Certified Welcoming Blog

Q&A with Mayor Jim Donchess of Nashua, NH

In October 2022, the City of Nashua, New Hampshire became the first city in the state and among the first in the region to become Certified Welcoming. In this Q&A interview, Mayor Jim Donchess shared a look back at the journey and vision for Nashua as a welcoming city. The City of Nashua was audited…

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How becoming Certified Welcoming supports continuity in local programs in Dayton

Author: Maya Smith-Custer A common concern for local government welcoming programs is change, particularly staff change or organizational restructuring. While the goal is to institutionalize welcoming and immigrant inclusion work throughout local government, the work often relies on a few select staff within the local government to be the conveners and champions. As such, a…

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City of Pittsburgh is now Certified Welcoming

Written by Feyisola Akintola, Special Initiatives Manager, Office of Equity, City of Pittsburgh Editor’s note: On September 17, 2021, the City of Pittsburgh, PA became the twelfth place to become Certified Welcoming, and the third in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Read more about what the process was like. Pittsburgh has always been a commercial hub…

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City of Erie is Now Certified Welcoming

(Photo above: Hailing from 22 countries, 52 new U.S. citizens are shown, Feb. 28, 2020, following a morning citizenship and naturalization ceremony at U.S. District Court in Erie. Credit: CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS) Written By Niken Astari Carpenter, New American Liaison, City of Erie Editor’s note: On November 18, 2020, the City of Erie, PA became…

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Leaning on Certified Welcoming values through the pandemic in Lucas County

Written by Mely Arribas-Douglas, Welcome TLC Librarian, Toledo Lucas County Public Library (Ohio) As part of our milestone in reaching 10 Certified Welcoming places this year, we hear from some of these places to see how becoming Certified Welcoming helped in the response to COVID-19, building resilience, and racial equity. In this blog, we hear…

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Louisville Protests

Toward healing and uniting in Louisville

Editor’s note: On March 13, Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker in Louisville, KY, was shot in her home by police officers who entered her apartment as part of a drug investigation. Her murder, along with those of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, sparked nationwide protests against police violence and racial discrimination. Welcoming…

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How being Certified Welcoming builds resilience, inclusion in Dallas

Written by: Liz Cedillo-Pereira; Chief of Equity and Inclusion, Office of the City Manager, City of Dallas, TX & Vanna Slaughter; Senior Program Manager (retired), Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs, City of Dallas, TX As part of our milestone in reaching 10 Certified Welcoming places this year, we hear from some of these…

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