Announcing the Welcoming Cities and Counties Initiative

Re-posted from a Welcoming America announcement

welcom_cities_final-300x154Recognizing that immigrants help maximize opportunities for economic growth and civic vitality and position communities as globally competitive, 21st century leaders, 14 local governments have joined the Welcoming Cities and Counties Initiative with Welcoming America.The initiative signals the growing importance of an innovative and proactive role for local governments, and the growing recognition of immigrants as assets in any community.Participating cities and counties include:

  • Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (incl. Pittsburgh)
  • Austin, Texas
  • Baltimore, Maryland
  • Boise, Idaho
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • Dayton, Ohio
  • High Point, North Carolina
  • Lincoln, Nebraska
  • Macomb County, Michigan
  • Montgomery County, Maryland
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • St. Louis, Missouri (city)
  • St. Louis, Missouri (county)

 

Welcoming Cities and Counties recognize the benefit of supporting immigrant-friendly, welcoming environments in which all community members can fully contribute and participate.Welcoming America is convening members of Welcoming Cities and Counties to share promising practices with each other and help the nation learn from their local level innovations that support economic development and create vibrant global communities that are great places to live, work and do business.In addition this initiative is supported by a growing list of partner organizations, which include: City of ChicagoThe German Marshall Fund of the United StatesAS/COA, and Maytree’s Cities of Migration. Welcoming Cities and Counties has also been recognized as a 2013 Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action.

If you, your organization, or your city or county is interested in learning more or participating, please contact Susan Downs-Karkos, Director of Strategic Partnerships, at susan@welcomingamerica.org.

To learn more about the initiative, visit www.welcomingcities.org.  Read more research about the imperatives for this work in Communities and Banking magazine and the Welcoming Cities report.