FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A new survey focusing on community barriers to inclusion opened today to support future planning in partnership with Amani Family Services, Downtown Fort Wayne, and Greater Fort Wayne Inc. All three organizations began work on a year-long initiative called the Gateways for Growth (G4G) Challenge at the end of 2022 after Fort Wayne received funding and technical assistance to research both the barriers and opportunities for immigrants and refugees throughout the city. The data will aid core partners in composing a strategic community plan to address the concerns surrounding accessibility and equity.
“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 CEO of Amani Family Services Ewelina Connolly.
The community survey will supplement the findings from the G4G technical assistance team and ensure that all community members can voice their opinion. Inclusive methods such as focus groups and one-on-one interviews are planned for foreign-born individuals to ensure they are fairly represented.
“Advancing Downtown Fort Wayne as the vibrant, urban core of northeast Indiana is central to all of our efforts as an organization,” said President & CEO of Downtown Fort Wayne Michael Galbraith. “This project will help us plan for the next decade to welcome future businesses, residents, and customers of Downtown who will be far more diverse.”
The survey can be completed online through SurveyMonkey. Survey respondents must be 18 years or older. The community is also invited to attend a Call-To-Action Meeting regarding the G4G initiative on Monday, June 26, at 8:30 a.m. at Parkview Field in the Suite Level Lounge. Reserve a spot for the Call-To-Action Meeting through Eventbrite.
“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 Chief Economic Development Officer of Greater Fort Wayne Inc. Ellen Cutter. “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.”
The American Immigration Council and Welcoming America selected Fort Wayne as a recipient of the G4G Research, Technical Assistance, and Matching Grant award, along with nine other cities, as part of the fifth cohort of the initiative.
Downtown Fort Wayne and Greater Fort Wayne Inc. received a portion of funding for G4G from St. Joseph Community Health Foundation to offset the organizations’ matching efforts.
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 AmaniFamilyServices.org.
About Downtown Fort Wayne: Downtown Fort Wayne partners with various public, nonprofit, 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 GreaterFortWayneInc.com to learn more.
For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 15, 2023
Downtown Fort Wayne Contact: Preston Wallace, Director of Marketing, 260-203-1291, Preston@DowntownFortWayne.com
Amani Family Services Contact: Keiara Carr, Mission Advancement Specialist, 260-484-1414 x546, KCarr@AmaniFamilyServices.org