On March 19, 2019, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted on HCR3, “a resolution relative to welcoming communities.” If passed, the resolution would “designate March as diversity month and an opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity in New Hampshire.”
Welcoming NH is happy to announce that the House voted to pass Resolution HCR3! Slightly amended, the resolution would now “designate September as welcoming month and urge state and local government officials, small business owners, and community members to celebrate the month with appropriate events and activities.”
The proposed month was changed from March to September so that New Hampshire’s welcoming month would coincide with several local multicultural festivals as well as Welcoming America’s national Welcoming Week. New Hampshire’s welcoming communities have been active participants in Welcoming Week for several years.
We are very proud of our House of Representatives for choosing to honor and celebrate the wide array of peoples and cultures who call New Hampshire home. Though we still have big strides to make in the way of being truly welcoming of all people, this is a fantastic step in a positive direction!
The resolution will now move on to the Senate for review. Please continue showing your support for this welcoming resolution, and stay tuned for the next update!
The New American Driving School is a new program initiated by Second Start as part of its role in the Welcoming Concord Initiative.
The New American Driving Schools is intended for low and moderate income individuals.
The course is for adults, 18 years or age and older.
The 8-week course includes 32 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of behind-the-wheel experience.
The cost of the course is $420 which can be paid in full at registration or in three installments of $140.
Register for classes at Second Start, 17 Knight Street, Concord, NH 03301 in the main office Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:30 pm. Students must be registered before classes begin.
Classroom instruction is on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8 pm and focuses on defensive driving and risk-prevention. In-car instruction is scheduled individually with the instructor at the beginning of each class session. Classes are held at Second Start’s building at 17 Knight Street in Concord. Driving instruction begins and ends at Second Start. Access the registration form here.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will receive a completed State of NH Driver’s Education certificate. Access the class calendar here.
This is the second year that the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, in partnership with Eastern Bank, is able to provide grant aid for New Americans to access work force training programs. A description of this opportunity is available in English, Nepali, Spanish and French.
The application can be found on the NH Charitable Foundation website. Scroll down to “Certificate, license or other industry-recognized credential” and click on the “+” sign to get a full description of this funding opportunity. Call 603-225-6641 ext. 224 if you have any questions. Access the application here: https://www.nhcf.org/how-can-we-help-you/apply-for-a-scholarship/
Last year, over $70,000 was distributed to new Americans for training programs such as certified medical assistant, engineering technology, nursing, computer science and other short-term training programs. Read about two of last year’s recipients here.
Verónica G. Cárdenas tells the story behind her photos of the migrants traveling to the U.S.: “I want to convey what it’s like for people to travel on these caravans. I’d like to show that indeed, it is a tiresome and dangerous journey, but along the way, life goes on… I also want to portray them in a more dignified way where they are not solely victims of violence or lack of opportunities in their countries.”
