LATEST NEWS

June 28, 2024 | Volume 2, Issue 6

Celebrating the Economic Impact of Immigrants

On Thursday, June 27, Amani Family Services had the pleasure of joining Greater Fort Wayne Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for their Fourth Thursday (Cuarto Jueves) Networking Meeting, where Amani CEO Ewelina Connolly was invited to give a keynote address. The event, which took place at Parkview Mirro Center, brought together entrepreneurs and other professionals from across Greater Fort Wayne for an evening of resource sharing and networking.

In her presentation, Connolly shared vital economic and workforce development statistics gathered from the two data reports deployed by Welcoming Fort Wayne through the Gateways for Growth Challenge in 2023, as well as updates on the progress of the Welcoming Fort Wayne plan implementation.

"The ripple effect has been happening, and it has been beautiful," Connolly said. "This has been the work of an entire community. We have been so privileged to facilitate it...but it belongs to all of you."

Watch clips from Connolly's presentation on the Greater Fort Wayne Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Facebook page.

Fort Wayne Football Club Faces Las Chivas de Guadalajara U-23 in International Friendly

On Father’s Day, Amani had the opportunity to witness firsthand a thrilling international friendly soccer match between Fort Wayne FC and Chivas de Guadalajara U23 from Mexico, at the University of Saint Francis’ Bishop D’Arcy Stadium.

Fort Wayne FC, a pre-professional football club in Fort Wayne, IN, invited Amani Family Services to be a partner in their friendly face-off against Chivas. Amani staff and supporters had a great time celebrating the international love of soccer at this event. In addition, Amani outreach were able to share about our programs and services through an outreach table.

Four all-star kiddos (Eli Connolly, Aldin Cejvanovic, Jose Daniel Romero, and Felix Roth) represented Amani during the opening ceremony of the Fort Wayne FC-Chivas game on June 16.

Save the Dates for Welcoming Week

The 2024 Welcoming Week schedule has been posted on our website and social media! Click the links below to learn more about ten fantastic events that celebrate culture and inclusion!

Find more info on our Website

RSVP to events on Facebook

Staff Feature: Su Roth

Working with Amani was an amazing experience for Su, which provided valuable insights into navigating American culture and systems. Ewelina encouraged Su to pursue counseling, which led Su to follow that passion to Indianapolis and earn her Master of Social Work (MSW) from IUPUI in 2020. While working at a clinic in Indianapolis, Su interacted with many Burmese refugees. She noticed that they were incredibly hardworking and focused on providing for their families, but often struggled with balancing work and home life.

“Refugees are often misunderstood because of the title attached to them,” said Su. “Talk to people and listen to their stories. It can be heartbreaking, but you will understand how they are seeking stability for their families, just like everyone else."

In Other News....

World Refugee Day

On June 19, Amani celebrated World Refugee Day by sharing stories and helpful information on our social media channels. Thank you for joining us in supporting refugees and raising awareness about the challenges they face, as well as their contributions to society. #worldrefugeeday

Explore our WRD posts on Facebook

One Beat Tickets Now Open!

Tickets are now available for the most exciting fundraising event of the year! Join us on October 24 for talented lip sync bands, local vendor samplings, and an auction of priceless experiences.

Buy Tickets Now!

Welcoming Fort Wayne Spotlight:

Three PFW faculty members represent the university in Bangladesh

On June 24, three Purdue Fort Wayne faculty members traveled to Dhaka, Bangladesh to visit Daffodil International University, a top private university in Bangladesh. The team includes Ron Friedman, the dean of PFW's College of Science, Ahmed Mustafa, a professor in PFW's Department of Biological Sciences, and Farah Combs, Director of PFW's Honors Program, senior lecturer in Arabic, and member of Welcoming Fort Wayne's steering committee.

This is not PFW's first encounter with Daffodil International University. Professor Mustafa is a native of Bangladesh and visits the university almost annually. Representatives from Daffodil have also visited PFW, including early in this past spring semester. While in Bangladesh, this team will share techniques from PFW's Center for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), present a keynote speech on faculty development, and help Daffodil develop its own Honors program.

We partner with immigrant and refugee families and the community to promote safety, encourage personal growth, and foster a spirit of belonging.