Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families 

Community Integration Initiative

[Aspen to Parachute Region]

SUMMARY OF PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR 2006

 The Aspen to Parachute region Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families Initiative (SIRFI) will begin the community integration process by continuing to invite dialog, and gather ideas from the Immigrant /Receiving Community. The Steering Committee will focus its efforts on four outcomes:

• Building relationships between Immigrant and Receiving community members.

• Increase awareness, understanding and appreciation between immigrant and receiving communities regarding each other’s language, culture, values, and contributions.

• Increase immigrant’s access to information and orientation regarding their communities, employment, education, physical health, mental health and U.S. traditions and customs regardless of language preference.

• Identify, develop and promote leaders in all cultural communities

These outcomes stem from months of work in the Aspen to Parachute region. There are activities designated for the SIRFI Steering Committee, and activities that engage the help of six (6) nonprofit organizations who the Decision Making Committee has recommended to receive The Colorado Trust and/or El Pomar funding. The Decision Making Committee decided not to start a new organization or hire permanent integration staff because it was felt that the perception of the community would be that I/R community integration activities would be the sole job of one person/ one organization. The decision to award “mini-grants” was also based on the feeling of the DMC that they would engage lots of people into the process, which would stimulate the community integration process.

last update 2.17.2006