St. Vincent dePaul Clothing Drive

St. Vincent dePaul Annual Clothing Drive, formerly Faribault Diversity Coalition Clothing Drive is taking place at the Center for Charitable Services, Former Sacred Heart School 617 3rd Ave. NW Faribault, MN 55021 Mon., Wed. & Fri. from 10 a.m to 3 p.m.They are already giving out clothes and food as needed. 

We especially need clothes for children 12 and under and babies. 

Exploring New Approaches to Immigration and Diversity in Faribault

Exploring New Approaches to Immigration and Diversity in Faribault

Monday, May 16, 7:00- 8:15 pm

Welcome Reception from 6:30 pm

Faribault Senior Center

You're invited!  

Students from an advanced political science class at St. Olaf College interviewed over 30 community leaders in March and April 2011.  Join us, with our partners at the United Way of Faribault, to hear what they learned from their conversations with local government & school officials, non-profit agencies and local churches about the challenges and opportunities related to immigration and diversity in Faribault.  The evening will include:

• Brief presentations on the issues Faribault leaders identified as most important:
• Education
• Communication
• Networking
• Economic Concerns
• Programming
  
• Open discussion forum between student researchers and Faribault residents & community leaders

Please share this invitation broadly - print and post, forward the email, call a friend!  

The students hope to facilitate the sharing of information and ideas among those who so kindly made themselves available for interviews with their presentations.  They look forward to your feedback and questions as an invaluable step in developing a final report for our partners at the United Way and the people of Faribault.

Katherine Tegtmeyer Pak
Associate Professor
Departments of Asian Studies and Political Science
St. Olaf College
1520 St. Olaf Avenue
Northfield, Minnesota, 55057
Office tel: 507-786-3655

City Leaders believe Faribault is ahead in integration.

Please go to http://www.faribault.com/content/city-leaders-believe-faribault-ahead-integration  for a great story on immigrants living in Faribault.

Welcome Center Open House

A very nice open house with some very wonderful supporters showed up to express their gratitude to Bob kell and the wonderful job he's done for so many years to help hundreds of newcomers. I'm afraid I got so busy talking I didn't get to take to many pictures.

Joseph Mbele our dear friend and board member came up with a great idea. He thought Bob and I and some of the original members should draw on the past 10 years and write a story on the ups and downs, what went well and not, and our thoughts about our work. As he said a little folklore.

I appreciate all who came and sent regrets and emails with kind words. Thanks especially to Bob Kell for all his great work through the years making this city a welcome city for everyone.

Have a gentle day, Milo

St. Vincent dePaul Clothing Drive

St. Vincent dePaul Annual Clothing Drive, formerly Faribault Diversity Coalition Clothing Drive is taking place at the Center for Charitable Services, Former Sacred Heart School 617 3rd Ave. NW Faribault, MN 55021 Mon., Wed. & Fri. from 9 a.m to 3 p.m.They are already giving out clothes and food as needed. 

We especially need clothes for children 12 and under and babies. 

Welcome Center Open House

Open House

The Welcome Center will be closing by year’s end. 

You are invited to join us to celebrate the work and life of

The Welcome Center

and the Faribault Diversity Coalition

Tuesday, November 2

4-6 pm

St. Vincent de Paul Center

617 Third Avenue NW

(corner of 3^rd Ave and 6^th St NW)

Faribault

As a client, supporter, collaborator, former member, friend or neighbor, you too have been part of the Coalition and Center’s life.  Let’s Celebrate!

Snacks and Refreshments Served

___________________________________________

Recepción

El Centro de Bienvenida va a cerrar antes del fin del año. 

Esta invitado a reunirse con nosotros para celebrar el trabajo y la vida del

Centro de Bienvenida y

la Coalición para la Diversidad en Faribault.

El Martes, 2 de Noviembre

De 4 a 6 de la tarde

Centro San Vicente de Pablo

617 Third Avenue NW

(esquina de Avenida 3 y Calle 6 NW)

Faribault

Como cliente, colaborador, miembro de la coalición, amigo o vecino, Usted también ha sido parte de la vida de la Coalición y del Centro.  Celebremos!

Se sirve pastel y bocadillos

2nd Thoughts about the Faribault Diversity Coalition

As (Charles Kuralt) once coined, "There is melancholy in the wind and sorrow in the grass" 

I've been contemplating this saying the past month as we decided to close the Welcome Center due to lack of funds and dissolve the Faribault Diversity Coalition. I was going to write a history and share some feelings about the last 10 years that I've been involved and thank a page full of people then something occurred.

I've been feeling a little down since the decision but had mixed feelings also. The past year I haven't had much time to be of service to the Faribault Diversity Coalition, Welcome Center and especially to the people that are in need of help, both the immigrants and the kind citizens of Faribault. 

With the economy being what it is when one of our staff retired at the Faribault Print Shop, we couldn't afford to replace her so it put more work on the three of us left. With that I haven't had the time to devote to this 10 year passion of mine the F.D.C.

When Bob Kell and I were having coffee at the Coffee Shop this week we were talking about the past, present and the future. With the economy not looking up in the near future we were concerned what is going to happen between the immigrants and the natives of Faribault. 

We, (Diversity Coalition,Welcome Center) have spent the last 10+plus years not only helping the immigrants with their needs but to integrate into the Faribault population. We've held forums, workshops, spoke at community service clubs, schools, monthly meetings, and diffuse tensions when the need arose. These and the whole history plus all the people that have helped physically and financially can be found in the stories at: http://faribodiversity.blogspot.com/

As we were talking I felt I couldn't drop the ball and call it quits so we decided to just dissolve the Welcome Center and keep the Diversity Coalition going. It won't be as strong as it has been but we may have to start over from scratch. 

Bob's situation is fluid, he's looking for a job and don't know if he'll be able to find one close by or the cities. As for me, due to circumstances I'm very fortunate to remain busy with my business and will be getting busier these coming months. Until I decide what to do with my business, either invest in more equipment, and, or hire more help I still can't be as involved in this endeavor yet as I would like to be. I plan on keeping the blog going and report on the positive things happening in this fair city and be as I've been most of my time with the F.D.C. "The Communicator". 

There are many people that don't want to see this end, so, be it two, 6 mo. or a year down the line we will once again take up the charge with renewed energy and continue to make Faribault the friendly and welcoming city that we all know and love. 

The more of you that would like to help, become involved, energize, and take charge we can start sooner. We can start our monthly meetings again and dissolve the tension that is rising all over the world. There is more need now more then ever to keep our town, state and world a more harmonious and informed place. 

As I've said so many times the past 10 years we are communicating with real people, with hearts, souls and feelings. Just because some are from different cultures, different color skin, different religions, doesn't mean they are numbers on a sheet of paper.  They've all had child hoods, most have had problems with bullies in school, abused by parents, gone hungry, homeless, not wanted in the country they were born in or this country because they are different. 

We must find compassion & respect in working and living with these newcomers as well as with ourselves. We are not asking for money, just your heart and time. Surprising what a smile and hi will do to everyone you meet on the street, I don't care what culture or if they understand you or not. That my friend don't cost a dime. 

I thank you all for all you've done the past 15 years for the Faribault Diversity Coalition, people of Faribault and especially welcoming the newcomers. Just think…….. most of our grandparents were newcomers, my grandparents came over from Norway & Denmark…. ya sure, you betcha I'm grateful that my grandparents were welcomed and became Americans and allowed me to be born to repay what they received. 

Please if you would like to show we still have "Minnesota Nice" please call me at 507-334-4448 - 8-5 - Mon. - Fri. or email at fpsmster@gmail.com

Have a gentle day, Milo

P.S. We'll be having a Open House at the Welcome Center, in the (St. Vincent dePaul building) 617 3rd Ave. NW, Nov. 2nd - 4 -6 p.m. Please come so we can thank you all for your help and encouragement through the years. 

http://faribodiversity.blogspot.com/
www.faribaultprintshop.com

A Setting Sun, Decision Made Regarding Future of Faribault Diversity Coalition

Hello Faribault Diversity Coalition members & friends,

For some time now, we have recognized that funding issues would change the face of our work. We had enjoyed the significant support of some steady partners over the past few years that had helped us develop our Welcome Center services and initiate new programs. Those funders have been most generous and have renewed that support several times over. But we were not able to discover the new partners that could help us sustain our work into the coming years. It is not to say that it could not be done…simply that we did not succeed.

There is much we could second-guess. We maybe could have set aside more time to write grants or held some fund-raisers or established a fee for service scale. But the one thing that shaped our decisions at the time was the person standing at the door, the one who needed our help that day. We did what we could and believe that we made a slight difference in helping people find some steadier ground upon which to build their lives. I am not sure if we would do it differently.

The decision has been made to close the Welcome Center by the end of the year. Along with that decision comes another. It also seems the appropriate time to bring closure to the Faribault Diversity Coalition. The Coalition is where all of this began back in 1995. It was the heart and soul out of which the Welcome Center grew. In time the focus became the work of the Center and the work to support community welcome. The Coalition, as that monthly meeting of the minds, slipped away in the busyness. The members continue to work, only they do so in other circles. It seems more appropriate to recognize that evolution than to try to revive it.

So, in December, the journey will end for the Diversity Coalition and its Welcome Center. But this journey of the community will not. The people of Faribault are still here—the immigrants and refugees who are building their lives, the neighbors who have welcomed them, the organizations and agencies who help when there is need, the employers who look for workers, the schools who see the promise in the youth. We have only been a small part of that bigger world. The journey will go on.

Over the next months we will continue to provide services as we work to bring closure. We will hold an Open House to celebrate what has been and to say goodbye. But above all, we wish to thank those who made this possible: the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MN Foundation, the Foldcraft Foundation, the City of Faribault, the Faribault Area United Way, the Southern MN Initiative Foundation, El Fondo, the Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce, South Central College, the wonderful members of the Diversity Coalition, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Donahue’s Greenhouse, Farmers Seed, Divine Mercy Church, St. Vincent de Paul Center for Charitable Services, Walmart, the members of the Faribault Diversity Coalition Board with a special thanks to Milo Larson for his leadership over all these years, our donors, and the people who have graced our office with their lives. The Latino, Somali, and Sudanese residents of Faribault have brought beautiful diversity, solidarity, and gifts to those of us who arrived here first. May we never close the door.

Sincerely,

Bob Kell

Welcome Center Director

P.S.

From the Faribault Diversity Coalition Board a sincere thank you to Bob Kell who with his expertise run the Welcome Center with spirit and grace. Bob helped many immigrants coming to town from filling out papers, translating, helping to find jobs, food, clothing, easing tensions between cultures, and being a friend to everyone.

Bob with the help of his board helped make Faribault a truly better city, one that we can be proud to be part of.

Thank you Bob and the Faribault Diversity Coalition members from the Board, Milo Larson, Kymn Anderson, Delane James, Hashi, Joseph Mbele, Pat Wieseler, Shirley Drentlaw, & Vicky Carrillo.

Faribault Diversity Coalition International Market 2010

Well, the International Market 2010 is here and gone and with the great weather, delicious food, wonderful entertainment, and all the kind people that stopped by to help make this another great event.

Thanks to Vicky Carrillo and her crew for making this another success. Thank you to all the vendors, non-profits, Target for donating the bike to give away, Gran Plaza for gift certificate, Electronic Brush's from Southern Heights Dental and other donators.

Thanks to the Aztec Dancers who made this day extra special.

Matching Grant & New Water Tank for Community Garden

The Welcome Center has received a $2500 match contribution from Jim and Missy O'Shaughnessy to support our fundraising campaign for the Welcome Center. The contribution provides a dollar for dollar match for contributions up to $2500. Please consider a donation today. Your contribution will provide services to immigrant and refugee residents of Faribault and support efforts for community inclusion. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to: The Welcome Center, 617 Third Avenue NW, Faribault MN 55021. Thank you for your generosity!

Thanks to Carolyn Treadway and funds provided by "S.H.I.P. State Health Improvement Project", the Welcome Center Community Garden has a new water tank. It is part of a S.H.A.C program at the garden to introduce Somali women and children to gardening as a resource to healthy eating. The garden is doing great and vegetables are already being picked.

The End of the line for the Welcome Center and helping newcomers.

We received word (June 10th) that our collaborative grant proposal to the MN Dept. of Health has been denied. It was a grant the Welcome Center submitted together with Growing Up Healthy which could have funded work over several years to eliminate health disparities for our immigrant and refugee communities by improving the conditions of the environment in which they live.

While there are several small grants pending, this denial means that we are once again facing difficult decisions. Unless other funding can be found quickly, we are potentially looking at closing our doors September 1. The crisis we faced last April was averted with positive results regarding several grants that we were awaiting at that time, but we have not been as successful this year.

We have been working on other funding streams and ways to improve sustainability, but it may be too little too late. We welcome any ideas.

This situation has led us to reflect on what has been and what could well end. The Welcome Center in Faribault has:
--Served 8900 clients with problem-solving and assistance since it began in 2002.
--Developed a Community Garden that has for 5 years provided a yearly opportunity for 30 families to grow healthy food while also getting to know neighbors of other cultures.
--Facilitated Sharing Circles, diversity education, sidewalk discussions, and other forums that have brought cultures together to build bridges and understanding.
--Started a food shelf for its clients that in 2009 distributed 71,000 lbs of food.
--Helped sponsor International Market Day, which has celebrated the community’s diversity with food, music, and dance over the last 5 years.
--Spoken with numerous groups to promote awareness and understanding of the issues facing the immigrant communities among us
--Helped people resolve issues with USCIS, Social Security, IRS, Unemployment and Social Services; filled out thousands of forms; helped people find housing and jobs; taught English and carpentry; gathered coats and mittens and hats…
--Interpreted for many, many people to help them connect with the community, with the government, with services needed for their families.

We believe that our work has mattered. We believe that it has reduced tensions and needs, maybe even lessened frustrations and hunger and crime. We do not believe the work is done, but we may not be the ones to continue it.

What happens never happens in a vacuum. The Northfield Welcome Center is closing July 1, due to budget cuts. If we too close, it will mean that assistance resources for the immigrant communities in Rice County will be greatly reduced, increasing obstacles for families to get the help that they need. It will be harder to find someone who can explain or advocate or make the call.

Regardless of what happens to us, the Latino, Somali, Sudanese, and other families in Faribault will continue to need your support. They are beautiful people who bring so much to our community. Let’s continue to make them welcome.

Bob Kell

How Does Your Garden Grow? By Bob Kell

The weather has been kind to the Community Garden this year.  Plants are off to a good start and the garden looks to become very productive.  People will be eating well in a couple months.  Much of the success is due to the hard work of the gardeners, who are about as varied as the vegetables!  We have gardeners from Honduras and Guatemala, from Mexico and Somalia, born here and born elsewhere, from mobile homes, apartments, and houses.  But all share the excitement of awaiting the gifts of Mother Earth.

We want to thank those who have helped make this garden grow….Donahue’s Greenhouse and Farmer Seed for the generous donation of plants and seeds, Heselton Construction for the load of black dirt, the State Health Improvement Project for its support of a water tank, the anonymous woman who donated the sweet corn and pea seeds, and Dan Zielske for all his hard work. 

But we also want to thank some unexpected supporters.  The children of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church just sent us a check for $1648.54 that they collected for their mission project this year.  The Faribault Diversity Coalition was chosen as the recipient.  We are so grateful for their support.  But the beauty of this goes even further. 

One of the goals of our work is to encourage others to join in creating a welcoming community.  We do what we can to create welcoming spaces, but the reach of the welcome is so much greater when it is extended in the daily lives of the many who partner with us.  The gift of the children is just that…a symbol of their desire as members of this community to make Faribault a place where everybody can feel at home, where they are glad that others have chosen to live here, where they say “welcome” to the immigrant and refugee children who share their schools and their streets.  That is what makes this work so fulfilling.  That is the real fruit of the garden.

The children are giving all of us a beautiful example.  Again, the heart of the child shows us the way.  Whatever your contacts with people of other cultures, of other conditions, of other language and customs, you can be the one who makes the difference.  You are the one who communicates respect, who helps people feel they belong.  Thank you too for the good you do.  Our garden is growing well.

Changes and a beneficial dialogue at the Welcome Center by Bob Kell

May is bringing some changes for the Welcome Center. We would like to share some of what has been and will be happening...

--The Community Garden is in full swing with 30 families anxious to get something in the ground. The warm spring has prepared things for an early planting, so we look forward to a good harvest. Some other options are still being explored to see if we can't increase the amount of land and produce for participating families and the community.

--A very beneficial dialogue was held April 15 between downtown business owners and members of the Somali community. The Welcome Center and the Faribault Chamber of Commerce worked together to facilitate the gathering. The cultural behavior of Somali men gathering in groups outside the Banadir Restaurant to share news and visit had become a concern to neighboring business owners. The hesitancy of customers to pass through a large group of unknown people had meant that some customers simply chose to stay away--which presented another challenge to already struggling businesses. Joseph Mbele, a St. Olaf College professor and Diversity Coalition Board Member, started the dialogue with an explanation of the cultural factors at work. He explained that Somalia did not have a written language until just recently, and that they behaved as an oral culture. Those gatherings on the street corner were their newspaper and their books, their way of being community and sharing what was going on. They gather almost as a cultural imperative, being "good people" by socializing with others as they are expected to do. The shop owners shared very honestly and respectfully how their clients at times reacted to those gatherings, not just because they were African men, but because they were a large group. There is an element of intimidation. The elders present were very apologetic, making it clear that their community had no intention of causing any harm to anyone, and that they would pass the word to their community to be attentive to how their behavior could be perceived. The beauty of the dialogue was the atmosphere of respect and good will that everyone showed.

--A former pillar of the Diversity Coalition is again showing the value of community connection. Several members of the Sudanese community have been working at passing their driving test and looking for some help at tuning up their skills.  Dan Burns, a part time driving instructor, has generously made himself available to them to give some pointe sand some extra time behind the wheel.  He has also offered to teach a class for a wider audience on safety and driving.  Thanks, Dan!

--The Immigrant Energy Project is again moving ahead with plans to help immigrant workers and entrepreneurs interested in the field of energy conservation.  A Core Four business training is planned for June 5-6 (16 hrs) to lay out the basics for beginning a business.  Jose Mendoza will be presenting the class in Spanish/English.  Interested persons are invited to call the Welcome Center at 507-333-5036. Community is built in many ways by the many people who reach out, who participate in dialogue, who join the garden, who teach others.This is not just our work, but the work of the community.  Thanks to all of you for the part you play.

Bob Kell, Welcome Center Director

New home for the Welcome Center & Somali Community Resettlement

Welcome to our new home at St. Vincent dePaul for Charitable Services. Along with our new home is a reorganized program. The Welcome Center food shelf and clothing has been transferred to to SVDP giving Bob & Hashi more time for helping newcomers, organizing and working on programs as well as helping translating, filling out forms and finding services for their needs. There is also a common room for meetings, forums and workshops. Below are some pictures of the new offices, food pantry, clothing, furniture and a meeting in the common room put on by Advocates for Human Rights and the Faribault Diversity Coalition.  

We thank you for your past and continued support in helping our refugees and immigrants become a part of our commnunity. Have a gentle day, Milo

Please stop by anytime at 617 3rd Ave. NW • Faribault, MN 55021