We Belong Here: An initiative for immigrant and community engagement
Created by the initiative We Belong Here, this toolkit is designed for libraries and other organizations to create more welcoming and supportive environments for immigrants in their communities through four key areas: positioning, messaging, strategies and tactics, and communications. We Belong Here is an initiative founded by the Hartford Public Library, a Welcoming Network member…
Read MoreHarnessing Volunteer Energy to Support and Welcome Refugees in your Community: Five Tips for Success
Learn some of the best practices in engaging, supporting, and managing volunteers to help welcome refugees in your community. Tips around volunteer outreach, designing options for volunteer engagement, volunteer onboarding, and keeping volunteers energized are included. This toolkit also shares field spotlights from a number of refugee-serving organizations that are successfully utilizing volunteers in new…
Read MoreWelcoming Economies Playbook: Strategies for Building an Inclusive Local Community
Many communities recognize that refugee and other immigrant residents, in addition to being valued neighbors and civic leaders, represent economic growth as new homeowners, taxpayers, business owners, workers, and consumers. At the same time, like many other residents, new Americans can encounter challenges along the way that prevent them from using these talents. The Welcoming…
Read MoreCitizenship Strategies to Create Welcoming Communities
This toolkit was developed by Welcoming America and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the lead organization of the New Americans Campaign, to provide promising practices and suggestions to engage receiving communities at the intersection of citizenship and welcoming work.
Read MoreBuilding Welcoming Schools: A Guide for K-12 Educators and After-School Providers
Arriving in a new country can be an overwhelming experience for refugees. One of the first places that refugee and immigrant families have the opportunity connect with others is in schools. Ensuring refugee and immigrant students and their families feel welcome and accepted in their school environments is not only foundational for their academic success,…
Read MoreNeighbors Together
This toolkit provides promising practices to counter anti-refugee and anti-Muslim backlash and work towards a positive vision for our communities. These promising practices demonstrate how: building meaningful contact between diverse populations; positive communications strategies; and engaging civic and community leaders can help create a climate in which all people can thrive. The stories in this…
Read MoreSeeds of Growth
Is your community harnessing the potential of immigrant entrepreneurs to spur economic growth and job creation? This tool will introduce you to practical ways to leverage the opportunities that exist when you include immigrant entrepreneurs in local economic development strategies and programs.
Read MoreStand Together
This guide was created for advocates, service providers, and supporters as a tool to address the backlash toward refugees and Muslim Americans, and to help you proactively engage with community leaders and neighbors. Through the messages, sample conversations, story ideas, and worksheets in this toolkit, we will help you develop straightforward yet persuasive language to use in the spoken or written…
Read MorePursuing Health Equity through Welcoming Work
In 2016, Welcoming America hosted its inaugural Welcoming Interactive annual conference that included a panel discussion on “Integrating a Health Equity Framework into Welcoming Work”. It focused on how states and communities could bridge the gap between health equity work and immigrant inclusion. This paper expands on key points addressed during this session, exploring themes…
Read MoreReframing Refugees: Messaging Toolkit
Developed in partnership with the Lightbox Collective, this toolkit is intended as a communications resource for individuals working in organizations that serve refugees and the broader community. It provides tips and recommendations on ways to deliver strong messages that encourage leaders to act in support of refugees in their communities. This toolkit was developed under…
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