“I’m not from Miller. I’m not from Chicago. I’m from Gary.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ This story is from our Flight Paths collection. Find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcast or Stitcher.
“Sometimes I have meltdowns and sometimes I say, ‘OK,’ and go on.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ This story is from the Invisible Project, a collaboration between the Welcome Project and Porter County Coalition for Affordable Housing, Housing Opportunities, Gabriel’s Horn, Dayspring Women’s Center, and Porter County Museum. Find more Invisible Project stories at welcomeproject.valpo.edu
“I’ve been down, believe me... I've lost my kids, I've lost my possessions...” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ This story is from the Invisible Project, a collaboration between the Welcome Project and Porter County Coalition for Affordable Housing, Housing Opportunities, Gabriel’s Horn, Dayspring Women’s Center, and Porter County Museum. Find more Invisible Project stories at welcomeproject.valpo.edu
“Because you’ve developed a relationship, you’re willing to meet that neighbor’s needs.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ This story is from our Flight Paths initiative. Find more stories at welcomeproject.valpo.edu Subscribe to our podcast at Apple Podcasts or Stitcher
"If you could make it through the wobbles and the buckles in the floor at the Neighborhood House, you could skate anywhere." ~ a Welcome Project story ~ This story is from our Flight Paths initiative. Find more stories at welcomeproject.valpo.edu
"It really made me question, like, 'Is this a place that I should be?'" ~ a Welcome Project story ~ welcomeproject.valpo.edu Produced by Rebecca Werner with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. storycorps.org
“Well, you’re here, too, so I guess you’re in the same boat I am.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ This story comes from The Invisible Project, a collaboration with non-profit homelessness and affordable housing organizations in Porter County. Find more at https://welcomeproject.valpo.edu/category/invisible-project/
"It became my mission to change the way people saw Gary, how people saw people of color, and the knowledge they had of people of color because it was hurtful." ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu Produced by Rebecca Werner with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. www.storycorps.org
“I don’t want to be a failure. I don’t want to let my people down.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find a longer version of this story at welcomeproject.valpo.edu
“Labels started to get way too complicated.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher
“I walked in and I was just in awe ‘cause you’d walk in and it was like a city.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast
"And the fact that people always, like, write off Gary as this horrible place made me feel like I just had to have this conviction to like, change people’s minds, and to be there, and make a difference." Produced by Rebecca Werner with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. www.storycorps.org
"...the roles growing up, it was a little bit more difficult for me than my younger siblings cause I was the one that knew both languages fluently." ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast
“It was a decision I made on my own and that’s what made it all the more valuable to me.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast
“They didn’t understand the whole concept of why you have to travel all the way to Gary just to get your hair cut.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast
“If we don’t put the work in to help them pursue their vision, what’s going to happen next? That’ll be another person that we’ll lose to the streets.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ Find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast – just search for "Welcome Project"
“I don’t like being around one culture… How else are you going to learn?” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast through Stitcher or Apple Podcasts
“Now we have a voice, we can talk, and we can say it, loud and clear.” Part four of Spirit of Challenge. ~ a Welcome Project story ~ Find more stories at welcomeproject.valpo.edu
“I trust you. Just do what you learned.” Part 3 of Spirit of Challenge ~ a Welcome Project story ~ Find more stories at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
“Oh my God, what trouble did I put myself in?” Part 2 of Spirit of Challenge ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcast or Stitcher
Part 1 of Spirit of Challenge “My voice was so little, nobody heard it. I started screaming.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ Find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to us at Apple Podcasts or Stitcher
“You were proud you were part of the organization that was part of your city.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts
“As adults, we’ve forgotten what we came from or where we came from.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ Find more stories at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcast or Stitcher.
“You want to know you have a place where your kids can come.” ~ a Welcome Project story ~ This story is from the Invisible Project, a collaboration between the Welcome Project and Porter County Coalition for Affordable Housing, Housing Opportunities, Gabriel’s Horn, Dayspring Women’s Center, and Porter County Museum. Find more from this collection at: https://welcomeproject.valpo.edu/category/invisible-project/
"... we were in school together, but we were separated." ~a Welcome Project story~ Find more stories at welcomeproject.valpo.edu or subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
"You’ll hear, 'They just didn’t work hard enough.'" For more stories, go to welcomeproject.valpo.edu
"Until you change inside, all the laws you can pass ain’t gonna do a bit of good." Produced by Emmanuel Higgins. Thanks to Mr. Allison for sharing his story.
“When he found out we were from Aetna, he never spoke to us again.”
"...people bought into this notion that no one wants to live in Gary..." This is a Welcome Project story from our Flight Paths initiative. Find more at welcomeproject.valpo.edu
"That period of time—growing up in Gary, Indiana, I would not want to be anywhere else in the world."
