IowaWINS to open Welcome Home Center

MT. PLEASANT — IowaWINs (Iowa Welcomes Immigrant Neighbors) is pleased to announce the opening of the Welcome Home Center in Mt. Pleasant. The Welcome Home Center is available to all local residents seeking connection to community services. The center offers bilingual services for Spanish speakers.

IowaWINs conducted an outreach program in 2023 to learn about the needs of the immigrant community in Mt. Pleasant. The greatest need was the creation of a trusted bilingual organization to provide advice, information, and support for the community.

IowaWINs hired Oscar Argueta as the Project Director. Argueta comes from Guatemala but has a long history in Mt. Pleasant where he published a Spanish-language newspaper for many years. He has been meeting with local leaders, human services organizations as well as individuals and families in preparation for the opening of this center.

The center will connect people with resources in our community and facilitate relationship development to benefit everyone in the community. We plan to host outreach sessions and workshops on a variety of important issues including skill building, literacy, cultural education, mental health services, immigration, financial literacy, and building new businesses. We also look forward to hosting community celebrations.

The Welcome Home Center is located at 217 W. Washington in Mt. Pleasant. We are planning a grand opening on April 4, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Office hours are: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m.

The Welcome Home Center is open to all local residents regardless of where they are coming from. Please feel free to stop in during office hours. You can also follow up on our Facebook page. Search for “Welcome Home Center.”

The Welcome Home Center is possible in part through a grant from Enhance Henry County Foundation.

ABOUT IowaWINS

IowaWINs (Iowa Welcomes its Immigrant Neighbors) was originally established in the fall of 2015 in Mt. Pleasant in response to the global refugee crisis. Since its formation, the Commission expanded the Vision and Mission to include immigrants living in our community. The Commission is open to all community members.

IowaWINs VISION:

Our communities will be inclusive and hospitable, welcoming people from across the world who chose to live, work, study and seek happiness here.

The purpose of IowaWINs is to establish a connection between immigrant families and other Mt. Pleasant and Southeast Iowa neighbors.

In order to achieve that vision, the MISSION of IowaWINs is to:

•Develop relationships and partnerships within our communities and beyond to develop and implement solutions to common problems that immigrant residents face.

•Support the self-development of people in the immigrant community through connecting groups seeking to take initiative with resources.

•Build inclusive and hospitable relationships, providing educational, cultural, and service opportunities for all members of the community.

•Support children and people who came to the U.S. as children in seeking to establish legal status in the U.S. through assistance with application and legal fees to the degree possible with resources available.

•Advocate on behalf of immigrant rights to Iowa residents, government officials, office seekers and those developing public policy.

Anyone interested in joining this effort should contact Jeff Fager, Chair of IowaWINs at iowawinsmp@gmail.com, 319-208-4610.

IowaWINS is a community and First Presbyterian Church commission. All are welcome.

https://www.facebook.com/IowaWINs/

https://www.iowawins.net/