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February 21, 2007
Building strength from diversity
Nonprofit Spotlight
Kay Vasilakis
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
Community Integration Initiative - Aspen to Parachute At a Glance
• What is the Community Integration Initiative? A project funded by the Colorado Trust Supporting Immigrant & Refugee Families Initiative, and supplemented by funding from the Penrose Institute of the El Pomar Foundation.
• What is the purpose of the initiative? To build strength from diversity by helping both immigrants and established residents understand one another better and become more connected to their communities.
• What are its goals? To work alongside neighbors to insure that the Aspen to Parachute community is a welcoming place for everyone who comes here to live and work.
• When was the initiative started in Garfield County? In October of 2004.
• Contact: CII Coordinator Hanya Gottardo at 970-319-1677 or e-mail CII@rof.net.
Through an extensive community interview process, immigrants and established residents identified ways to strengthen community integration in the Aspen to Parachute communities. Community goals were then compiled, based on the suggestions of more than 1,000 community members. The suggestions and goals are available to all community members by request.
The Community Integration Initiative (CII) is open to everyone in the community, and serves both the immigrant and established communities. To fulfill its community goals, the initiative carries out and supports a variety of activities that help all residents contribute to and fully participate in their communities.
A Community Integration Initiative Steering Committee comprises community members who also work in health and human services agencies, city and county governments, foundations, schools and religious organizations, and who serve in other community roles. The steering committee takes the lead in carrying out the work of the initiative. All interested community members are invited to be involved in its various committees.
Communication is the 2007 focus of CII. Coordinator Hanya Gottardo will help accomplish its 2007 activities, assisting the steering committee with community outreach and involvement, and by providing staff support.
Specific activities in 2007 will include funding projects to achieve the initiative's goals of communication; issuing community grants to strengthen relationships between cultures and identify and promote community leaders; facilitating meetings with naturally occurring groups; telling mountain stories of established and immigrant families through a partnership with radio station KDNK and through cooking shows on public television stations and investigating the feasibility of establishing and maintaining information kiosks to display information to help orient newcomers.
The Community Integration Initiative invites all community members to become involved in this important work. To learn more about becoming a steering committee member, or to learn more about other ways you can participate in the initiative, please call CII Coordinator Hanya Gottardo at (970) 319-1677 or e-mail CII@rof.net.
Kay Vasilakis' "Nonprofit Spotlight" column appears every other Wednesday. Kay is the media coordinator for the Garfield County Human Services Commission. To contact her, please call 384-9118 or e-mail kvasilakis@postindependent.com.
< Back to Press Room
Building Strength from Diveristy
February 21, 2007
Building strength from diversity
Nonprofit Spotlight
Kay Vasilakis
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
Community Integration Initiative - Aspen to Parachute At a Glance
• What is the Community Integration Initiative? A project funded by the Colorado Trust Supporting Immigrant & Refugee Families Initiative, and supplemented by funding from the Penrose Institute of the El Pomar Foundation.
• What is the purpose of the initiative? To build strength from diversity by helping both immigrants and established residents understand one another better and become more connected to their communities.
• What are its goals? To work alongside neighbors to insure that the Aspen to Parachute community is a welcoming place for everyone who comes here to live and work.
• When was the initiative started in Garfield County? In October of 2004.
• Contact: CII Coordinator Hanya Gottardo at 970-319-1677 or e-mail CII@rof.net.
Through an extensive community interview process, immigrants and established residents identified ways to strengthen community integration in the Aspen to Parachute communities. Community goals were then compiled, based on the suggestions of more than 1,000 community members. The suggestions and goals are available to all community members by request.
The Community Integration Initiative (CII) is open to everyone in the community, and serves both the immigrant and established communities. To fulfill its community goals, the initiative carries out and supports a variety of activities that help all residents contribute to and fully participate in their communities.
A Community Integration Initiative Steering Committee comprises community members who also work in health and human services agencies, city and county governments, foundations, schools and religious organizations, and who serve in other community roles. The steering committee takes the lead in carrying out the work of the initiative. All interested community members are invited to be involved in its various committees.
Communication is the 2007 focus of CII. Coordinator Hanya Gottardo will help accomplish its 2007 activities, assisting the steering committee with community outreach and involvement, and by providing staff support.
Specific activities in 2007 will include funding projects to achieve the initiative's goals of communication; issuing community grants to strengthen relationships between cultures and identify and promote community leaders; facilitating meetings with naturally occurring groups; telling mountain stories of established and immigrant families through a partnership with radio station KDNK and through cooking shows on public television stations and investigating the feasibility of establishing and maintaining information kiosks to display information to help orient newcomers.
The Community Integration Initiative invites all community members to become involved in this important work. To learn more about becoming a steering committee member, or to learn more about other ways you can participate in the initiative, please call CII Coordinator Hanya Gottardo at (970) 319-1677 or e-mail CII@rof.net.
Kay Vasilakis' "Nonprofit Spotlight" column appears every other Wednesday. Kay is the media coordinator for the Garfield County Human Services Commission. To contact her, please call 384-9118 or e-mail kvasilakis@postindependent.com.
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