Commissioners Therese Brown & Rich Beck; Beyza Burçak Klein, Senior Manager Welcoming American
Commissioners Therese Brown & Rich Beck; Beyza Burçak Klein, Senior Manager Welcoming American; Ewelina Connolly, CEO Amani Family Services.
Allen County, Indiana – The Allen County Board of Commissioners is proud to announce that Allen County is the first county in the State of Indiana to earn the designation “Certified Welcoming” from the national organization Welcoming America. It joins only 31 other counties and municipalities across the country to earn the prestigious distinction.
Welcoming America is a nonprofit working to build a nation of neighbors. It recognizes that communities become more prosperous by ensuring everyone belongs, including immigrants. It recognizes communities that understand being receptive to people of all backgrounds makes them more economically competitive and vibrant places for all residents. Welcoming America connects a broad network of local governments and nonprofits and supports them in becoming truly welcoming places.
The certification process, which took nearly two years, was rigorous. Welcoming America conducted an in-depth audit of top organizations and companies that strive to help new Americans, including immigrants and refugees, acclimate to this community. Allen County served as the lead government agency on the application team, a role that was championed by former Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters. But the honor really goes to community agencies doing the frontline work for Allen County’s newcomers – helping them to improve their health and well-being, build self-sufficiency, while providing language services and equipping them with job training. Additionally, a team of Core Partners provided much of the direction and oversight of the certification process. The group included representatives from Amani Family Services, Greater Fort Wayne INC, Downtown Fort Wayne, the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, and the Allen County Public Library.
Representatives from Welcoming America traveled to Fort Wayne, Indiana, in April 2025, and interviewed over 30 local groups, including agencies such as St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, Catholic Charities, Parkview Health, International House, WorkOne, Brightpoint, representatives from FWCS and EACS, and more. They interviewed county departments that work with local immigrant and refugee communities such as the Allen County Department of Health, Sheriff’s Department, and Courts. Along with issuing the Certified Welcoming seal, Welcoming America provided a comprehensive report to the Commissioners and community partners outlining strengths and opportunities.
Commissioner Therese Brown shared that, “Allen County has always been home to the ‘newcomer.’ It is to everyone’s benefit that they find their place here, that they are welcomed, included, and inspired to start a new journey in Northeast Indiana. In September 2023, the findings from the New Americans in Allen County study came out – the data was irrefutable: foreign-born individuals in our community positively impact our economy, population growth, and future workforce development. From a government perspective, that’s enough to convince us that ‘Hoosier Hospitality’ is crucial for a successful future. But beyond the facts and figures, we also know that welcoming immigrants and refugees to participate in our local schools and neighborhoods, and in civic life, enriches us as a community.”
Commissioner Beck referred to the study noting the significant impact that immigrants and refugees have on the local economy, “When we first received the New Americans in Allen County study results in September 2023, it was pretty eye-opening. From an economic perspective, immigrant residents in our county paid $160.9 million in taxes in 2019 and contributed $1.9 billion to the county’s gross domestic product in that same year. The Welcoming Certification process has illustrated to us the value of making sure that all residents who are eligible to work in the United States have access to workforce opportunities and can participate in our economy.”
Commissioners Rich Beck and Therese Brown were present to accept the 1-Star Certification Award this morning at the Welcoming Fort Wayne Awards breakfast hosted by Amani Family Services and Welcoming Fort Wayne-Allen County. Earning a Welcoming Certification provides communities with a strategic roadmap to become more cohesive and economically vibrant. Nonprofits can leverage the validation of the award in grant writing and funding opportunities. And it allows stakeholders to use the distinction to attract new talent and businesses to Allen County.
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Welcoming Fort Wayne-Allen County is the collaborative effort of local agencies to implement the recommendations from the Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan – a strategic planning and data gathering report made possible by the 2023 Gateways for Growth initiative. The plan was launched in January 2024 by Amani Family Services, Downtown Fort Wayne, and Greater Fort Wayne INC.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
September 19, 2025
Contact:
Emily Almodovar, PIO
Allen County Board of Commissioners
260-449-7671, emily.almodovar@allencounty.us