Welcome Dayton will host Welcome Toledo/Lucas County

Dayton program to share immigrant friendly best practices

Release Date: July 17, 2014
Contact: Melissa Bertolo, Welcome Dayton Program Coordinator, 333-1422

Welcome Dayton will host representatives from Toledo and Lucas County this Friday to share best practices of Welcome Dayton, the City of Dayton’s immigrant friendly city initiative. The visit to Dayton is an opportunity for the developing Welcome Toledo/Lucas County initiative to learn from Welcome Dayton’s successful immigrant-friendly initiative as well as to assess how the group may adopt some of Dayton’s best practices for Lucas County. “

I am excited that other cities and towns are working to become immigrant friendly.  Not only do immigrants add to the vibrancy of a city, they also contribute to the economic stability,” said Melissa Bertolo, Program Coordinator.

The Welcome Toledo/Lucas County committee will spend the day touring Dayton and observing the programs and people behind the Welcome Dayton effort.

In the past year, Welcome Toledo / Lucas County formed a Core Committee to structure and advance the initiative and established the following key objectives: host extensive community conversations; develop and support economic development that empowers and provides opportunities for immigrants; develop a local system of supporting organizations; promote neighborhood redevelopment opportunities for all; and connect immigrants and refugees to services.

The Welcome Dayton Committee, a group of public and private sector community partners, was formed in 2013 to help expand immigrant friendly efforts across the region.  Since its founding, the City of Dayton and Welcome Dayton have drawn national attention and become a national model for immigrant integration.