“Welcoming begins as an attitude and an intention to invite newcomers into new communities, but it takes sustainable collective effort to ensure that such attitudes and intentions develop into actions, policies, and networks that make welcoming possible at the community level.” – Ewelina Connolly, Chief Executive Office, Amani Family Services
Welcoming Week Fort Wayne is a multi-event, multicultural celebration that spans multiple days this September—thanks to Amani Family Services, dedicated volunteers, and community-conscious partners. And it’s all about building connections: Connections between neighbors. Connections between people and resources. And connections between newcomers and welcomers.
Welcoming Week helps those who are new to our city feel a sense of belonging through various planned events and activities hosted by advocating organizations, like the Allen County Public Library, The Community Foundation, Cinema Center, and the Center for Nonviolence. You’ll find everything from awards ceremonies and entertainment, to educational and legal resources. Events take place all over the city, but most will be in or near Downtown Fort Wayne—making them easy-to-access for most people.
To learn more about what to expect at this year’s celebration, we visited with Rui Gui from Amani to get the scoop.
Molly: For those who might not be familiar with Welcoming Week, can you talk about the national movement and how it got started here in Fort Wayne?
Rui: Welcoming Week is an annual campaign that celebrates the work people are doing to make their communities more welcoming places for all, including immigrants. It initially started as “National Welcoming Week” by Welcoming America in 2012, and was only celebrated in the United States. Today it’s a global movement because of an extensive network of organizations, local governments, and other institutions that comprise The Welcoming Network and the Welcoming International Alliance.
In 2024, over 2,000 Welcoming Week events were hosted globally, across eight different countries and 49 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C. You can find more details about the history and impact of the national and international movements at welcomingweek.org/history_and_impact.
The Welcoming Fort Wayne initiative began out of the efforts of a grassroots group of volunteers and the support of Associated Churches. They hosted the first version of Welcoming Week centered around the Diversity Awards, which we now call the Welcoming Fort Wayne Awards. Amani’s board of directors officially adopted Welcoming Fort Wayne as one of its strategic initiatives in April 2021 after being approached by Associated Churches. We hosted our first full Welcoming Week in 2022 and have been growing our partnerships and events ever since.
Molly: That’s amazing! I understand that Welcoming Week will have all kinds of multicultural events in and around Downtown Fort Wayne. Can you talk about some of the event highlights? What can people expect at this year’s Welcoming Week?
Rui: We’re excited to host our kick-off event on Saturday, September 13 in Downtown Fort Wayne called Culture Fest: A Gathering of Neighbors. It’s a free multicultural festival celebrating and connecting Allen County’s diverse communities. We’ll have live music and dance, artisan and entrepreneur markets, a resource fair, food trucks, and children’s activities. You can find us at the corner of Clay and Berry Street, near Foellinger Foundation and Cinema Center, who are both co-hosting the event along with Heartland Sings and Amani.
On Wednesday, September 17 we have a whopping three-event schedule in Downtown Fort Wayne. Our partner Allen County Public Library is hosting two of the events at the Main Branch library.
Bridging Differences is a special workshop that will teach attendees how to be welcoming through conversation. This is part of the One County, One Book initiative, and will take place in the Main Branch meeting rooms.
Welcome to ACPL is an opportunity to discover the Allen County Public Library’s Main Branch through a special guided tour that will highlight its, cutting-edge technology, welcoming community spaces, and world-class Genealogy Center, which serves as a gateway to uncovering family stories and local history. It will be led by a Spanish/English bilingual staff member. Interpretation is available in other languages upon request.
The third event will help people seeking legal advice. The Immigration Network (which consists of Amani Family Services, Catholic Charities, International House, and the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation) is hosting Ask An Attorney—a free event featuring 15-minute legal consultations and community resources—as part of Amani’s NALA program and Northeast Indiana’s Volunteer Lawyer Program. Registration is encouraged, and interpretation will be available upon request.
The other events during Welcoming Week may not be in Downtown Fort Wayne proper, but are in close driving distance. On Thursday, September 18, the Center For Nonviolence will host Together Con Mi Familia, a free evening for Spanish-speaking families to connect, reflect, and recharge. Registration is encouraged, walk-ins are welcome, and light refreshments will be provided. Only 1.6 miles or a 6-minute drive from Downtown Fort Wayne!
On Friday, September 19, you can attend the Welcoming Fort Wayne Awards at Purdue Fort Wayne’s International Ballroom. This special event celebrates exceptional emerging leaders, lifetime achievers, and organizations who help to make our community a more welcoming place. Light breakfast will be served, which is free with registration. Only 4 miles or a 10-minute drive from Downtown Fort Wayne!
Our final event for the week will leave us with tools to better our community. On Saturday, September 20, you can join Fuerza Unida, League of Women, Voters Fort Wayne, and MADVoters Indiana at Tall Rabbit Café + Community for a Welcoming Civics Lab. You’ll learn about civics literacy and how you can support your community. The presentation will be in English, but bilingual Spanish/English speakers will be available to offer support as needed. Only 1 mile or a 4-minute drive from Downtown Fort Wayne!
Molly: Wow! So many excellent events! As one of the organizers, why is having a week-long cultural celebration, like Welcoming Week, important for our community?
Rui: Welcoming Week is an opportunity to share our stories—the experiences, cultures, and perspectives that make us who we are—and use them to find common ground with our neighbors. It’s a time for us to come together and build the community we want to see!
Molly: Where can people find more information about Welcoming Week and all the event happenings?
Rui: A full list of events and registration details can be found on our website at amanifamilyservices.org.
You can also follow Amani and Welcoming Fort Wayne on social media for updates:
- Amani: facebook.com/amanifamilyservices and @amanifamilyservices on Instagram
- Welcoming Fort Wayne: facebook.com/WelcomingFortWayne
Molly: Is there anything else you want folks to know about Amani or Welcoming Week?
Rui: Welcoming Week is a great way to connect with our communities and celebrate welcoming, but we can be “Welcomers” all year long! Explore our Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan and learn how you can make a difference at amanifamilyservices.org/welcomingfw
About Amani Family Services
Amani is the only local organization entirely devoted to promoting the wellbeing of non-English speaking families through community-based counseling and casework, with the purpose of facilitating the healing of immigrants and refugees who have experienced maltreatment and violence and preventing incidents of family violence. Amani has cared for families since 2006, serving over 2000 individuals and families each year.
Amani is also home to the Naturalization and Legal Assistance (NALA) program, and the Welcoming Fort Wayne initiative, expanding its efforts to foster inclusion, belonging, and civic engagement among immigrant and refugee communities.
Downtown Fort Wayne is a proud community partner of Welcoming Fort Wayne.
A Glimpse at past welcoming weeks
About the writer
Molly Conner is a Fort Wayne native, freelance writer, and digital marketer. Having lived in Downtown Fort Wayne throughout her twenties, she loves watching her stomping grounds grow. Passionate about storytelling and community, she’s eager to tell Downtown Fort Wayne’s story piece-by-piece—exploring the people and places that make it unique.
Have a story to share? Shoot her an email!