Editorial staff. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
The San Mateo Community Services Bureau's Office of Immigrant Services won the Gateways for Growth G4G Challenge, which will further the county's immigration efforts by providing research and technical assistance to better tailor local initiatives that promote immigrant inclusion in the community.
In the face of the large increase and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Gateways for Growth challenge prioritized localities that demonstrated a public-private commitment to better integrate immigrants into recovery efforts and emergency management systems.
The county was selected along with 18 other jurisdictions nationwide for the award, which is presented by the New American Economy (NAE) and Welcoming America.
G4G winners will receive a combination of NAE's customized quantitative research reports on the demographic and economic contributions immigrants make to their communities.
In addition, you will get one-on-one technical assistance from NAE and Welcoming America to help communities write, implement, and communicate an immigrant inclusion strategy in a multi-sectoral manner.
The county stressed in a statement that "widespread distribution of public health and safety information remains crucial to protecting the entire community," as nearly half of San Mateo's population speaks a language other than English at home.
Among the aspects that made the bid successful was that the county focused its efforts on connecting with residents in hard-to-reach communities and areas with a digital divide by canvassing door-to-door with bilingual information about COVID-19 resources and testing at no cost to the participant.
The county's "Community Team" also distributed about 14,000 face shields throughout the county to help low-income residents who may not have access to or be able to afford protective gear, she said.
"We are thrilled to see the Gateways for Growth challenge expand to another set of locations that reflect the diversity of our nation," said Christina Pope, senior director of networks for Welcoming America.
New American Economy's director of state and local initiatives, Mo Kantner, said, "The Gateways for Growth program helps communities quantify what many people already know: that immigrants play a key role in driving growth.
"We are excited to see how these communities can use data and technical assistance to support their work and ensure that all residents are welcome and have pathways to success," he added.
