South Bend's new 'Welcoming Plan' aims to foster belonging in growing immigrant population

The new "Welcoming Plan" builds on data released in 2017 showing that nearly 60% of Michiana's population growth from 2011 to 2016 was due to immigration. This event will feature an update showing a similar trend and a discussion of how to welcome workers from different cultures, said Bethany Hartley, president of the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership.

A panel discussion will include Dr. Rose Al-Yousif, a professor at Indiana University South Bend who in 2013 resettled in South Bend with her husband and three daughters as refugees from Iraq. She wrote in a Tribune viewpoint this year about how she overcame a lack of belonging and chose to raise her family here.

Also featured will be Mark Spence, who came to the U.S. from South Africa about a decade ago and is now vice president of technology and manufacturing at Hoosier Tire; Juan Constantino, the leader of the immigrant services nonprofit La Casa de Amistad; and Alivia Haibach, whose organization Welcoming America works with chapters across the U.S. to foster a sense of belonging and economic opportunity for new Americans.

Viewpoint:Finding a sense of belonging and rebuilding a life in South Bend

The event will last from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the St. Joseph County Main Library in downtown South Bend. Attendance is free, but guests must register online at this link. Spanish interpretation will be available.