City of Lincoln outlines 2023 plan to welcome immigrants and refugees

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – In the past few years, thousands of refugees and immigrants have come to Lincoln, which is why the city is making an effort to reach out to newcomers.

“We’ve been a welcoming community to refugees for so long, but we’ve got a lot of folks in crisis who are becoming new Americans, new members of our community,” Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said. “And we are more prepared than most communities to give them a warm embrace.”

Lincoln and Lancaster County created a Welcoming & Belonging Strategic Plan to connect refugees and immigrants to the area.

They’ve joined with over 80 local entities to carry out the plan.

And on Friday, those involved gave an update on what’s to come this year.

“There are lots of churches in Lincoln that do some welcoming work already, and we want to expand that effort and create opportunities for support and collaboration through a network of faith houses,” Welcoming Communities Coordinator Lisa Guill said.

The group working on the plan came up with six areas to focus on: affordable and quality housing, education, economic opportunity, civic engagement and community connections, safe and healthy communities, and equitable access.

Raul Sarmianto, a Colombian immigrant who is involved, said this plan can be incredibly helpful to people who aren’t from the U.S.

“You know, as an immigrant, it can make it a little harder, not knowing the culture, not knowing the language,” he said. “This will help be a bridge for that.”

And in September, a week of welcoming activities is in the works.

It will kick off with Lincoln Unites, a celebration of different cultures.

From Sept. 8 to 17, there will be events throughout the city, including a citizenship ceremony.

Sarmianto said he had a great experience when he first arrived in Lincoln, and he believes that this plan will help others want to stay here, too.

“You know, coming here, I really found Lincoln to be my home, and I really like how we are so community-focused,” he said. “It will bring more unity, and it will help Lincoln grow.”