New Welcome Center in C-U to Help Support Immigrants

CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCCU) — A local non-profit in the Champaign-Urbana community is now offering a place where immigrants can call home. A new welcome center supporting immigrants was introduced to the community Monday at the University of Illinois' YMCA.

The university YMCA was recently selected to be one of six in the country to develop a center for immigrants.

The New American Welcome Center is designed to help foster a welcoming and inclusive community, especially for immigrants, without regard to their legal status. One of their key principles is welcoming all people.

"Really work on bridging gaps between receiving communities and newcomer communities so that we can really create this as a welcoming space for all," Communications Director at the University YMCA Megan Flowers said.

The NAWC is committed to helping all newcomers access the support and resources needed in order to reach their full potential in the community.

"This welcoming center will help direct them, get to the resources, get to the schools, if they have issues with our core system, help them navigate that system," Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, said. "Our office is there to help people and so hopefully this will kind of grow and be a model for the state and encourage others to pick up the same thing."

The NAWC will have an advisory committee where the staff will work together to identify needs, develop strategies and oversee plans to ensure the C-U community is welcoming to all.

The University YMCA said they will continue to support immigrants through various services like the Spanish language community helpline.

"Our goal is to not only provide services here, we do have a helpline Spanish language helpline, translation training for agencies that want to do it, but really the main goal is bringing together key stakeholders that the community can identify other issues and problems and ways we as a community can step up and work together to address the needs of immigrants that are coming," Executive Director of the University YMCA Mike Doyle said.

Some of the representatives from the advisory committee will include elected officials, immigrant leaders, faith communities and non-profit organizations.

The University YMCA is looking to open an official office for the NAWC soon.