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  Arts & Culture History & Bicentennial Diverse People Downtown Revitalization Green Community Growth Through Learning Health & Human Services Jobs & Technology Image & Marketing Neighborhoods & Life Safety Sports & Recreation Moving People

  Diverse People Focus Group Orientation Binder

  Ten Input Ideas for Diverse People
  Thousands of ideas were generated and all will be considered by the Focus Group.
  
  1  Rick - Red, White, & Boom.
  The availability of comprehensive and pro-active services for the homeless including mental health, drug counseling and temporary housing.
  2  Amy - Latino Festival.
  Community festivals are a great opportunity for us to pause, reflect, & have fun. I think it would be good to keep cultural diversity in our regular discourse throughout the year. I guess perhaps having regular, monthly events (art showings with food/drink) could help to do this.
  3  Salandra - Juneteenth.
  Ask for volunteers from the OSU African American and African Studies Department, the Ethnic Studies Department, and Latin American Studies Department. Many are eager to serve.
  4  Michelle - Arts Festival.
  Create a cultural center, where cultures can be explained, celebrated, and used for school field trips. Understanding other cultures is the key to improving the quality of life in Columbus.
  5  Rory - Red, White, & Boom.
  We need to increase the scope of the New Americans program and add more city staff members to interact with all the major interest groups. We need to also expand our efforts to promote Columbus to the world and further partner with international groups currently in Columbus.
  6 Kitty - Riverfest.
  There needs to be more language translation, trainings on cultural competency as well as a community services “yellow pages” in several languages like Somali and Spanish.
  7  Vonnie- Latino Festival.
  Realize the diversity of the city and continue to foster relationships within the different economic groups. By bringing more events to Columbus and making a name for ourselves we are becoming more recognized as a diverse city.
  8  Kowalski - Gallery Hop.
  Our city leaders need to make sure that all of our citizens, regardless of race and socioeconomic class, sexual orientation or any other of the socially constructed differences, have access to health care, a decent place to live, great education and a chance at building a better life for themselves. When you gift the populous with the ability to take care of themselves, then the economic environment will flourish.
  9  Rhonda - King Lincoln Heritage Concert
  Seriously needs the following: 1.) a major African-American Cultural Festival. The Columbus and Ohio Black Expo are missed by many African Americans. There is nothing in Columbus that symbolizes the pride and the struggle of the Black experience and the plight of Black businesses in this city.
  10  Hella - Greek Festival.
  We need to teach people to be patient with our immigrant population. At one point all Americans were immigrants to this country or continent. How would you have like your great grand parents or ancestors to be treated?

Diverse People

Focus Area Members:

Member	Organization
Eddie Harell (Chair)	Columbus Urban League
Karla Rothan (Chair)	Stonewall Columbus
Luis Alcalde (Chair)	Crabbe Brown James LLP
Cathy Falkenberg	Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Christie Angel	Sean P. Dunn & Associates
Cindy Farson	Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging
Donna James	Healthy Families
Kevin Walker	AEP
Lisa Han	Schottenstein Zox & Dunn
Mary Jo Hudson	State of Ohio
Mohamed Dallin	Somali Chamber
Patrice Dickerson	OSU - Coll Social Behavioral Sciences
Robbie Banks	Columbus Chamber of Commerce
Todd Corley	Abercrombie & Fitch
Toni Teague	ED of Leadership Ohio

Meetings:	Work Session 1 - Notes
	Work Session 2 - Notes
	Work Session 3 - Notes

Focus Area Description: Columbus is an increasingly diverse city and in that diversity is Columbus’ strength as a community of people. The focus of this group is the diversity of Columbus residents – embracing our diversity and understanding the needs of a diverse population. Topics that may be addressed include retaining young professionals, supporting growing ethnic communities, seniors and an aging population, and the GLBT community.

Key Question: How should we embrace and celebrate our increasingly diverse community? What resources are needed to support people with diverse backgrounds and cultures??

Public Input about the Focus Area: Respondents universally agreed that supporting Columbus’ increasing diverse population was an important goal for the city’s bicentennial. Many discussed the need to increase interaction of diverse groups of people though festivals or neighborhood activities. Others prioritized the needs of new immigrants to our city by promoting existing organized services to better integrate them into Columbus. Along these lines, increasing the educational programming related to diverse backgrounds and cultures was emphasized. Finally, many respondents felt that promoting acceptance across the public realm was important to increasing acceptance and understanding of diverse people throughout the city.

Public Input Themes for the Focus Area:

1. Increase festivals celebrating all ethnicities in downtown and neighborhood parks. Many contributors want to see more festivals that bring together diverse groups of people and expanded the cultural awareness and knowledge of the citizens of Columbus through featuring cultural activities in a celebratory atmosphere.
2. Foster relationships between different cultures to increase interaction and strengthen neighborhoods. Respondents in this category believe that interaction was the key to strengthening acceptance within our city and neighborhoods. Many focus their comments on encouraging day to day interaction amongst diverse groups of people which would build commonality and help diverse groups of people to establish mutual interests for the improvement of the community.
3. Establish comprehensive and proactive services for immigrants through nonprofit and educational organizations. Many view diversity through the experiences new immigrants have in Columbus. Respondents want to ensure that groups were in place throughout the city to help immigrants with the transition into our culture and our City so they can become successful citizens and feel welcome in their community and the city at large.
4. Promote acceptance of diverse cultures through community outreach programs. Many respondents feel it is important to support diverse cultures through community outreach programs targeted at raising the awareness of the diversity that already exists in Columbus. Respondents see existing organizations such as churches or community organizations as already having some of the capabilities needed and called for more support of those groups already working with diverse populations but the these organizations along with local governments need to ensure all outreach programs are provided .
5. Create collaborative educational opportunities emphasizing diversity, English as a second language and job training. The many responses relating to this focus group point to the need for increased educational opportunities for youth and adults emphasizing diversity. In particular, English as a second language classes are mentioned as a great way to help newer immigrants become productive members of the community. As well, respondents talk about the need to increase awareness of diverse cultures through school programs for youth.

Think Outside the Box...