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

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2009

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all of you wonderful people.

Once again for the 9th year in a row so many of you have been on board to help the disadvantaged people trying to live a normal life. Your work and concern has been so needed especially this year with the economy on the down side.

We are in the midst of moving in the St. Vincent dePaul Center for Charitable Services, hopefully by the middle of Jan. . The Welcome Center's food pantry, clothes give-away, and some furniture have outgrown our building and is taking a lot of time away from the other needs of our immigrant friends. St. Vincent dePaul and the Welcome Center will be sharing those needs.

Bob Kell and his group of volunteers have done a wonderful job keeping everything together in feeding, clothing, teaching building skills, translating, helping with documents, teaching ESL, befriending, and so much more. Our annual clothing drive was able to warm between 300-400 people this year thanks to your generosity. Many people came in several times with more coats, mittens & hats, many straight out of a store. For many heartwarming pictures you can it on the blog.

There are so many people to thank once again like BlueCross/BlueShield Foundation of MN., Foldcraft, the City of Faribault, and many other foundations & individuals, the Daily News, KDHL for reaching everyone with their positive stories, and all of you for keeping this wonderful program together for the betterment of not only the disadvantaged, but the community who are being enriched by the many cultures that have adorned our town. I wish I could name all of you angels.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be president of the Diversity Coalition this past 9 years and privileged to help with this new venture, St. Vincent dePaul for Charitable Services. Bill Lewis has been able to get this organization going with quite a few road blocks, but thanks to Church of Divine Mercy, State Bank of Faribault, 1st United Bank, Premier Bank, C&S Vending for like new refrigerators & freezers for the food pantry and 100+ volunteers and concerned citizens have been able to help so many disadvantaged people with food, clothing and money for the homeless and in some cases that are being displaced if they can't pay all of their rent.

I can't reiterate enough how thankful I am to all of you that read my blogs, read these emails, and respond to so many needs of many this past 9 years and especially this year. We are all children of God, not only you but those you are helping and befriending. If we help just one person or family from suffering from hunger, cold or hopelessness I think our life here on earth will have been a good one.

May you all have a sincere Merry Christmas & Happy New year and will be looking forward to seeing and working with each and everyone of you this coming year. As I listen to "Silent Night" & "O Holy Night" I think of each and everyone of you.

Have a gentle day, Milo

Christmas/New Years message from Bob Kell

The advantage of snowfalls is that it slows life's flow and leaves a few moments for reflection and gratitude. Another year is coming to an end, giving occasion to voice a thank you to so many that have supported the Welcome Center and the people with whom we work. We realize that there are so many in this community and beyond that are committed to creating a welcoming world, and they have done so much toward that end by their actions and their words. Volunteer teachers, those assisting to provide food, funders who believe in the work we do, mentors and partners that teach and strengthen, others in the community who do their own work to build community and celebrate diversity...we all need to thank them for what their input means. We have reason to celebrate too the beauty that immigrants and refugees bring to the community, as they support one another, struggle for their families, and work to become part of this one life we share. It has been a difficult year for many, as unemployment has taken its toll. But the perseverance is strong. We look forward to the New Year and to the promise it holds. As long as people are working together to make sure no one is left behind, we will find a way.

With gratitude,

Bob Kell, Welcome Center Director

News from St. Vincent de Paul & Faribault Diversity Coalition

To all our friends:

Well we're good to go, the city has signed off, the old Sacred Heart School is being cleaned and painted, C & S Vending & Bethlehem Academy have given freezers & refrigerators for the Food Pantry that the F.D.C is turning over to St. Vincent de Paul. Many volunteers have been working on the building, people have been giving food, clothes, and furniture for the free store as well as furniture, computers and needed equipment for the building. Once again a big thank you to Divine Mercy for letting us use the building. 

Bill Lewis has done a wonderful job putting this all together in just 3 months realizing that these are desperate times for the homeless, out of work families, families losing their homes or being evicted, inadequate or no food, clothing and furniture. 

In the past month as many as 10 to 20 calls per day has been coming in looking for food, clothing, & money from desperate people. In this economy as you all know more people are losing their jobs, or can't find a job after they have been laid off. We are called to be angels of mercy for those in need.

I thank you for all you have done the past 10 years for the Faribault Diversity Coalition and as we move into the St. Vincent de Paul Center for Charitable Services we will be able to help even more people with all of their needs and services. 

With extreme cold temperatures & snow life for the unfortunate can be very long and dark, lets make these days a little brighter for all of God's Children and it just may make our hearts a little warmer and a better Christmas for everyone. 

We are in desperate need of 150 linear feet of grocery shelves for the food pantry, more food, warm winter clothing, furniture and more donations. Please email back, or call 507-334-2100.

Have a gentle day, Milo

Faribault Diversity Coalition 2009 Clothes Drive

Once again the great people came through with three times more clothes than last year. For the last month the wonderful citizens came in with slightly used and brand new clothes to warm those in need. Many families brought in their little children carrying big coats that was bigger then they were teaching them the art of giving.
A big thanks to Buckham library for the use of their facilities that held the 300+ people that came in to warm their bodies and hearts. Thank you also to different organizations that held separate drives and brought them in on the last day. Thank you Faribault Daily News and especially Paulene Schrieber for starting the drive off with a wonderful story, and for all her stories through the past years with her timely and positive stories to make this a more equal and cohesive city. Thanks to my wife Margaret who spent 4 days sorting all the clothes and daughter Sarah, son-in-law Terry, and Margaret spending the day unpacking and setting up all the tables and spending the day handing out clothes at the Library and Greg Caron for helping deliver clothes to the library.
This was once again another labor of love on everyones part. Seeing so many coming without warm clothes and leaving with warm bodies and warmer hearts makes this all worthwhile.
Thanks again to all of you for all you do to make this city and everyone in it a better place.
Have a gentle day, Milo

Signs of Growth in our Community of Faribault

Someone once said of growth that on a hot day in the South you can sit on the porch and hear the cotton pop. The heat accelerates the growth so much that it happens right in front of you in an observable way. But most growth is more subtle than that. (Granted my son is something like the cotton…I swear that some mornings he is taller than he was the night before!) Most often the changes happen incrementally, almost unnoticeably. It is in the moments of learning, of insight, of resolution of conflicts, of risk-taking that we become different. We grow as persons and as communities. It is that growth we need to celebrate.

I would like to share with you some of the signs I see of the growth in our community of Faribault.

o Last week a local employer called to ask a question about understanding the cultural issues that may be related to an employee’s behavior. The company wanted to accommodate religious practices but also had its requirements it had to ask of all employees. The conversation showed a way of operating amidst diversity that had come a long way toward seeking dialogue rather than simply imposing the majority culture. It was good to witness.

o Within the community, many new programs have emerged to help new immigrants learn English. The established community wants to help and the newcomers are hungry to learn. The waiting list is long for Adult Basic Education classes. Volunteers are stepping forward both at the Welcome Center and at a new program run by a Somali liaison at the school. Others are teaching English while teaching sewing or wanting to do so as they teach health and parenting. It is a community that is responding.

o The Welcome Center is partnering with Blue Earth County Employment Services in an Office of Refugee Resettlement program for refugee employment and social services support. It is a potential 5-year partnership helping those most recently arrived. As we went to the training, Hashi was among the majority. Nearly 90% of the participants in the training were immigrants themselves. The assets in the immigrant communities are strong. That strength is evident.

o Yesterday representatives from the Census Bureau came to town to begin the campaign to get a complete count of everyone in the new census April 1. The City, the Chamber, and the Welcome Center were present and came up with a list of 20 more that could have been in the room. We talked of snowbirds and immigrants and churches and seniors…wanting to reach everyone, to ease fears or confusion, to help everyone see how important this is for funding and representation for the town and the State. Inclusion was not an add-on—It was the center of the conversation.

o Last week at a meeting organized by the MN Advocates for Human Rights the concern was how different organization working with immigrants might better work together and work for the people they serve. A main topic of concern was the urgency of movement on comprehensive immigration reform. Advocates say the country has a 6-month window to act on this before the issue goes back into the shadows for another four years, lost in election campaigns where controversial issues are unwelcome. Current laws leave many people vulnerable and trapped. Hope is guarded but hope is there that if enough people choose to get involved with this issue, maybe this time things can change. It is something that needs to be addressed. Can we resolve it this time?

And so it goes, day in and day out. Individual immigrants become more independent and self-sufficient. Mainstream agencies get better at their mission, seeing immigrants as an integral part of who they serve. Immigrant faces show up in striking numbers among those who are serving their communities. The issues that face the community rise to the top politically, even when the economy and so many other issues would suggest waiting for more favorable winds. Life cannot wait.

We are only a small player on this stage which is our community. There are so many more. But as things “grow” around us, we consider ourselves fortunate to be close enough to witness the change…and to celebrate with others. Grow well.

Bob Kell—Director, Welcome Center

Winter Clothing Collection and Distribution

Faribault International Market 2009

Once again under the bright blue skies people were drawn in by the smells of the great food and sounds of the drums driving the Aztec dancers. The food was tasty, people friendly and music filled the air.

A big thank you to Eddie and Vicky Carrillo and her committee for putting on a wonderful event, we are looking forward to next year to a ever growing market. Thank you to BlueCross/BlueShield Foundation of Minnesota, Faribault Print Shop, Non-profits, exhibitors and all who contributed to this event.

For all the pictures go to my Facebook page: Click on the Faribault International Market 2009 title above.

4th Annual International Market Day Festival

To: Faribault Area Non-profits
From: Faribault Diversity Coalition/ Welcome Center

RE: 4th Annual International Market Day Festival

Again this year, the Faribault Diversity Coalition is organizing the International Market Day Festival in Central Park. Due to the lateness of Labor Day, we have moved the date this year to the Saturday prior to Labor Day weekend. The event will take place on Saturday, August 29, from 10 am to 6 pm, in Central Park.

The purpose of the event is to celebrate the diversity of our community. We will celebrate with ethnic foods, music, dance, and the opportunity to spend time as a community with rich gifts to share.

We would like to invite you and your non-profit organization to take part in the event with us. Room is available to set up a table for outreach, information sharing, children’s activities, etc. There is no cost to non-profits to participate. It is a good way to reach the community with information about your programs.

We would ask that you bring your own table this year. You are free to set up anytime after 9:30 am. If you cannot stay all day, whatever time you can be present is appreciated.

If you are interested in participating, please call the Welcome Center (507-333-5036). For planning reasons, we would like to know by August 25th at the latest.

Thank you. Hope to see you there!


Vicky Carrillo, Coordinator
Milo Larson
Bob Kell