GINI program receives national grant to foster belonging

Press release from Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – National nonprofit Welcoming America has selected 12 organizations around the nation to receive funding from its Fund to Foster Belonging. Among the grantees selected, the Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative (GINI), through the Rural Women’s Health Project, has been chosen to receive the pilot grant. 

Funding is to be used for “projects that build meaningful connections between immigrants and non-immigrants”. Having worked over the past two years to build a safer and more inclusive community for our immigrant neighbors, the GINI Initiative is excited to continue this effort and work with Welcoming America again. 

Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America, said: “We are thrilled to support this latest round of community-driven projects through the Fund to Foster Belonging,… these projects underscore the continued need for communities to work better for everyone and for strong, multiracial democracies to thrive.”

The GINI Initiative will be working with Flavorful LLC, a local, immigrant-run culinary business whose mission is to share the culinary treasures of Africa and other parts of the world while learning and sharing more about other cultures. Together, these two organizations will work with Working Foods and Florida Heritage Foods to host interactive events that merge the culinary experiences of four local chefs’ cuisines, where food will be made and shared together, as well as presented in its cultural context to the audience. 

“Now, more than ever, it is important to leverage our communities and focus on what brings us together. Food is a common denominator between cultures and a great vehicle to build bridges between our immigrant and native-born communities. We envision this interactive experience to be the beginning of high-impact community projects that will continue to foster belonging,” remarked Awa Kaba and Aisse Diallo, co-owners of Flavorful LLC. “As we always say, we are sharing more than food, we are sharing cultures and building stronger, lasting bonds within our communities.“

A one-time, interactive event will be the culmination of “culinary chef interactions,” where chefs of different backgrounds will meet and plan, building towards an open community event.

 “The Community Kitchen Program at Working Food exists at an intersection where culture meets commerce. The availability of a low-cost, non-profit kitchen helps entrepreneurs from all different walks of life to follow their dreams in starting a food business and sharing their diverse cuisines with the Gainesville community. We are very excited to be a part of the GINI project and look forward to collaborating,” explained Robert Colon, Working Food’s Culinary Program Director.

Santa Fe College’s Florida Heritage Foods, a USDA-supported program in North Central Florida, is another partner in this project.

“[We are] delighted to partner with the Rural Women’s Health Project in order to foster belonging in our local community. Food is one of the many ways that people of different groups celebrate their culture and history,” says Vilma Fuentes, one of Florida Heritage Foods’ Project Directors. “We plan to celebrate the differences and commonalities among those who reside in our area by sponsoring multicultural community events related to Florida heritage foods. These events will celebrate our uniqueness as well as promote greater community engagement and belonging.”

Together, these organizations will engage with other culinary experts who interact via the Working Food commercial kitchen they mutually use. Between all participating organizations there is a shared vision of bringing our community together. We hope to see you there!

Space for attendees is limited, and participants will be selected through a raffle. Please fill out our form for your chance to attend the event, or reach out to GINI@rwhp.org