2013 Welcoming Institute: Leaders Building Community Support for Refugees

23 participants from diverse backgrounds and geographic locations joined Welcoming America for its first Welcoming Institute: Leaders Building Community Support for Refugees training in Chicago, Illinois.  Participants spent a day participating in interactive trainings around creating welcoming communities through contact building, engaging leadership, and communications strategies.        

23 participants from diverse backgrounds and geographic locations joined Welcoming America for its first Welcoming Institute: Leaders Building Community Support for Refugees training in Chicago, Illinois.  Participants spent a day participating in interactive trainings around creating welcoming communities through contact building, engaging leadership, and communications strategies.  Participants created action plans to bring these strategies back to their communities and will continue to participate in a quarterly learning circle through the next year.  Application materials for the 2014 Welcoming Institute will be available in the summer of 2014.   

2013 Welcoming Institute Participants

Darci Ashe, Lutheran Social Services

Allison Bell, World Relief DuPage/Aurora

Luanne Bole-Becker, Refugee Services Collaborative of Greater Cleveland

Kellye Branson, Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc

Matt Chaterdon, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Paul Costigan, International Institute of St. Louis

Rana Elamin, International Rescue Committee

Kate Foster, World Relief

Donna Goll, Partners for Refugee Empowerment

Linda Haus, Family Support Division, Community Support Unit

Boo Htoo, International Rescue Committee

Leslie Kaplan, University of North Florida

Nadia Kasvin, US Together

Nancy Koons, Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle

Sharon Letson, Lansing Community College

Amy Marchildon, Lutheran Social Services of New England

Laetitia Mizero, Lutheran Social Services

Tara Nepal, International Rescue Committee

Shana Pughe, Compass Interpreters

Deborah Rakowski, State of Wisconsin

Luis Roman, ICIRR/Lambda Legal

Amira Salama, Coptic Orthodox Charities

Anne Marie Vaughn, Kentucky Refugee Ministries