Plenty of good news to share in this month's Ambassador! Check it out here!
In this Issue:
- #GiveGreaterAllen success for Amani
- Amani CEO named a Mitch Daniels Leadership Fellow
- Amani takes part in the first Quarterly Learning Community Session alongside St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne - South Bend and International House
Lots to share in this month's Ambassador! Check it out! https://buff.ly/3TVzqc5
In this Issue:
Save the Date! Support Amani's Welcoming Fort Wayne initiative through Give Greater Allen County on April 20. Donation page: https://bit.ly/amani_givegreater
Amani celebrates International Women's Month
A Victim Care Success Story
The U.S. State Department, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, recently launched the Welcome Corps. This new private sponsorship program will enable Americans over the age of 18 to directly sponsor refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
Check out the Welcome Corps FAQ page here.
For 17 years, Amani Family Services has been involved in supporting refugees who have newly arrived in our community. Through our challenges and successes, we have a deep understanding of the investment of time and resources it takes to ensure the safety and mental well-being of refugee families. While we cheer on the progress of creating more welcoming communities, we feel a responsibility to educate our neighbors on this new federal program and its impact on agencies supporting refugees.
Amani, in partnership with St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, Catholic Charities, and International House will host a presentation on Refugee Resettlement Programs at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30 at Allen County Public Library. Reserve a seat here.
“As an agency with the history and experience of helping immigrants and refugees navigate the aftermath of resettlement, we are already working to prepare and educate our community about how this will impact the city,” Ewelina Connolly, Amani CEO, said. “We are partnering with St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, Catholic Charities, and International House to launch quarterly learning communities to provide a space for nonprofits, for-profits, and individuals to learn about some tools and resources for how we can be a welcoming community. Unlike the traditional resettlement process where we already have an expectation of new individuals for the year, this new program will bring an unknown influx to Fort Wayne and we need to consider how we can build capacity to serve those in need, especially when working with the healthcare and legal systems.”
American citizens and lawful permanent residents can come together to form Private Sponsor Groups (PSGs). To qualify, groups must have at least five members and all members must be over the age of 18. Currently, the Welcome Corps team will match sponsors with refugees who have been selected for resettlement. The earliest arrivals are expected by April 2023.
PSGs will be responsible for securing initial housing, providing basic needs, and connecting refugees to health care, education, and employment services within the first 90 days of a refugee’s arrival. Sponsors will also be financially responsible: PSGs must raise a minimum of $2,375 in cash and in-kind contributions per refugee. This amount aligns with the funding the federal government provides to resettlement agencies for the initial support of a refugee.
The State Department states the Welcome Corps will “strengthen and expand the capacity of the USRAP by harnessing the energy and talents of Americans.” The program has a goal of recruiting at least 10,000 Americans to welcome 5,000 refugees.
As an active refugee resettlement site, Fort Wayne has a long-standing history of welcoming refugees. We are home to a large Burmese population (over 9,000 individuals*), 8.6% of Fort Wayne’s residents are foreign-born**, and we continue to welcome an average of 200 new foreign-born residents annually. Allen County has been an attractive destination for immigrants and refugees due to our robust infrastructure of social and support services.
Welcome Corps has been developed in addition to the traditional refugee resettlement process. As an agency solely devoted to immigrants and refugees, we expect that Amani will experience an increase in clients that will extend past our anticipated capacity for 2023.
Secondly, we feel we have a responsibility to well-meaning local organizations, church communities and individuals to be transparent about responsible private sponsorship. While the Welcome Corps provides training and tips, the obligation of care will ultimately be in the hands of sponsors. Amani and our partners are working together to provide more educational opportunities, but we implore all groups to take time to research and thoroughly outline a Welcome Plan that ensures a refugee’s success beyond the 90-day deadline. We ask that our community see this as an ongoing commitment to support immigrants and refugees, and support the organizations that walk alongside these individuals every day.
Learn more about the program on the official Welcome Corps website.
*Purdue Fort Wayne Community Research Institute, 2021
**United States Census Bureau, 2021
On a day full of love, we want to share our gratitude with you!
With your support, Amani Family Services served 1,969 individuals representing 34 countries and 16 different languages in 2022.
Thank you for supporting our multicultural community and being an example of what it means to be a true "Welcomer."
Let's continue to spread love everywhere!
Share the “Spread Love” GIF below or make your own Valentine! Click the images below to download.
Fort Wayne, IN (January 31, 2023) – Amani Family Services has been awarded a grant in the amount of $100,000 from the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation.
The two-year grant will support Amani’s multicultural Family Justice Center model, which provides crime victim advocacy through client-centered, trauma-informed practices. The funding provided by St. Joseph Community Foundation will help immigrant and refugee families overcome physical, emotional, and justice-related issues through direct clinical services and community partnerships. The funding cycle began in June 2022.
In 2021, Amani Family Services was awarded a $50,000 grant by the St. Joseph Community Foundation to develop a model for local immigrants and refugees. Through these practices, Amani is able to provide meaningful and comprehensive care.
An example of the foundation’s impact comes from a client who completed Amani’s Substance Use Support program. He visited Amani’s office to share how happy he was to receive his driver’s license. Through the support group, he understood the source of his anger and worked on rebuilding the relationships he lost. He was proud of his progress and wanted to share his happiness with the staff at Amani Family Services.
“We are very grateful to St. Joseph Community Health Foundation for supporting Amani’s mission, and trusting our staff to be innovative and forward-thinking in providing support to our multicultural community,” CEO Ewelina Connolly, said.
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Amani Family Services is a local nonprofit organization serving more than 2,000 individuals from around the world who have made Allen County their home. Formerly Crime Victim Care of Allen County, an organization founded in 2006, Amani is entirely devoted to serving refugee and immigrant families and individuals. Learn more about Amani Family Services at www.amanifamilyservices.org.
The launch of the White House Task Force on New Americans marks a new phase of leadership from the federal government on immigrant and refugee issues. Originally formed under the Obama Administration, the revival of this task force will focus on equitable access to workforce training, language access, education, and financial literacy.
Our Amani staff navigates these barriers to serve our clients each year. Through Welcoming Fort Wayne, we are able to serve as advocates for what can be done on a local level - and we are hopeful to contribute to the national conversation.
In November, Amani Family Services, through its Welcoming Fort Wayne initiative, announced its partnership with Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. and Downtown Fort Wayne Improvement District for the Gateways for Growth Challenge. Read the press release here. This year, our organizations will work together with the support of technical advisors to create a community narrative, backed by data, to highlight the importance of inclusion in civic engagement. Fort Wayne is one of only nine cities selected to participate this year.
Fort Wayne previously participated in the Gateways for Growth Challenge in 2017, receiving funding to create a research brief on “New Americans in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana.” The groundbreaking report produced in partnership with Welcoming Fort Wayne, the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, and Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County, showed that immigrants in Fort Wayne accounted for 24.7 percent of the overall population growth in the region between 2011 and 2016.
The report also shows that immigrants paid $161.3 million in taxes in 2016 including $104.4 million in federal taxes and $56.9 million in state and local taxes.
Receiving updated data this year is an incredible benefit to our city’s government, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. This data not only highlights the current impact of immigrants and refugees, it can be utilized to guage equitable access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship, which ensures the stability and prosperity of the multicultural community.
In 2022, Amani Family Services continued providing clinical services to immigrants and refugees and served 1,969 individuals throughout six program areas (Family Support, Community Partners, Victim Care, Prevention, Substance Use Support, and Counseling).
Representing more than 30 countries and 16 languages, we continue to welcome new neighbors to our community. They are hoping to begin their new journeys, join our region’s workforce and support their families. Amani will continue to advocate for equitable language access and cultural inclusion through the Welcoming Fort Wayne Initiative.
Friendly reminder that our friends at Wunderkammer Company are hosting a donation drive to benefit Amani! Drop-off will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, December 19 at Wunderkammer. Thank you in advance for making the season brighter for local families!
Fort Wayne, IN — (November 28, 2022) Amani Family Services announced today that after a thorough search process, Melissa Singh (Grossman), MSW, has been selected to serve as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer.
Singh, who previously served as Amani’s Associate Family Justice Center Director, transitioned into the COO role today.
“We are so proud to be promoting an internal candidate who has been developing as a leader at Amani for the past two years,” Ewelina Connolly, CEO of Amani Family Services said. “Since joining the agency, Melissa has progressively taken on more responsibilities and worked in collaboration with both our clinical and administrative teams on many facets of our operations.”
The COO role has been vacant since Connolly, the former COO, assumed the role of CEO in 2021. As Amani moves into a new phase of fostering a spirit of belonging in our community, finding a successor became a priority. A search committee comprised of board members and staff thoughtfully considered applicants for the role.
Singh holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from Huntington University, and a master’s degree in Social Work from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Singh formerly served as a case manager and supervisor for Catholic Charities Fort Wayne – South Bend before joining Amani Family Services in 2020. She serves as a volunteer for several local organizations.
Singh’s extensive knowledge of the organization’s programs, her passion for the mission and her reputation with staff as a dedicated leader gave the search committee confidence in moving forward with its recommendation.
Amani will be working through the upcoming weeks to support Singh’s transition and will initiate a search for a Victim Care program manager.
Fort Wayne, Indiana and eight other local communities join a network of more than 70 localities across 35 states deploying economic research and multi-sector welcoming plans to forward inclusion and economic opportunity for all.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Today, the American Immigration Council (the Council) and Welcoming America selected Fort Wayne, Indiana, to receive a Gateways for Growth (G4G) Research, Technical Assistance, and Matching Grant award as part of the fifth cohort of the initiative.
Amani Family Services, Downtown Fort Wayne and Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. will partner in creating a local narrative, backed in data, on the importance of building an inclusive community for immigrants and refugees. Amani Family Services serves as the host organization for Welcoming Fort Wayne, a local chapter of Welcoming America.
“Amani is so grateful and encouraged to work alongside two pillar organizations in our community, Downtown Fort Wayne and Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. to invest time and resources toward overcoming challenges of inclusivity for our city,” said Ewelina Connolly of Amani Family Services.
Local communities across the country have long understood the positive effects of their growing local immigrant population. Newcomers help drive population growth, revitalize neighborhoods, spur innovation, and enrich communities with cultural diversity. Fort Wayne, Indiana, as part of the G4G 2023 cohort, is thinking proactively about creating an environment that sends a message of inclusion and social cohesion, maximizes the contributions of all residents, and gives community members the tools they need to thrive together.
“As we work towards advancing Downtown Fort Wayne as the vibrant, urban core of northeast Indiana, making the heart of our region more welcoming to new employees, residents and businesses is simply good practice,” said Michael Galbraith, President of Downtown Fort Wayne. “Our unparalleled growth as a city and region depends on increasing growth, prosperity and diversity for new and existing residents.”
G4G awardees will receive a combination of the following:
● Customized quantitative research reports from the Council on the demographic and socioeconomic contributions immigrants make in their communities; and/or
● Tailored technical assistance from the Council and Welcoming America to support communities as they draft, execute, and communicate a multi-sector immigrant inclusion strategy; and, in some cases
● Matching grant funds from the Council and Welcoming America, which, combined with support from a local funder, are used to aid in a community’s strategic planning process.
“Being a welcoming and inclusive community is more than just the right thing to do; it’s also good for business. For years now, business leaders—locally and across the country—have listed workforce shortages as their biggest challenge,” said Ellen Cutter, Chief Economic Development Officer at Greater Fort Wayne Inc. “Newcomers can play an important role in overcoming that challenge and building a nationally recognized economy here in Allen County. When that happens, our entire community wins.”
Launched in 2016, G4G is a competitive opportunity for localities to receive research support, technical assistance, and/or matching grant funds from the Council and Welcoming America to improve immigrant inclusion in their communities. This year’s awardees, alongside Fort Wayne, Indiana, include:
● Brockton, Massachusetts
● North Shore Region, Massachusetts
● Ottawa County, Michigan
● Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
● Portland and Southern Region, Maine
● Santa Clara County, California
● Santa Fe, New Mexico
● South Bend and Michiana Region, Indiana
“We are delighted to see the Gateways for Growth Challenge expand to another set of localities that reflect the diversity of our nation,” said Molly Hilligoss, Network Director at Welcoming America. “With each cohort, there is an opportunity to support and connect local leaders making their communities more welcoming and resilient places where everyone, including immigrants, can prosper and belong.”
Year-round, the Council and Welcoming America maintain an interactive map at GatewaysForGrowth.org that serves as a clearinghouse for the successes of all current and prior G4G awardees.
“The Gateways for Growth program helps communities quantify what many people already know – that immigrants play a key role in driving innovation and growth,” said Mo Kantner, Director of State and Local Initiatives at the American Immigration Council. “We’re excited to see the network continue to grow to nearly eighty communities, and look forward to supporting localities with data and technical assistance as they work to ensure that all residents are welcome and have pathways to success.”
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About the American Immigration Council
The American Immigration Council works to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks about and acts towards immigrants and immigration and by working toward a more fair and just immigration system that opens its doors to those in need of protection and unleashes the energy and skills that immigrants bring. The Council brings together problem solvers and employs four coordinated approaches to advance change—litigation, research, legislative and administrative advocacy, and communications. In January 2022, the Council and New American Economy merged to combine a broad suite of advocacy tools to better expand and protect the rights of immigrants, more fully ensure immigrants’ ability to succeed economically, and help make the communities they settle in more welcoming. Follow the latest Council news and information on ImmigrationImpact.com and Twitter @immcouncil.
Visit Americanimmigrationcouncil.org to learn more.
About Welcoming America
Welcoming America is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that leads a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by ensuring everyone belongs. We believe that all people, including immigrants, are valued contributors and vital to the success of our communities and shared future.
Through the Welcoming Network, we work to help communities develop the roadmap they need to create welcoming policies and share new approaches to inclusion to create an environment where everyone can truly thrive. Learn more at welcomingamerica.org.
About Amani Family Services
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.
About Downtown Fort Wayne
Downtown Fort Wayne partners with a wide variety of public, not-for-profit and private sector organizations to make Downtown Fort Wayne an attractive place to live, work and play. Downtown Fort Wayne’s mission is to advance Downtown Fort Wayne as the vibrant, urban core of northeast Indiana. For more information about Downtown Fort Wayne, go to DowntownFortWayne.com.
About Greater Fort Wayne, Inc.
Greater Fort Wayne Inc. is the single point of contact for economic growth and business services in Fort Wayne – Allen County, Indiana. We focus on supporting local business, attracting new business, and improving our community’s quality of place to grow jobs, wages, and the economy. Go to www.greaterfortwayneinc.com
It’s time to gear up for Welcoming Week! If you’re curious about the events planned, you are in the right place. Consider this your comprehensive guide to a week full of inclusive activities. Join us!
What: Welcoming Week Fort Wayne
When: Sept. 10-16
Where: Across the city - we are working with more than 20 partners to create inclusive events for the family. All but one event (Cinema Center) are FREE and open to the public.
Registration information: Go to http://amanifamilyservices.org/welcoming-week; From the Welcoming Week page, you can click on each event image and find out more information, register for the event, or be directed to a ticket site for admission. You will also find Welcomer signs to use for Dining Around the World in 5 Days (Game Rules are here.) You can also download sponsor information.
Questions? Email Keiara Carr, kcarr@amanifamilyservices.org.
Saturday, Sept. 10 | Welcome Fair - This community resource fair will feature music, food and more! Help us support families by donating to the Hygiene Item Donation Drive. Learn more.
Sunday, Sept. 11 | Be A Tourist In Your Own Hometown - Join us at Creative Women of the World for a cultural stop on Visit Fort Wayne’s Be A Tourist In Your Own Hometown. This event will feature face painting and a photo booth. Learn more.
Monday, Sept. 12 | “Unity with Variety” preview - Artist Hilarie Couture has spent a year painting 50 portraits of community leaders, neighbors, and friends that represent various cultures. Hillarie and a few of her portrait subjects will discuss the experience and reveal their portraits for the first time. Register here.
Tuesday, Sept. 13 | Welcoming Pick-Up Soccer - Join us for an inclusive pick-up game of soccer. In lieu of registration fees, we are asking players to bring a potluck dish that represents their culture. Sign up here.
Wednesday, Sept. 14 | Cultural Intelligence Workshop - Peter Kirkwood, Chief of Protocol at The International Center in Indianapolis, will present an innovative approach in engaging the multicultural community as leaders and supporters. Register here.
Thursday, Sept. 15 | Multicultural Filmmakers Panel - Experience incredible storytelling from filmmakers inspired by their cultural backgrounds. The series of short films will be followed by a discussion from the filmmakers themselves. The evening will also feature a sneak peek at the new Ken Burns documentary, “ The U.S. and the Holocaust” before its premiere on PBS. Buy Tickets.
Friday, Sept. 16 | Welcoming Fort Wayne Awards - This annual ceremony is an opportunity to recognize immigrants, refugees, and community supporters. Join us in celebrating nominees in three categories: Lifetime Achiever, Welcoming Organization and Emerging Leader. The event is free and open to the public, and registration includes a light breakfast. Register here.
Follow for all the latest updates! Go to: www.facebook.com/WelcomingFortWayne
Join the conversation by using #WelcomingWeek2022 #WhereWeBelong
Thank you to the community supporters who nominated so many wonderful individuals and organizations in our community. Each nominee has made a difference for our multicultural community and we are honored to acknowledge them all for their accomplishments.
We will award 3 recipients representing each category at the Welcoming Fort Wayne Awards, 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, doors open at 8:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Register here.
Dorothy Kittaka, FAME Festival and Fort Wayne Sister Cities
Cho Too, Catholic Charities
Gamal Hernandez, Bowen Center
Howard Chapman, Fort Wayne Sister Cities
Jeanne Taylor, Fort Wayne Community Schools, retired
Meg Distler, St. Joseph Community Health Foundation
Terrence Gerald Doran, Three Rivers Arts Center for Kids (TRACK) founder
Hthamay Paw, Amani Family Services
Devota Masasu, Bowen Center
Mieko Yamada, Purdue Fort Wayne
Lutheran Agency for Missions to Burma (LAMB)
Burmese Muslim Education and Community Center
Neighborhood Health Clinic, Inc.
Three Rivers Arts Center for Kids (TRACK)
Malak El-Taleb, Interpreter
Fernando Zapari, El Mexicano Newspaper
Antoinette Francher-Donald, Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne
Pone Vongphachanh, City of New Haven
By Mieko Yamada, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Malak El- Taleb, the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award, was originally born and raised in Libya. She moved to the United States when she was 10 years old. Malak’s father had established his career as a university professor in the United States and made a tremendous effort to support and protect his family. Malak understands the struggles and challenges that immigrants face and recognizes how hard it is for immigrants to adjust themselves to and live in a new environment.
Malak is a recent Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) graduate with a B.S. in Psychology and Minor in Sociology. She served as a student leader and representative of the entire student body, for regional and international students, and strived to bridge between students and the university by participating in student organizations and campus committees. Through her own experience of being an immigrant, Malak cultivated a strong interest in advocating immigrants and refugees and fighting against social injustice.
While working at the Allen County Clerk’s Office, Malak continues to volunteer with Amani Family Services for advocating immigrants and refugees living in Fort Wayne and addressing what they need. In addition to overcoming language barriers in communication with those who do not speak English, Malak considers acknowledging different customs and cultures surrounding us is essential. She hopes that Fort Wayne continues to welcome immigrants and refugees, be open-minded to learn about differences, and appreciate cultural uniqueness.
Special thanks to Mieko Yamada, Ph.D., Professor and Program Coordinator, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Purdue University Fort Wayne, and her students for contributing their articles to Amani Family Services.
By Mieko Yamada and Adam Stucky, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Friends of the Third World (FOTW) received the 2021 Welcoming Organization Award for its long-term outstanding contribution of advocating and engaging immigrants and international community members in the greater Fort Wayne area. FOTW is a humanitarian organization which helps socially disadvantaged people gain employment and pursue economic stability by providing job training programs and referrals for necessities and employment. Underpinning Fort Wayne’s economy and enriching its cultural diversity, FOTW is an important asset to the city.
FOTW was originally founded in 1972 when a fundraising project was formed by a group of students and teachers who wished to help starving people. Today, FOTW has expanded its own venues to provide more effective services and training, organize fundraising projects, and participate in social and cultural events. In addition, FOTW runs a gift shop where visitors can purchase products from all over the world, including art made from recycled materials, rare instruments from indigenous cultures, chocolates, tea, and a wide range of coffee beans from various countries such as Yemen, Haiti, Honduras, and Ethiopia. All handmade crafts are imported directly from 80 partner groups in 35 countries. They are produced under fair-trade agreements that uphold standards for working conditions and fair wages for those that produce the products. Jim Goetsch, the founder of Friends of the Third World, keeps fighting against labor exploitation and strives to protect the rights of marginalized individuals and groups.
On a daily basis, Jim and his wife, Marian work with people from various cultural backgrounds. Their work stance is incredible. They do not mind spending time talking to people and learning about their cultures and lives. It is fascinating to see Jim and Marian working at the shop and effectively communicating with their clients and visitors. They are always willing to talk to anyone and learn their cultures.
Special thanks to Mieko Yamada, Ph.D., Professor and Program Coordinator, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Purdue University Fort Wayne, and her students for contributing their articles to Amani Family Services.
By Mieko Yamada, Purdue University Fort Wayne
The Fort Wayne Sport Club received the 2021 Welcoming Organization Award for its long-term outstanding contribution of embracing immigrants and the international community into the greater Fort Wayne area. The Sport Club is a family-oriented organization that welcomes all soccer players, their families, and friends from local and international communities. The Sport Club offers various programs for recreational and competitive players of all ages. It has certainly become a central place where people of all cultures share their passion for soccer and their love for their home countries.
The Fort Wayne Sport Club has a long rich history. The Sport Club was established in 1927 by a group of soccer players who had come to Fort Wayne from Germany. It aimed to develop the education of soccer as a sport culture and physical exercise, create a space for its members’ social recreation, and promote German culture. The Sport Club was not successful without struggles and challenges. One of the biggest challenges was the Club’s operation during World War II. It was suspended but resumed in 1947. The Sport Club created the women’s soccer team to play against a Schwaben women’s team from Chicago in 1969. Today, the Club membership represents over 30 countries from five different continents, and it does reflect Fort Wayne’s cultural diversity.
Dan Kruse, the president of the Fort Wayne Sport Club, is one of the key persons who can describe the Club’s roots, history, and progress. Dan’s commitment to the promotion of soccer education and culture is vital to the continuous growth of the Fort Wayne Sport Club.
Special thanks to Mieko Yamada, Ph.D., Professor and Program Coordinator, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Purdue University Fort Wayne, and her students for contributing their articles to Amani Family Services.
As we prepare for the Welcoming Fort Wayne Awards, we take a moment to reflect on the individuals previously recognized for their impact on our community. Registration is now open for the 2022 Welcoming Fort Wayne Awards. Click here To Register for the Free Event and submit nominations.
By Lisandro Quintana, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fey Fey Moussou, the recipient of the 2021 Lifetime Achievement award, was raised in the African countries of Bénin and Sénégal. As a young adult, he traveled to the United States to work as a summer camp instructor in New York and Massachusetts, working with African American kids hoping to reconnect with their lost African roots. Eventually, he moved to Washington D.C. where he met his wife of almost 30 years who is a Fort Wayne native. Once introducing him to Fort Wayne, Fey Fey instantly fell in love with Fort Wayne.
Upon moving to Fort Wayne in 1998, Fey Fey began attending local churches where he eventually found the St. Augustine Lutheran Church. In 2001, he helped organize the first African food festival which has grown to be a large food festival here in Fort Wayne often getting recognition by mayor Tom Henry, who is a frequent visitor of the festival. The festival has grown to represent over 19 different African countries.
Since 2001, Fey Fey has been working with Brightpoint where he has helped develop fatherhood programs where fathers are encouraged to be active in their children's lives. Fathers in these programs would take their children to school, pick them up from school, read to them, and do anything that would make them present in the child’s life regardless of the mother’s situation. Fey Fey observes serious issues facing Fort Wayne’s diverse immigrant population. He thinks that immigration laws are negatively impacting the process of embracing the community. Since immigrants are often scared of how they will be treated and received in the community, they tend to isolate themselves.
Fey Fey advises everyone to learn another language besides English. Fey Fey himself speaks multiple languages and suggests that our willingness to learn many languages and cultures can be helpful in communicating with people around the world.
Special thanks to Mieko Yamada, Ph.D., Professor and Program Coordinator, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Purdue University Fort Wayne, and her students for contributing their articles to Amani Family Services.
Help us support local families! We are in need of new, unused hygiene items to be given out during Welcome Fair, which will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Renaissance Point YMCA. Learn more about the event here.
Donation Drop-Off will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. September 6-8 at Amani Family Services, 5104 N Clinton St, Fort Wayne.
Items include (but are not limited to):
Shampoo/Conditioner
Feminine Hygiene Products
Toilet paper
Cleaning products
Questions? Call Natalie Borjas at 260-848-1414 ext. 538
Download Flyers:
Today, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced it has awarded $4,000 to Amani Family Services through the Arts Project Support grant program. The funding supports local artist Hilarie Couture's "Unity with Variety" portrait series.
This activity is made possible in part by the Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, and the Indiana Arts Commission, which receives support from the State of Indiana and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The IAC invested nearly $3 million around the state to strengthen communities through art and creativity. Read more about the announcement here.
For the past year, Hilarie has been on a journey to capture individuals of different cultures and nationalities living in Fort Wayne. In partnership with Amani Family Services, Hilarie will host a free Welcoming Week preview show for "Unity with Variety" at 5:30 p.m. September 12 at Wunderkammer Company with the official opening following in October. Register here.
Activities are made possible in part by Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. and the Indiana Arts Commission, which receives support from the State of Indiana and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Amani Family Services will be closed from Monday, July 4 to Friday, July 8.
Our staff will take the well-deserved time to rest, regroup and spend time with their loved ones. We are working with our clients to ensure their well-being during our closure. We will reopen our doors on Monday, July 11 refreshed and ready to serve our community.
If you have any questions regarding our closure next week, you are welcome to give us a call at 260-484-1414.
Courtesy of Angel Campos Photography
Amani Family Services celebrated World Refugee Day on Monday, June 20 at Foster Park. It was such a lovely time to engage with our community, and share Amani’s story.
Check out some of our media coverage:
Fox Fort Wayne 55: Fort Wayne celebrates World Refugee Day
Photo: Journal Gazette - World Refugee Day
Blog: Emerald Threads of Compassion - World Refugee Day, Amani, and Climate Change
"Amani" : peace (Kiswahili), aspirations or wishes (Arabic)
Amani Family Services is a 501(c)(3) organization. Services funded by Amani are provided to all persons without regard to age, gender, race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigration status, or any other barriers to participation.
Founded in 2006 | 2022 Annual Report | 2020 Form 990