Fort Wayne, IN (April 10) – Amani Family Services in partnership with the Northeast Indiana Immigration Network will be hosting a presentation and panel on the recently launched Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday April 30 at the Allen County Public Library-Main Theater.
The Northeast Indiana Immigration Network, which includes Amani, St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, Catholic Charities and International House, collaborate to host quarterly sessions to empower the community to better engage with the local immigrant and refugee community.
This presentation dives into the plan's development and implementation strategies in four key areas: Connected Communities & Public Safety, Economic Development, Civic Engagement, and Education. This is an opportunity to inform the community on how they can contribute to this effort and how diversity strengthens our workforce, cultural offerings and recognition in the nation.
Amani will also discuss the recent partnership with the City of Fort Wayne to pursue a Certified Welcoming Designation through the national Welcoming America organization. Fort Wayne is the first city in the state to formally pursue this designation. The presentation will be followed by a panel of community leaders who are participating on the steering committee for the Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan.
Launched in January, Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan is the result of participating in the Gateways for Growth Initiative, in which Amani, Greater Fort Wayne Inc. and Downtown Fort Wayne received funding in January 2023 to create a plan backed by data with local community leaders. The next phase of the plan will be aligning committed stakeholders to implement the plan and receive a formal Certified Welcoming designation. To learn more about the plan, go to www.amanifamilyservices.org. The plan can be downloaded from Amani’s homepage.
EVENT INFORMATION
What: Creating An Inclusive Community: The Next Phase of the Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan
When: 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Allen County Public Library-Main Branch Theatre, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne IN 46802
Register: https://bit.ly/49RNaMa; event is free and open to the public.
Amani acknowledges the following funders for the ongoing support: St. Joseph Community Health Foundation investing grant match dollars to support the Gateways for Growth collaboration; the James Foundation and Old National Bank for their early investment into the Welcoming Fort Wayne initiative; Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne for investing in the future of Welcoming Fort Wayne. This past fall, the foundation awarded Welcoming Fort Wayne a $200,000 multi-year grant to support the deployment of Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan. This grant was made possible through the Richard D. Waterfield Charitable Fund and the Richard Dallas & Marni McKinney Waterfield Charitable Fund.
A special thank you to Greater Fort Wayne Inc., Downtown Fort Wayne and the supporting organizations who have participated in the Gateways for Growth/Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan Steering Committee.
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Amani Family Services is a local nonprofit organization serving more than 2,000 individuals from around the world. Learn more about Amani Family Services at www.amanifamilyservices.org.