What We Do
Patchwork Indy is working with the many cultural communities who now call Indiana home. By continuing to strive for innovative ways to meet the rapidly changing needs of the resettled communities, we work to help every individual move from surviving, to thriving, to flourishing so that they can make a positive difference in the community. By advocacy, we work to make the life situations and experiences better for each member of the refugee or immigrant communities who decide to make a new start in central Indiana. We continually introduce Awareness through art exhibitions, community conversations, and celebrations of the many different cultures that are now part of our social fabric. Our Advancement programs are providing a platform for leaders to emerge and thrive from among the many different cultural groups who are now living in Indiana. Patchwork Indy is always working to create a more inclusive and equitable living environment for every individual, regardless of where they have come from or what they have experienced.
Advocacy
We are working to make the process of bringing refugees and immigrants to the US simpler, easier, and quicker by acting as an advocate for policies and programs that are streamlining the process of finding a new home for each individual. Once they are in central Indiana, we advocate for the highest quality of life possible.
Awareness
Patchwork Indy wants to introduce the dynamic and varied cultures to the Indiana population, but we also work to introduce different cultures and ethnic groups to each other. Through art exhibitions we help countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burma (Myanmar) realize that their similarities are actually much greater than could be expected. Community conversations and lecture series are helping individuals learn more of their own history and engaging individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives. Cultural celebrations help to highlight the rich cultural heritage that people have brought with them from their home countries. It is a time to experience and be grateful for the diversity and depth of Indiana’s interwoven community.
Advancement
Patchwork is working with leaders from the many different communities by creating opportunities for them to gain a greater understanding of the civic landscape of the United States. This includes a Belonging Leadership Summit that will create cohorts of leaders who will work together to impact their own people groups and the wider Indiana population to make a positive difference. The Belonging Leadership Academy will be training leaders to take positions in the corporate and nonprofit worlds, in academic or cultural capacities, and in politics, community engagement, and the wider civic and cultural conversations.
