Join us in welcoming our new Welcoming Coordinator, Eric Garcia-Mendez!
Hi, my name is Eric Garcia-Mendez! I am excited to begin working at Nebraska
Appleseed as the new Welcoming Coordinator. After four years in the non-profit sector working on welcoming and belonging in Grand Island, I will now be using my experience to connect and elevate the welcoming and belonging work across the state. Growing up in rural Nebraska in an immigrant family, I lived in a very culturally rich and diverse community that has shaped my understanding of belonging. I am very fortunate to have been able to attain a public school education and later a bachelor of science in Environmental Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I have worked professionally as a Conversation Director with Conservation Nebraska and as a Director of Community Connections at the Heartland United Way in Grand Island.
As I begin working at Nebraska Appleseed I will be traveling to visit community partners, local leaders and welcoming communities all across the state. If you have any local restaurant food recommendations or would like to tell me what’s really special about your community, I would like to meet with you!
In the meantime I want to let you know about some upcoming learning opportunities for you! Check them out:
Race Forward, November 20-22 in Saint Louis, MO: This is the nation’s largest multiracial, intergenerational racial justice conference and is a vital intersection where community organizers, activists, and movement makers converge to build power and strategies to advance racial justice. Attendees have unprecedented access to resources, information, and collaborative opportunities geared towards advancing racial equity for all.
National Immigrant Inclusion Conference, December 8-10 in Houston, TX. The National Immigrant Inclusion Conference (NIIC) is the nation’s largest gathering of the entire sector working on behalf of our country’s immigrants and refugees. The conference is an inspiring, intersectional and collegial space that showcases the expertise and innovation of a wide range of leaders, organizations, and networks all working on behalf of America’s immigrants and refugees and towards a shared vision of a welcoming, inclusive and equitable democracy.
Panhandle Welcoming Communities Conference, June 20 9:00-4:00 (MT), Gering Civic Center, 1050 M Street, Gering, NE. This conference, hosted by Empowering Families, focuses on providing professionals and community leaders a forum for awareness, dialogue, and skill-building to create welcoming and inclusive environments. National and statewide experts will discuss topics including arts & public health, healthcare disparities, cross cultural communication, Latinx/Hispanic identity in the Midwest, and overcoming community divisions through mindful response.