CHAMPAIGN — The City of Champaign is receiving a state grant to develop a countywide plan supporting residents with limited English proficiency.
The state budget approved last month allocates a $175,000 grant from the Rebuild Illinois Project Fund for costs associated with the Champaign County Welcoming Plan.
Janel Gomez is the Community Relations Manager and Compliance Officer in the Champaign’s Department of Equity and Engagement. She said the city decided to use the funding to address language accessibility, citing it as one of the community’s biggest issues.
“If we want to have an event, we need to talk about what translation looks like to provide access to the community. We might need to have interpreters. We need to have some of the documents translated,” she said.
Gomez said local partners helped confirm that immigrant and refugee populations face language barriers when trying to access city services. To better understand and meet their needs, the city hosts sessions to further develop its welcoming plan.
City representatives meet with the police department as well as schools and other organizations meet during the Communities of Practice Blitz meetings. During that time, attendees can share updates, identify challenges and brainstorm potential solutions.
Gomez said those conversations highlighted the need for consistent translation services.
“I tell people often that if you come to the city of Champaign, and you don’t speak English, we have a willing heart. Every department will want to work with you, has systems to work with you, but it’s very piecemeal,” she said. “Different departments use different technology.”
The local government’s efforts have earned the Certified Welcoming designation from the nonprofit organization Welcoming America. But having a comprehensive approach for those with limited English proficiency will ensure that people who arrive in Champaign know what specific aid they can expect, Gomez said.
While most of the grant funding will be used to develop the plan, Gomez said a portion will also be distributed to groups and individuals who provide aid for refugees and immigrants in the area. Those groups have not been selected yet, but she said the decision will be made in collaboration with partners involved in the county’s welcoming plan.
Gomez said she is looking forward to seeing the idea come to fruition.
“It has been a topic, and it has kind of been a pet project of mine since I’ve been in the city of Champaign. I’ve always thought this would be wonderful to do, and now we have some months to be able to do it,” she said.