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Diversity Coalition seeks $10,000 from North Manchester to support welcoming initiatives
Summary
Mackenzie Colter, director of the Lavash County Diversity Coalition, asked the council for $10,000 to sustain programs including bilingual story hours, a Life Navigator series and a Gateways for Growth strategic plan funded by a national grant.
Mackenzie Colter, director of the Lavash County Diversity Coalition, asked the North Manchester Town Council on April 1 for $10,000 to support the coalition’s third year of operations. Colter described recent work intended to attract and integrate residents, including achieving a Certified Welcoming designation from Welcoming America and receiving a Gateways for Growth grant to develop a strategic plan for Wabash County.
Colter said the coalition provided bilingual programming at the public library, ran a Life Navigator series (including sessions on healthcare), coordinated language-access training with local law enforcement, and is helping recruit teachers for the dual-language program in local schools. She said the coalition’s outreach and policy work included translating materials and creating resources to help new arrivals access utilities, schools and health care.
Council members and attendees credited Mayor Long and others for helping start the initiative and praised progress. The council did not take a funding vote during the transcript portion provided; Colter answered questions and indicated a report on the strategic plan would be shared with the town.
The coalition’s request and programming emphasize integration supports, language access and recruitment for dual-language teaching positions, which coalition leaders said will aid population growth and retention in Wabash County and North Manchester.
