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Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for New Americans, Immigrants, and Refugees in West Michigan.
WELCOME PLAN UPDATES
Welcome Plan Community Highlight
Fridah Kanini is known for her resilience, continuous dedication, hard work and genuine love for her community. As CEO of A Glimpse of Africa (AGOA), she serves and advocates for African immigrants and refugees in the Grand Rapids area and other parts of Michigan who are underserved.
The WMWPC is asking you to nominate local leaders to highlight their work with our Refugee/Immigrant/New American population.
Check out our previous highlights here! Fill out this form to enter your nominee's information
Welcome Plan Nonprofit Workshop Series
Saturday March 9th, 10:30am - 2:00pm
Goei Center 818 Butterworth St SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
If you're a Refugee, Immigrant, or New American that runs or works with a nonprofit organization, come join our next grant writing workshop! We will continue our education series with an advanced presentation on important grant budgeting practices.
Register Here
If you are thinking of starting a nonprofit please check out our Basics of Starting a Nonprofit Workshop Video!
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Special thanks to Haitham Atiyah (American Arab Intellectual Property Association) for inviting us to the Second Annual Inventors Challange held at the GRPM this past Saturday, my kids had a blast and are inspired to invent their own projects.
The Garden City, Kansas movie screening organized by Fridah Kanini (A Glimpse of Africa) was an eye-opening experience that exposes the evils of racism and shares the persistent hope of a better life for newcomers in America.
Community Engagement
Adwa Event
1:00pm Saturday March 2nd 2024 - Frontline Community Church, 4411 Plainfield Ave NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 - Ethiopian Lunch Provided!
Learn and celebrate the 128th Anniversary of the Battle of Adwa. It was this victory that secured Ethiopian independence making it the only country in Africa never to be colonized. more information here. If you have questions, please contact ecofm.info@gmail.com
FEMA Youth Preparedness Council
Applications close on March 4th
FEMA is recruiting students grade 8 to 11 for the Youth Preparedness Council. If you know of anyone who might be interested, either young persons or organizations serving them, please encourage them to apply, it would be great to have refugee/immigrant youth represent Michigan in the council.
English Info Spanish Info
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Building Leaders Building Communities (BLBC)
March 20 - May 29, Dwelling Place Community Building & Engagement Department Offices
106 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
A group of change makers who come together for a 10-week, hands-on, dinner workshop series where you will connect with neighbors to strengthen and grow your community together.
- Exciting interactive experiences led by experts in their field.
- Hands-on discussions with guest speakers.
- Utilizing a national leadership curriculum designed to engage, energize, and activate communities.
- A place to learn and acquire the tools to solve problems with the intention of creating long lasting change.
- Connect with elected officials and local community leadership opportunities.
- Workshops offered in both English and Spanish.
More Information Here
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Become a Cross Cultural Partner
Treetops Collective
Create a friendship with a New American woman or teen girl with this 9-12 month program. Practice English to neighborhood walks, Cross-Cultural partners simply do life together.
Create a profile & signup for an info session/training here
or email volunteer@treetopscollective.org
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Circles of Support Training
Treetops Collective
Circles of Support (COS) are peer-support groups led by New Americans, ensuring that all communities receive mental health access and education by facilitators with shared language and culture. Click on the image for more information. Initial results of this program here.
If you interested in joining a comprehensive 5 session training fill out this form.
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Funding Opportunities
Build Readiness for a New Minority-Owned Food and Agriculture Business Grant Program
Applications are due to MDARD by 3 p.m. on April 18, 2024
the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is issuing a request for proposals (RFP) from minority-owned food and agriculture businesses and supportive organizations looking to increase capacity initiatives. In this phase one RFP, businesses should be looking to increase capacity initiatives in business plan development, grant management training, partnership development, and financial investment planning. More Information Here
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Ready by Five Funding
The Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds various types of programs that serve expecting parents and children through the age of five who live in Kent County. This funding is administered by First Steps Kent.
Agencies apply through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process that occurs annually. If your organization would like to learn more about the requirements related to Ready by Five Millage funding and the process to apply for funds, we would like to hear from you! The next RFP will be released on April 18, 2024. Once the RFP is released, our team will only respond to questions submitted in writing and are required to post all responses online.
For this reason, we recommend that you reach out to Heather Boswell at hboswell@firststepskent.org before April 1, 2024, to schedule a time.
Learn more here!
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Education Resources
Crisis Response Training City of Holland
Thursday, February 29 from 3-5 pm or Thursday, March 14 from 3-5 pm. Holland City Hall
Professionals and volunteers who work in public service are invited to attend a training on the City of Holland’s Crisis Response Plan. Registration is at Eventbrite.
The City’s Crisis Response Plan (CRP) is a community strategy to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and restore community balance should the community be faced with a hate crime, racial or bias incident, or perception of racial or bias incident.
The training will also focus on immigration law and understanding victim trauma.
Presenters include representatives from the Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office, Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates, the Flourishing Collective, and City of Holland Public Safety.
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Zeeland Adult Education
LEARN MORE, EARN MORE with a high school equivalency diploma and career training All students are eligible for these free services provided by Zeeland Adult Education in partnership with Thompson M-TEC
CLASSES OFFERED •English as a Second Language (ESL) •Adult Basic Education (ABE) •General Educational Development (GED) •High School Completion (HSC) AND MORE!!!! Click on the Image for a full list of courses
The LTW Program is an open entry program and offers weekly orientations. You must schedule an in-person orientation before you can attend class. Please call Brenda at (616) 494-8803 to register for the next available orientation.
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Refugee Mental Health Series
Kent County Community Health Improvement Plan
Wednesdays / February 21st - March 20th
8:30am - 10:30am / 700 Fuller NE, Grand Rapids MI
Every month in Grand Rapids, people who are refugees are arriving after fleeing horrendous conditions in their homelands caused by war and civil unrest. Many arrive with mental health challenges, such as PTSD.
This 5 part educational series will provide useful information for both clinicians and non-clinicians who are working with refugees community members.
for more information and to register click here
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Great Decisions Programs
Free Event - Every Tuesday in February and March
Public Program: 6 pm - 7:15 pm
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids MI 49504
Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program provides background information and policy options for the most critical issues facing America each year and serves as the starting place for dialogue and discussion within the community. The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) each year selects eight topics. Our Council develops a discussion series featuring those topics with complementary material provided by the FPA. It is our longest-running and largest community program on global issues.
View the February Schedule Here!
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Companionship Workshop
Mar 23, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Moran Park Church, 97 W 22nd St, Holland, MI 49423
Have you ever wondered how to sustainably support someone in distress without burning out?
Participants will learn:
- The five practices of Companionship
- Skills to listen consciously and with openness
- How to maintain an awareness of limits and boundaries
- Ways to ease the isolation these difficulties often bring
Register Here!
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Free English Class for Business Owners
Literacy Center of West Michigan
Dates to be determined with your feedback
English classes for Business Owners and Entrepreneurs whose English speaking skills are a barrier for them to starting or growing their business. We are having interested business owners complete the survey on the posters scannable link for their availability and the topics they would like to see in the next class.
Click Here to Complete the Survey
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Job Opportunities
Corrections Officer Jobs for Newcomers
Jackson County - 3855 Cooper Street Jackson, MI 49201 $20 - $31.00/hour
- 8-week training and can also be paired with/mentored by others on staff from immigrant and refugee backgrounds
- The facility offers three shifts for workers and employees would supervise offenders, help facilitate hospital visits, supervise food services, visits off-site etc.
- Potential employees need to be work-authorized (not necessarily citizens) and have sufficient proficiency in the reading, writing and speaking of English.
- By virtue of having support services located on the campus facility, employees are exposed to a diverse staff of doctors, medical professionals, etc. from around the world.
- Health and support services for employees that are available to assist with stress, acculturation support to the system, and more.
Apply Here
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Looking for a rewarding career? Consider Kent County!
Working for the County, you will have the opportunity to serve the public and contribute to your community. We have employment opportunities in general government, health, public safety, judicial, recreational, and much more. To view our open positions and apply, please visit accesskent.com/jobs.
Please share communications with Marcial Benavidez (marcial.benavidez@kentcountymi.gov) any communications that you would like to include on Tuesdays by 9am to be shared on the Weekly Wednesday Communication.
Want to Join the Collaborative?
Completion of this interest form will connect you with our coordinator to learn more about the Welcome Plan Collaborative and get connected to a workgoup.
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