Jul. 27—ROSEAU, Minn. — LifeCare Medical Center and Go Roseau are both at work on projects aimed at welcoming new members of the community, especially those who come from other countries. Their separate work will intersect with an event in early August, showcasing Filipino culture.
Sinnamon Krings, Roseau promotions director, said Go Roseau’s project is focused on creating opportunities for new residents to take a step forward in becoming part of the tight-knit community.
“The most important thing for us to do is to get them involved and make them feel like they’re part of our community,” she said. “Make them feel safe here, make them feel welcomed here.”
Both LifeCare and Go Roseau received grants from the Northwest Minnesota Foundation for their projects — LifeCare received $4,000 and Go Roseau received $8,000. Both groups are working together for an event to kick off a series of celebrations Go Roseau has planned involving local cultures. The event, scheduled for August 8, will focus on Filipino culture, led by people who moved to Roseau from the Philippines after being hired by LifeCare. Krings said those helping to create the event are excited to do so. There will be food, music, games, dancing and more, she said.
Following the Filipino event will be others through the rest of the year and into 2025, including Scandinavian, Native American and Puerto Rican culture, the latter coming from Puerto Ricans who have been hired by Polaris.
“This gives them an opportunity to mingle with some of our people who have been around a long time,” Krings said. “This is just a great door opener to more and more future unity.”
Aside from the larger events, Go Roseau is also working on other resources and activities for new residents. One example is photography sessions that will be held in different languages, so new Americans who don’t yet speak English can explore Roseau and its features without trying to communicate in an unfamiliar language.
LifeCare also has other projects in progress as it hires more Filipino employees, focusing on helping the new employees get used to the area and provide diversity training to current employees. LifeCare also helps its new American employees with getting the resources they need, like bank accounts, social security, cars, drivers licenses and other things. LifeCare began hiring Filipinos around the last two to three years, Human Resources Director Lois Slick said, and is aiming to bring in around 13 more. It is the start of a good thing, she said, but it is quite a process to bring them into the U.S.
The Filipino employees have saved LifeCare, she said. It is difficult to hire people in a rural area, such as a long-term registered nurse position that has been open for two years. There are five Filipinos working in LifeCare’s lab, and some registered nurses are on the way, though the immigration process is slow-going.
“Without them we would be in serious trouble,” Slick said. “They have saved us.”
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
