News Updates
+ Join us as a volunteer with the Office for Immigrant Affairs!
 Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting our events and programs. You’ll have the opportunity to:
Connect with Organizations and Businesses: Support partnerships across Louisville that uplift immigrants and refugees, and help strengthen our city’s diverse landscape.
Meet People from Around the Globe: Be a welcoming face and a bridge for our international neighbors as they integrate and thrive within our vibrant city.
Learn & Support: Gain hands-on experience working with organizations dedicated to empowering immigrants and helping them succeed.
+ Apply for the Louisville Metro FY26 External Agency Funds
The FY 26 External Agency Fund Grant Application window is now open, and closes March 3, 2025.
EAF grants provide critical funding to nonprofits serving Louisville’s diverse community needs. Once applications are submitted, they enter a competitive process and are scored by a panel based on impact and measurable outcomes.
Successful applicants’ proposals will be recommended for funding in the mayor’s next budget proposal to Metro Council.
Each of the following Louisville Metro agencies will administer the EAF Funds:
Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods: Youth Engagement Services Funding
Office of Resilience and Community Services: Community Services Funding
Office of Arts + Creative Industries: Arts, Heritage, and Creative Industry Funding
A link to each agency’s application may be found at:
Louisville Metro Government External Agency Fund
+ Sign up for tips about Grant Writing
Louisville Metro is hosting Webex grantwriting trainings next Tuesday and Thursday for nonprofit organizations and other community organizations. The content is not specific to EAF grants, so organizations of all types are welcome to attend. The content will be the same for both sessions.
These will cover best practices in grant writing, plain writing guidelines, and artificial intelligence (AI) for grants:
- Grant Writing Tips sessions are scheduled from 12-1 p.m. on Tuesday February 4 and Thursday, February 6
+ JCPS wants to hear from YOU as the district searches for the next superintendent
 The Jefferson County Board of Education wants to hear from the public as they search for the next superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). With Dr. Marty Pollio retiring this summer, the board has begun the process of hiring his successor. To assist in this effort, board members are inviting the public to complete a survey that asks about the qualities and priorities they’d like to see from the next leader of JCPS.
Whether you’re a parent, student, staff member, community leader, or simply someone who cares about the future of JCPS and Louisville, your input is invaluable! Take a few moments to fill out the survey and share your thoughts.
Board Chair Dr. Corrie Shull says the hope is to have a new superintendent hired and on the job in Louisville by July 1, the official date of Pollio’s retirement.
Click on the link below to find links to surveys in the following languages: English, Spanish, Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Somali, Arabic, and Nepali.
+ Don't settle for the cold if you are a tenant
 If you are a tenant, you have the right to a habitable living environment, which includes adequate heating.
The Property Maintenance Code requires all rental properties to be heated from October 1 to May 1 each year. If your heater is broken and your landlord is unresponsive, contact us immediately.
Contact number: 502-574-2508
+ News You Can Use
Make a House a Home – Donate Today!
 Many families served by Catholic Charities are starting over. Something as simple as a couch or a dining table can make all the difference.
If you have gently used couches, dining room table, and chairs, please reach out today. Your donation isn’t just furniture, it is a new beginning!
Call to schedule pick up or delivery: 502-636-9263, ext. 286
+ Opportunities for High School Students
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The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) is accepting submissions for their annual National High School Essay Contest.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, this year’s essay prompt is on the role of the U.S. Foreign Service in shaping that era and how those strategies continue to influence U.S. diplomacy today.
Applications are due by Saturday, March 1. Click here to apply.
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Kentucky State University will be holding its STEM Summer Camp where students will have the opportunity to take up to two college classes. The camp is fully funded, covering tuition, food, and accommodations.
They are actively seeking to recruit Latinx, immigrant, and refugee students. To support this effort, they are preparing EL classes and developing a curriculum tailored to help EL students thrive in STEM fields. Learn more by clicking this link.
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+ Get involved at the Leadership Louisville Center
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The Leadership Louisville Center has scholarship opportunities to support people interested in upcoming Focus Louisville classes held June 12-14 and September 18-20.
Learn more details about the classes and tuition support by visiting their website. You can also find more information for longer community leadership programs such as Ignite and Leadership Louisville.
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Upcoming Events and Things to Know
+ Language Cafe sessions are underway
Our Language Cafes aim to foster cross-cultural connections and language learning within Louisville’s diverse communities. These cafes will serve as vibrant hubs where people of various backgrounds can come together, share snacks, coffee, and conversations, and learn new languages.
The sessions will be in collaboration with Actors Theater and embed themes around the upcoming performances from culture and identity to celebrations and sports!
Language Cafe is free to attend, and we invite the community to come and experience or return to one or all of the sessions which will be held every Thursday until April 17, 2025. Languages included beginner Spanish, Beginner French, Vietnamese, and Swahili.
Please register using the QR code or contact monica.lakhwani@louisvilleky.gov.
+ Music for a Purpose: Benefit Concerts supporting Kentucky Refugee Ministries!
 Music has the power to inspire, uplift, and create change. As part of its ongoing benefit series, Music for a Purpose is hosting two special concerts featuring the Schuman Piano Quintet Op. 44 to promote awareness and raise funds in support of critical humanitarian causes across Louisville.
- Saturday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Highland Presbyterian Church
- Sunday, February 2 at 3 p.m. in the Cralle Theater at Bellarmine University's Wyatt Center for the Arts
These concerts are free to attend with a suggested donation of $25 to $50 to support KRM’s mission. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy world-class music while making a meaningful impact.
Celebrate the Year of the Snake at the Lunar New Year Dinner & Auction this weekend!
 Asia Institute-Crane House invites the community to its biggest fundraising event of the year, the Lunar New Year Dinner & Auction! During this highly anticipated celebration, guests will enjoy a multi-course dinner prepared by renowned guest chefs from Louisville, featuring elevated modern Asian Flavors.
The night will also include a silent live auction, live entertainment, and traditional tea tasting, making it a truly unforgettable experience.
When: Saturday, February 1 at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Speed Art Museum, 2035 S. 3rd Street
+ Celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Snake🐍 at Americana!
 Welcome the Lunar New Year at the Americana Community Center! Enjoy live music, lantern-making stations, and a delicious array of cuisine from local Asian vendors.
When: Saturday, February 8 at 7 p.m.
Where: Americana Community Center, 4801 Southside Drive, Louisville
Don’t miss this vibrant celebration of culture and community!
+ International Mother Language Day is three weeks away!
 Join us next month to celebrate language, culture, and connection. International Mother Language Day is an occasion to honor the richness of languages and the power they have to connect and inspire. Enjoy poetry, fellowship, and light refreshments as we celebrate the linguistic vibrancy of our community.
When: Thursday, February 20 from 4-6 p.m.
Where: The University Club, 200 East Brandeis Avenue
Rouler: A Mardi Gras Celebration for a Great Cause!
 Catholic Charities of Louisville will host Rouler, a lively Mardi Gras fundraiser. The evening will feature Dawn Gee as Master of Ceremonies, bringing energy and excitement to a night filled with music, delicious New Orleans Buffet, Silent Auction and more.
When: Tuesday, March 4 from 5:30-9 p.m.
Where: Mellwood Art Center, 1860 Mellwood Avenue
Don’t miss this unforgettable event. Tickets on sale now!
+ Explore Your Future with Louisville Metro Government!
 Louisville Metro Government invites job seekers to an exciting career event on Tuesday, March 18, at Louisville Slugger Field (501 East Main Street) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This is an opportunity to discover endless career paths, competitive benefits, and a workplace where growth and change are encourages. Don’t miss this chance to learn how a career in public service can make a difference.
Image of the Week
 At the recent Round Table Conversation hosted by KentuckianaWorks and the Office for Immigrant Affairs, employers, employees, and organizations serving the immigrant and refugee community came together with a shared commitment to collaboration and progress.
Through open dialogue and a dynamic exchange of ideas, they strengthened partnerships and sparked innovative projects aimed at driving meaningful change. The discussions on employment provided valuable insights, setting the stage for deeper collaboration and joint initiatives that will expand opportunities and foster a more inclusive workforce.
This collective effort highlights the power of working together to ensure our community not only grows but thrives.
Policy Updates
+ Immigration Policy Tracker
The Immigration Policy Tracking project keeps up with federal agencies policy memos, executive action, and internal communication. Be sure to keep up with new communications here: Immigration Policy Tracking Project
+ Summary of Day 1 Executive Orders
The new presidential administration announced a slew of executive orders that will impact our immigration policies. See a summary of the day one actions here: American Immigration Council Summary
+ Sign up to receive emergency alerts in your language
Sign up to receive emergency alerts on your cell phone!
Text "LENSAlert" to 67283
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