Lisa Guill, Welcoming Communities Coordinator at Cultural Centers of Lincoln was our speaker at Lincoln South Rotary Club on March 10. She updated us on Lincoln's Immigrant Welcoming Plan.
Lisa discussed the development of Lincoln's Immigrant Welcoming Plan. The plan was a collaboration of the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County as well as private involvement and data driven information.
Most of us know that Lincoln is a hub for immigrants. Current statistics:
- Over 30,000 immigrants live in Lincoln
- From roughly 150 different countries
- LPS reports 129 languages spoken
Many of the current immigrant population have been here for over 5 years. Some moved here because of the University, others to join family, and others have just heard that this is a great place to settle.
Lisa stated that being called a welcoming community comes from our reputation - word of mouth. But, there are some efforts to become certified through Welcoming America - a nonprofit leading a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by ensuring everyone belongs, including immigrants.
To be a welcoming community it means more than just being friendly. Policies need to be inclusive. There need to be intentional efforts made to build unity without uniformity.
We need to provide resources, make sure that they can access those resources, and that they have everything they need to become self-sufficient and to thrive. As an immigrant they need to know about banking, school, daycare, how to get health care. There are currently some barriers such as how quickly they can get a drivers license so they may need help with transportation. There are some cultural differences that we can help them understand and make sure they have knowledge of laws.
Lisa shared that these new Americans are contributing to the local economy:
- Earned $605.1 million in working wages
- Paid $89.2 million in federal taxes
- Paid $60.1 million in state & local taxes
- $455.7 million left in local spending power
Lisa talked about the development of the New Americans Task Force (NATF) founded. There are about 70 members including city, county, and nonprofit partners working with new Americans. Some of the organizations and individuals involved are police, housing and schools.
She talked about the various cultural centers in Lincoln that are providing many services. And, that those centers employ numerous refugees. As a group, those center provide a strong voice - a respected voice - for helping new Americans.
The development of the plan started in 2020. It is not a fast process - but one that will have a long-lasting impact. They are taking time to ensure that the right people are at the table. The local steering team has over 120 individual contributors representing more than 80 local entities.
There were 6 key areas identified:
- Equitable Access
- Civic Engagement & Community Connections
- Education
- Economic Opportunity
- Safe & Healthy Communities
- Affordable & Quality Housing
Now they are working on getting those working committees together - chairs and co-chairs - and each has to identify action items within their area.
With this type of work, Lisa mentioned that the conversations are deep and meaningful and often bring up new ideas and issues as they are discussing. They are planning some activities for Welcoming Week (scheduled by Welcoming America) September 8-17, 2023 including a citizenship ceremony.
They are dedicated to provide useful resources. They do not want to just point someone to a website and leave them on their own. They have a goal of helping the immigrants make connections and build relationships.
Some useful links:
Welcoming & Belonging Strategic Plan - click here
New Americans Task Force - click here
Welcoming America - click here
Contact Lisa Guill - lisa.guill@malonecenter.org