Polk County to open a welcome center for immigrants and refugees
DES MOINES, Iowa — Polk County is renovating a Des Moines building to create a welcome center and resource hub for immigrants and refugees, called Global Neighbors.
The center will be located at 1900 Carpenter Avenue, just east of Drake University. The building was also previously connected to serving immigrant populations. In the 40s, the building was home to the first Jewish-owned deli and grocery store. Then it became a disco and senior center before becoming a government site.
The manager of operations of Global Neighbors, Mak Sućeska, said the building's location was an ideal space for what they have planned. It's equidistant to different Ethnic Community Based Organizations (ECBOs) and immigrant/refugee nonprofits from across the county. It's also located on a bus route, so transportation is accessible.
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'Polk County, in the words of the community that we're going to serve, is very spread out and, at times, difficult to navigate. So we decided as a community, Polk County, and our partners, to figure out how we create a one-stop-shop where people can come and enroll in English classes, enroll kids into school, potentially get immunizations and a health checkup,' said Sućeska.
The state of Iowa is no stranger to helping refugees, dating back to the early 70s when then-Governor Robert Ray helped resettle Southeast Asian Refugees in Iowa. However, a new executive order may make this tradition harder to keep up with.
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the Refugee Resettlement Program.
Part of the order states, 'The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees.'
Sućeska said this order will impact the local resettlement and agencies will need time to adjust. However, he said there are refugees and immigrants currently in Iowa who still need support, and Global Neighbors will be a benefit for them.
'Resettlement services that are provided are time-limited 90 to 180 days, so getting economically self-sufficient is quite challenging within that short period of time. Many refugees and immigrants need continued support and that's where Global Neighbors comes in,' he said.
The project started in 2017 with an assessment of the refugee and immigrant community within the county to find what gaps existed. The county partnered with BBS Architects | Engineers and construction is currently underway.
At the entrance, there will be an Iowa Oak Tree to welcome people. The state tree will be symbolic of people settling their roots in the state.
A wall will be constructed through the building. There will be a mural painted on the wall to display the journey of immigrants and refugees.
There will also be a mural painted on the outer facade of the building. Both murals will be painted by a local refugee/immigrant artist.
Several resources will also be available on-site to help people, including services from Des Moines Public Schools to help enroll students, representatives of different ECBOs to help connect people to communities, clinical services to help connect people with healthcare, and more.
Sućeska says the goal of the facility is to help people integrate into American society, and he hopes their efforts make the transition easier.
'It's very important for people to know what it takes to thrive and survive here in the United States and in Iowa. And that's what we're trying to do with Global Neighbors,' he said.
Global Neighbors is projected to be completed by the end of 2025.
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