PHILADELPHIA – Tomorrow, Mayor Kenney will join regional immigration leaders and advocates to launch the 38^th Edition of the Social Innovations Journal, Social Innovations to Address Immigrant Needs: How Social Sector Leaders in America’s Cities Can Strengthen Immigrant Services and Policies Symposium.  This event marks the close of 2017 Welcoming Week.

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA CAN RSVP TO alescia@socialinnovationspartners.org

What:
Social Innovations to Address Immigrant Needs: How Social Sector Leaders in America’s Cities Can Strengthen Immigrant Services and Policies Symposium

Where:
Calvary Center for Culture & Community
841 S. 48^th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143

When: 
Monday, September 25, 2017, 3 – 6:30 p.m.

Who:

• Mayor Jim Kenney
• Tom Jawetz, Vice President, Immigration, Center for American Progress
• Miriam Enriquez, Director, Office of Immigrant Affairs, City of Philadelphia
• Peter Gonzales, President/CEO, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
• Will Gonzalez, Executive Director, Ceiba
• Helen Gym, Councilwoman At-Large, Philadelphia City Council
• Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder, Social Innovations Journal
• Natasha Kelemen, Principal, Natasha Kelemen Consultancy
• Blanca Pacheco, Assistant Director, New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia
• Oni Richards-Waritay, Executive Director, African Family Health Organization
• Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder, CEO, Social Innovations Journal

Details: 
The event is being held in collaboration with the Samuel S. Fels Fund, the City of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs and The Alfred and Mary Douty Foundation.The event will conclude with a networking reception for all attendees.

The Social Innovations to Address Immigrant Needs Symposium will provide participants with an opportunity to:

• Examine the policies, programs and innovations assisting immigrant populations;
• Discuss collective impact approaches to fundraising, grantmaking and programming to support immigrants;
• Promote economic development through the integration of skilled immigrant workers and financial services;
• Create private and public sector partnerships to expand support networks for refugee community integration;
• Develop coalitions to promote civic engagement among new Americans; and
• Harness the support of volunteer medical providers to provide community-based health care.

As urban immigrant populations have grown through successive waves of immigration, many cities have developed rich networks of nonprofits and community groups along with innovative programs to support immigrant and refugee populations. At the same time, local governments have struggled to address the challenges associated with integrating diverse, low-income and limited English proficient (LEP) residents. Recent hardline anti-immigrant actions by the Trump administration have heightened an already conflicted and politically charged national debate over immigration, escalating tensions between city, state and federal levels of government regarding immigrant policies. Many American cities, like Philadelphia, are at the helm of developing innovative approaches to immigrant integration and laying the groundwork for national policies to support immigrant and refugee populations.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend. To register for the symposium, visit:
Social Innovations to Address Immigrant Needs Symposium Tickets.

Members of the media are welcome to attend and should reach out to Alescia Dingle to RSVP for the event and for any additional questions

The Social Innovations Journal is the first regional publication in the U.S. dedicated to social innovators and innovations. The volunteer-leveraged journal publishes content monthly and has a readership from around the world. The Journal is available by subscription at socialinnovationsjournal.org.