleaning apartments to factory work, all while earning a Bachelor's degree in education and later a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Flora worked for Fort Wayne Community schools for nearly twenty years. In 2017 she and her husband opened their first business in the form of a food truck called Flora and Lily's Mexican Kitchen. Currently, Flora dedicates her time managing and promoting their three companies and enjoying their precious grandkids.
Farah Combs, Honors Program Director and Senior Lecturer in Arabic, Purdue University Fort Wayne | Farah is an immigrant and the daughter of Palestinian refugees. She is a Palestinian, but was born and raised in Kuwait as a "Without". The "Withouts" are a group of people who do not have an identity of belonging to a country or a homeland. Her identity / lack of identity is the primary reason she immigrated to America as a young adult. Not knowing the language or the culture in America, she was able to persevere and push through to build an identity. She currently teaches all levels of the Arabic language at PFW and International Communications.
Ines Etheridge, Loss Mitigation Specialist, PNC Bank | In addition to her role at PNC, Ines serves as a Community Advisory Board member for Amani Family Services. She immigrated to Fort Wayne in 1996 as a war refugee from Sarajevo, Bosnia. Ines graduated from North Side High School and received her bachelor's degree in English Literature from Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Malak Heiny, City Attorney, City of Fort Wayne | Malak Heiny was appointed by Mayor Henry as the City Attorney in 2022. Since 2013, Malak has served as associate city attorney for the City of Fort Wayne. She has been instrumental in providing leadership and direction on legal matters. Prior to her service with the City, Malak was a judicial law clerk for Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Patricia A. Riley. Malak holds a law degree from IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law. She is first generation Arab American and lifelong resident of Fort Wayne. Malak is a graduate of South Side High School and Indiana University, Bloomington. Malak is on the Amani Family Services Board and the Allen County Bar Association Board.
Nikki Quintana, Executive Director, Fort Wayne Metropolitan Human Relations Commission | Nikki is responsible for representing the Commission, directing the staff, and overseeing operations of the civil rights agency to eliminate unlawful discrimination. She is dedicated to promoting an environment of inclusivity and acceptance within the City of Fort Wayne. Nikki has trained and spoken on civil rights and discrimination at the local, state, and national level. She is sought after for advice in case management, employment discrimination, diversity and inclusion, and fair housing. Nikki holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Saint Francis and a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. In 2018, she was named "Up and Coming Lawyer" by Indiana Lawyer. and in 2020, she was named in Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly's Forty Under 40. In 2022, Nikki was an inaugural recipient of the Indiana Latino Institute Elevated Latinos Under 40 award. She is active in her community and is a member of the Mayor's Commission on Domestic Violence, Rape, and Sexual Harassment, The League for the Blind and Disabled, Advancing the Voices of Women, and other organizations that promote equity for all.
The panel engaged in discussions about navigating the workspace, how their cultures have motivated them and how we can encourage more inclusion in our community for women and for immigrants and refugees. This partnership was Amani’s largest celebration of International Women’s Day and helped showcase the stories of both foreign-born and first generation residents.
March also marked a personal success for Associate Family Support Program Manager Maria Zamudio who was one of the first recipients for the IUFW Bachelor of Social Work Diversity and Equity Scholarship.