The national nonprofit, Welcoming America, recently renewed Dayton, Ohio as a welcoming city in recognition of its work in support of immigrants and refugees.
The “Certified Welcoming” status is given to cities and counties that have created policies and programs in support of immigrant inclusion.
Some of the city’s programs created through its Welcome Dayton initiative, launched in 2011, include its language access policy. It provides translation services for non-english speakers to pay their water bill or talk to a police officer. Additionally, the city partners with public schools to provide English as a second language classes and collaborates with the Hall Hunger Initiative to launch the Miami Valley Community ID program. This ID is recognized by local city agencies like the Dayton Police Department and the Dayton Metro Library for undocumented immigrants or refugees.
Jeannette Horwitz, the Welcome Dayton Coordinator, said the city initiative serves to give immigrants the tools to navigate community resources.
“What we often talk about is making sure that immigrants and refugees have a voice in decision making and in their communities,” Horwitz said. “Because then they learn more about what goes on within the city and then they can take that back to their communities and share that and kind of be a bridge.”
According to a report from New American Economy, between 2014 and 2019, the immigrant population in Montgomery County increased by 21%.
“It is commendable that Dayton has been recertified as a ‘Certified Welcoming’ city,” Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims expressed. “This marks a significant milestone in our efforts to create a more welcoming community in Dayton. Our city is a great place to work, play, and raise a family, and we are committed to maintaining this welcoming environment.”
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
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